Carving Pumpkins

The girls loved carving pumpkins this year. It became a two day event as emptying out Isla's pumpkin took us forever (we're naturally slow as it is!) but was highly successful when we were finished. I let each girl take a marker and draw the "face" they wanted to cut out. Isla just smiled for hers and I copied her darling face onto a pumpkin. Those five teeth get me every time. Lucy's was easily the hardest to cut out as she just drew crazy lines all over her pumpkin but somehow ended up with one tiny star that turned out to be the cutest detail. Sophia's looked like an artistic ghost and I loved the simplicity of it. She had a much more elaborate detail of what everything was (like a stack of cups?!) but ghost worked for me when it was all said and done. I love the way these girls make even the simplest holiday activities so exciting. If I'd let Isla, she would have left her hand inside the pumpkin to eat the guts all day long. Let the orange lights glow on!

Pumpkin Baby

I don't know about you but there's something about a baby in a pumpkin that I can't resist. I've done this with each of my girls and perhaps it's because I know that by the next year they will be too big to fit inside. The constant theme of my life these days is "time is a thief" and unfortunately that won't be changing any time soon. Babies are wonderful but so are my big girls. I love how they learn and problem solve. I love how needed I am, even though frustrating at times. In the eyes of a child, a mother is a superhero. The person in their life who can do anything and fix anything with a simple kiss. I hope these girls never outgrow my kisses, always think I have the right answer (even though I usually don't) and that someday they will let me put their babies in a pumpkin too.

Our Halloween Party

We love celebrating holidays and we love celebrating them with friends even more. The biggest perk to being back in Calgary (aside from universal health care) is our friend group that has grown over the years. I love creating memories with so many other amazing Mama's going through the same fun, tantrum-filled, wild stage of life that we're in. Today we embraced pure chaos, celebrating Halloween with costumes, treats, music, a mini parade, games and story time. I realized for the first time in my Mom life, I hosted a planned playdate at my own house. It was great!

On the decoration front, I can't say enough about Meri Meri Party supplies. I found plates from her collection at Homesense (my replacement for Target) and my party planning took off from there. I can't even handle the string hair on the witch. So cute. I would also like to say I wish paper bats were a standard home decoration because I am loving them all over my house. Thank you Dollar Store for all the tacky but sort of awesome Halloween decor.

The girls shared in the same happiness I felt having friends all around them. I kept finding Sophia running off to her bedroom to hide with her friends and me, chasing behind her saying "keep the door open" and "come back downstairs." Dreading the teenage years already. Lucy played with everyone and when she wasn't playing she was changing her dress multiple times or had her hand in the bowl of cheetos. Classic Lu. Isla took part in the unicorn club and then promptly cuddled into another Mom, hinting that she was ready for a nap. I have no idea how she did it but she slept through a good majority of the party. As for me, I really liked all the hugs, catching up, playing with my friends littles and making sure they felt happy in our home. We've been calling this house our happy red house since we got here and that it is. Here's to trying to make all the littles love me and more happy days ahead!

Valentine's Day

It feels like February started yesterday and here we are at the end of another month, moving onto the next holiday. It feels like a lot is going over my head since we arrived back in Washington. Suddenly I am not working with a balancing act of two kids but trying to prioritize three and what need is most important. So many needs. So many emotions. So much girl going on over here. I'm in for a real treat when they are all teenagers. My time to sit and write has simply become limited and it's a miracle when I find myself in front of the computer anymore. 

Valentine's Day was a whole lot of germs and low-key hanging out compared to how we would usually celebrate. The daytime was filled with heart balloons, treats, cards, cookie decorating, a kid-free lunch date and Grandma time. It was so nice to have my Mom in town on a day celebrating love. She is one of the people we love most. We had heart-shaped waffles for dinner and the kids ran off all the sugary treats with some of their cousins after supper. It was a full house of visitors, each who got sent home with a plate of our xo cookies and our annual valentine card. Those three girls have redefined love in my life and I will take their hugs and slobbery kisses every day of the year.

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