Super hero mask

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Little #3 received a mask and cape for her second birthday a year ago. I am pretty sure it is her most-worn accessory.

As a random side note, now that we’re in the season of holiday grocery items that can only be purchased once a year, I picked up some egg nog.  The kids love it.  I mix half egg nog and half milk together because otherwise it is just too thick.  Anyway, this afternoon, Little #3 started requesting Egg Milk for her beverage with meals.  It is just too cute to correct 🙂

Family portrait

We did a little birthday shopping for me this afternoon and worked up an appetite.  While we were waiting for our lunch to be served, Little #3 broke out the crayons and drew the members of her family.  (Jake added the initials above the heads so we knew who was who.)  Reminds me of the family portrait that Little #2 drew earlier in the year.

Family portrait by Little 3

Day brightener

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November isn’t known for being very sunny. Good thing Little #3 has her light-up hair clip to bring some brightness to our day.

Cart riders

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First time for Little #4 in the kid seat of the shopping cart. She wasn’t thrilled with getting buckled in at first, but after she realized the freedom associated with it, she loved it.

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Halloween 2013

The 3 older Littles love playing with the dress up clothes/costumes in our basement.  It’s not surprising then, that the idea of collecting candy just for dressing up is sheer brilliance in their minds.  I’m pretty sure that the level of excitement doesn’t stem from the possibility of eating everything they bring home. They purely enjoy dressing up, greeting the neighbors, collecting, combining, and then sorting what they were so generously given.

This year, our Littles went as a mummy, baby dragon, cowgirl and a gnome.  It was so much fun seeing Little #2 wear the mummy costume that Uncle Tony wore as a kid.  Little #4, the dragon, was the third Shecklet to don the warm, fuzzy, green outfit. (Little #3 was too little her first Halloween and too big her second.)  We put a pink bow on her head to make her a “girl dragon.”  Our cowgirl was a superhero with her pink mask, and our garden gnome was grinning from ear to ear, but you couldn’t quite see it through his long, white beard.

three dragons

Trick-or-treating began after school when we stopped by “the loft” to visit Papa, Mr. Eric and Uncle Tony.  Auntie Kristin also came by and brought the kids a treat.  From there, we went to Nana & Papa’s house to run up the front sidewalk and ring the doorbell.  After a few group photos and adding non-edible treats to their buckets/bags, we loaded back up and drove home to get ready for round three in our neighborhood.

Two of our friends joined us for the fun.  The guys walked the kids door-to-door and the ladies took turns holding Little #4.  Little #3 joined us back home after making it around most of our block.  From what I was told, the boys made mad dashes between houses as they went around the rest of the neighborhood.  It was cool and slightly misty out tonight, so I’m sure running helped keep them at least a little warm.

Upon their return, Little #1 & Little #2 dumped their candy into one pile.  Little #3 didn’t want to be left out, so she added hers to the mix.  Then, being the organizers that they are, they set to work on sorting the candy by type.  Who knew that Halloween could double as math exercise?

Halloween 2013

We ended our nightly prayers by praying for the people who handed out candy tonight.  It was a great way to talk to the Littles about what generosity means and how we can in turn be generous to others – and not just when it comes to candy.  I love to see their little hearts so open to such a concept.

Carving pumpkins

We have four kids.  That means we “had” to buy four pumpkins.  Based on previous years’ experiences, I had a feeling there would be much excitement prior to carving pumpkins, but not as much when it came to actually cleaning out the pumpkin guts.  I was correct…times four.  *Sigh*

But like any committed mom, I took the silver serving spoon and scraped the pumpkin insides bare and dumped out the orange seedy contents onto the baking sheet on the table…times four.

Then I attempted to follow the drawn on lines of the pumpkin faces…times four.

After just over an hour, we had jack-o-lanterns for the Littles…times four.

And they couldn’t be happier…times four.

Carving pumpkins

 

P.S. you’ll see Little #4’s pumpkin has two bottom teeth just like her 🙂

Just the girls

It’s a cool, misty morning and we had an unsuccessful trip to Menards, but none of that matters.  These two brighten my day 🙂

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Fall trip to the orchard

We took a trip to Jake’s parents’ house today and were able to enjoy the beautiful weather!  The kids got to trick-or-treat at Grandma and Grandpa’s house and then we headed to the apple orchard where my mother-in-law works ever fall.  The older three Littles loved checking out the animals, climbing the hay bales, playing on the wooden train, going for a tractor ride and navigating the corn maze.  Little #4 wasn’t very enthralled with taking group photos with her siblings, but we tried.

Apple orchard

Trunk or Treat!

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One of the local high schools hosted a fun afternoon event for kids. The high schoolers decorated the trunks of their cars, had activities for the kids and handed out candy to the Littles.  I have been asked if we can go again next year…and we just finished 10 minutes ago 🙂