Happy Halloween!!!!

It seems like Halloween just gets better and better the older they get. Ethan kept asking all day long if it was time to go trick or treat yet. Once we started getting them dressed, it was truly hard for him to contain his excitement. He helped put our bowl of candy out and kept saying he was going to get his candy by going to other peoples houses. This year Ethan was a Pirate and Gracie was Skunk (made with love by Grandma Teresa). They both looked adorable. Ethan wanted to be a pirate so bad that he was great at acting like one and even saying AARH! Gracie surprised us by leaving her hat alone but she of course looked cute in her costume including the striped tail. I covered our wagon with fake grass so she would look like a skunk sitting in the field. We had a great time walking around and Ethan loved seeing what other people were dressed up as. He especially liked a little girl in a butterfly costume, they started to walk hand and hand down the street. We didn't know them but it seemed like they knew each other. Of course, our trick or treating was a success because we came home with more candy than we could ever possibly need and Gracie was perfectly content in her costume and in the wagon. We had a great night and enjoy seeing our babies in their costumes. We hope everybody had a safe and happy Halloween.

Walk the Plank!

Ahoy Matey! (Captain Morgan)

Our Pirate and Skunk

How do I get this off my head

Let's GO!!

Little Stinker

Walking the neighborhood

A pirate with his treasure

My, how things have changed!

The first picture was taken while we were in Alamo. It was really cute to see Gracie and her cousin Teagan play together because it reminded my family of when my cousin Dejoire and I were that small. Teagan is Dejoire's daughter.

Gracie and Teagan

Dejoire and Destiny

Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future. ~Gail Lumet Buckley

Have a fang-tastic Halloween!

We are anxiously awaiting Halloween so we thought we better get our pumpkins before it is too late. The kids had a great time at the pumpkin patch but seeing how it was Gracie's first time, I think she had the most fun. Happy Haunting!

Beef Jerky saves the day

Yesterday we went to the hospital to get our flu shots. Ethan and I were both able to get the mist so he was saved from getting the shot but poor Gracie had no choice. I walk up to the guy in uniform and Gracie is already flirting with him. She is just like her mommy, we sure do love men in uniform. It means they have a JOB! Anyways, she is just playing with him and he is talking to her the whole time while holding her hand. I pulled her pants down to her fat chunky thighs and he gave her the shot with not even a frown or whimper out of her. She was as happy as can be. That is the first time any of my kids have ever gotten a shot and there were no waterworks afterward. I said "Are you sure you did it in right". I wish I could request him for any future appointments.

Driving back from Alamo is a 10 hour drive so I try to keep the kids as occupied as I can. Well I forgot to write about this. Ethan and I were in the back seat enjoying some beef jerky steaks. Poor Gracie's gums were swollen the whole visit and she is just looking at us like "If anyone needs to be chewing on something, it needs to be me". I thought to myself, beef jerky would help her out so much because it taste really good and no matter how much she chews it, it will never fall apart. So I gave her a piece. Yes I did, and if any of you walk on water during your pastime you are more than welcome to scold me on my parenting. She absolutely loved it. She gnawed on it and you can tell she enjoyed the taste and the comfort it was giving her. I just kept trimming it down so she would get some fresh pieces but I think it was the best teether she has ever had.

Our family visit and Gracie's baptism

For the past two weeks we were in Alamo visiting with our family and friends. It is always nice to see family and watch the grandparents play with Ethan and Gracie. While we were down we were able to attend two birthday parties, my Grandmother Maria turned 70 and Eric's Uncle Dave turned 50. I also got to visit with my good friend Lily which I haven't seen in 7 years, so much has happened that we ran out of time talking. Then this Saturday was Gracie's baptism. She looked so beautiful in her pretty white dress on her special day. My best friend Tiffany was so nice to stand in as Godmother. It is so fitting to have Tiffany as her Godmother because not only has she been a great friend but she is always checking up on the kids and when I first had Gracie I had to remind Tiffany that a spoiled little girl is not always a good thing. Gracie did really well during the ceremony even though it was held during nap time. She really liked the Father so I am sure that helped. Afterwards we had a little party to celebrate this occasion. We all enjoyed menudo, tamales and sandwiches and got to visit with each other one more time before heading out the next day.

Even after all of the stuff that we normally have going on when we come home, the one thing that I always seem to really enjoy is watching the kids interact with their grandparents and great grandparents. I think out of the whole trip Ethan enjoyed watching his great grandmother Lupe hit the branches of her pecan tree because when the pecans fell down it was his job to pick them up and put them in a bucket. He throughly enjoyed it and every time we went over he would run to the back door yelling, "Pick up the pecans" or how every time Gracie sees her grandmother Margie her whole face lights up, her attitude changes and she just can't look away. I think it is because I look ( and yes even act) so much like my mother that when she sees her grandmother it is like seeing two of mommy. These are just two out of all of the countless moments that really make the trips so worth it!

