Happy Halloween!

The kids had a great time trick or treating despite the cold weather. Ellie either didn't grasp the concept entirely, or she was in an altruistic mood this evening as she was placing all of her candy in Nick's basket! I'm sure that won't happen again next year! Nick was a very cute Buzz Lightyear and due to the weather Ellie was a lion instead of a sleeveless fairy. And they had just as much fun handing out the candy at our house as they did receiving it for themselves.

Carving Pumpkins

The kids had fun cleaning out the pumpkins, and planning the kinds of faces to carve on them.

Nick wasn't too sure about the pumpkin guts, but he toughed it out.

Here Sis, Eat this....

Boo at the Zoo

We took the kids to the Denver Zoo today to see the animals and to trick or treat. They both loved it! Ellie was perfectly happy with the first lot of candy she received and didn't seem to grasp the concept of accumulating more, but Nick sure did!

Nick's New Toy?

Fun in the Leaves

Rocky Mountain National Park

Paul and Nick looked for trout and longed for a fishing pole. While Ellie wanted to swim in the glacial waters and "feed the crocodiles". I spent most of the time "fishing" children out of the water, drying off shoes, and trying to explain to Ellie why she wouldn't be seeing any crocodiles in Colorado.

Fall Colors Colorado Style

We decided to head up to Rocky Mountain National Park to check out the fall colors this weekend. The weather was unseasonably warm- 85 and sunny. The aspens are pretty, miles of golden trees. Just not quite the reds and oranges we are used to in the midwest....

Ballet Recital

Now that Ellie is taking ballet class, dressing in ballerina attire is a daily occurrence. In order to be the prettiest ballerina possible, one must wear as many tutus as will fit on your body at one time. Hence the multi-layered skirt. She's also a multi-talented ballerina, not only does she dance, she also sings and plays the piano at the same time!

Fairy Tale Dress Up

Sir Nicholas Knight and Dame Eleanor Dancer

Happy Birthday Eleanor!!!

Our baby is 2 years old! Hard to believe. She enjoyed eating Dora cake and the lifesized Dora balloons. This year Ellie was actually able to unwrap her own gifts. She loves her new Bitty Baby, stroller, and high chair. And she gets a big kick out of the little pink vacuum! Unfortunately, Nick likes the vacuum too and they frequently fight over who gets to use it. Now if only it actually worked.....

The kids enjoyed their visit with Nana and Papa. Nick was able to go fishing with "the guys" in Estes Park. And the children had fun eating lunch and playing at the White Fence Farm.

Nick's First Day of School!!

Nick enjoyed his first day of Pre-K in Mrs. McDonald's class. You know it's going to be a good year when your teacher has the same name as your favorite restaurant! He picked out his own superhero backpack and is extremely proud of it. Drop off went great, he remembered which class was his, hung up his backpack and joined the other kids. Didn't even look back at his poor old mother to say goodbye. Sigh...

A Day in the Life of a(n) (almost) Two Year Old

Someone recently asked me what I do all day at home. Aside from household chores and errands, and caring for Nick; I basically spend my day keeping my daughter from probable disasters or at least from certain messes. Here are a few snapshots of Ellie at her best, all taken in one day. (And these are just the times that I managed to have the camera handy!)

Payton's Halloween Costume?

Payton has had her first emergency visit in Colorado. I'm sure there will be many more to follow knowing her.... She tried to climb a metal fence and succeeded in tearing up her foot. Many stitches, antibiotics, bandages, and an overnight stay in the emergency later she's up and around. But depressed by her required headgear. Ellie calls her "bucket head".

Playing Dress Up

Nick is all ready for Halloween, he's going to be Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. The jury is still out on Ellie's costume, she's been trying out both fairy and ballerina costumes simultaneously.

We found a lake!

Not quite as big as the Michigan ones, but it was a lake! This is Grand Lake up in the Rocky Mountain National Forest, a cute little tourist town with a beach area. Nick and Ellie had fun wading into the glacial water and splashing each other.

Colorado Wildlife

We saw an elk! They are surprisingly big, and I'm glad we weren't any closer.

Rocky Mountain National Park

We drove through the spectacular National Park this weekend, and enjoyed the breathtaking views. The kids were impressed too, although Ellie wanted to know why she couldn't see any sharks.