Uncle Dave's Party

My grandmother and I on her birthday

Eric, me, Tiffany and Gracie during the ceremony

Gracie getting baptized

Such a happy baby

I think this is such a cute picture

All of us with the preacher

Gracie and Ethan ready for some cake.

Grandparents, we are on our way.

We are going home to visit with our family and get Miss Gracie baptized. We will be there for a few weeks and since we will be busy having fun, see you when we get back.

The things that come out of his mouth

**After we left playgroup Thursday, I hear Ethan say “That was wonderful Mommy!”

**“Mom, am I your son or are you my son?” I introduced Ethan as my son the other day and I think he thought I was talking about the sun because we sing You are my sunshine together so I am now explaining daughter and son to him. He doesn’t know it is spelled differently.

**If you have been around Ethan for a period of time you already know that he can really beat a subject to death. He is just like his mother and he can talk and talk. But, it sometimes is about the same thing. Like for instance if a man falls down on the TV. Ethan will keep talking about how funny it was to see the man fall and try recreating the event to get a laugh out of us. It can go on for awhile. Well the other day on our way home he was going on and on about something that happened at playgroup the other day and Gracie was sleeping. I tried to introduce the Quiet game.

Me: Ethan, you want to play a game?

Ethan: YES

Me: We are going to play the Quiet game. You have to see how long you can go before you can speak again. So close your mouth.

Ethan. Okay mom…… (1 second later)…….Mom, I can’t close my mouth all the way, I can’t breathe. Like this Mom. (Showing me how he can kind of close his mouth without completely closing it) Can I do this Mom? (Showing me again). I don’t want to play the quiet game.

Me. Never mind.

**Finally, the other day I was at the store trying to find a dress for a wedding that we were invited to this weekend. Which by the way was so much fun. We went to the ceremony with the kids; Ethan was really good but anytime it became quite Gracie took it as her queue to show how loud she can babble. We got a babysitter that some of the other spouses use so Eric and I got to go to the reception and the dance kids free. We had so much fun dancing and just hanging out with each other. It has been close to 4 years the last time we have been dancing and they did so great with the babysitter so we may have to again…..Anyways, back to the department store, Well we were at the counter paying for my dress, Gracie was in her stroller and Ethan was standing next to me. Suddenly I hear Gracie not crying but sounding distressed like someone was bothering her. I look down to see Ethan holding her head against the stroller with one hand and the other hand on her nose. I get him to stop and ask him what he was doing. He replies very loudly, “She has a big booger and I am trying to get it Mom!” Sure enough poor Gracie has a huge booger but I told Ethan it could wait two seconds because I just had to sign the receipt and we could use a baby wipe so it won’t hurt her. He kept repeating it very loudly still trying to do it himself. Finally, when I was all done and it was wiped off, Ethan says “Don’t eat your booger Gracie.”

For no reason at all

Halloween Tradition

Every Halloween we make these ghost by using footprints. Well this year was Ethan's third year and Gracie's first year. It is so funny looking at Ethan's feet now compared to when they were teeny tiny. They look so huge on paper. I try to find different ways to decorate them each year so this year I put them on a bone garland. Which by the way was a little time consuming to make but if you ask Eric he beat me at making it because it turned out to be a race in his head. I enjoy doing crafts at my own pace but as soon as he finished he jumped up and yelled "DONE" as if there was a referee there in our kitchen waiting to call out the winner. Yes Eric, you won at making a bone garland. Your prize is.......wait it is coming......DISHES!!!!!!

The kids in front of their footprint ghost

A cute picture of Miss Gracie

Octoberfest

What a better way to enjoy a nice cold beer then at Octoberfest where they are poured by the minute. This weekend we drove on down to Fredericksburg for their annual Octoberfest Festival. We had fun listening to German Bands and watching people dance to polka music. Ethan of course loved the kiddie area but really enjoyed listening to all of the music. There were some little girls dancing and I told him he should join them but he got really shy and just watched from afar. If you are ever in Fredericksburg, they have the cutest downtown on Main street. It is full of some really great shops and great historical buildings. I was taking pictures of everything. The town is not that small but has such a small town feel. We really liked it there.

Who can't resist taking a picture next to the big beer stein.

Eric contemplating which beer he will have. All the choices!

Working water mill in downtown.

Our German Duo

The entertainment

Feeding the Ducks

We went with our playgroup to the duck pond to feed the ducks and turtles. Afterward we played at the playground.

The face of surprise is gone, now he always says cheese. UGH!

Eric and I joke that she has Gene Simmons tongue, it is really long.

The owl says "who-o-o, who-o-o".

Ethan feeding the ducks, while Gracie watches.

I have no clue what my child is doing. I guess acting like a duck.