Halloween 2009

As I've said previously, it's been a busy week! I know "the holidays" are a crazy time, but I didn't think that Halloween was a part of those "holidays"! Crazy.

Here are some of the pre-Halloween festivities that the kiddos participated in at the YMCA. Christian and I have been in a mommy and me class and this week they wore their costumes while they played around. Very cute!

I also coordinated Emily's preschool's party. It was my first time putting one of these little shin-digs together, so I tried to keep things simple--easy games (pin-the-nose-on-the-pumpkin was one), easy, non-messy crafts that the kiddos could do independently, snacks, a book and a song. It was great! Emily really enjoyed having me there too. Although, I must say, my hat goes off to her teacher, Ms. Karin. She can restore order to a dozen 4 and 5 yr olds in less than 10 seconds. Amazing. Preschool is not for the faint-hearted!

Friday night brought on our pumpkin carving. Here's Cubby giving one of the pumpkins its lobotomy. (He dressed up like a surgeon for work, hence, the scrubs.)

Here are the finished products! (The one on the right is the Pringles guy--Emily and her "old chips"...)

Finally, Halloween arrived! And the day actually brought some beautiful weather!!! After a week of rain, I was soooo excited to see the sun this morning!! The kids had a fantastic time raking up and then jumping in the leaves. What better thing can you do in the fall??!

This afternoon, we attended a birthday party and then set out for some trick-or-treating! Emily decided to go as Minnie-Mouse and Christian doned his dinosaur costume. They both enjoyed ringing the doorbells and getting treats, but really, they just wanted to go play at Grandma's house so we weren't out too long. Just a couple of blocks! Both kids were old enough to really "get" Halloween this year (and no one was sick--Emily was last year) so overall, I'd say we had a great day!

Happy Halloween!

Last Weekend's Fun

Wow. It seems like forever since I've posted. Okay, it's only been a week and a half, but we've been busy and so I'm usually better at keeping up when things are happening! I guess that's why I haven't posted too...we've been very busy and, alas, some things just take precedence over blogging.

In anycase, last weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Lindseth came for a visit. The kids couldn't have been more thrilled...and the grandparents did a GREAT job of playing hard and wearing them OUT! With the weather being less-than-ideal, we couldn't do our "usual" Lindseth-fall-visit stuff (pumpkin patch, apple picking, zoo...). However, we did make it over to Fontenelle Forest while the rain had stopped as well as a couple of Trunk-or-Treats and a trip out to Scheels for a ride on the ferris wheel (a first for Christian!). We also just had a great time playing and bonding over frosting some Halloween cookies and painting pumpkins. Here are some of our favorite pics!






Thank you for making the drive and visiting, Grandma and Grandpa! We love and miss you!

A Beautiful Day at the Zoo

Yesterday was soooo warm and beautiful! Emily had the day off of school (and my mom had the day off of work) and so we all went to (where else?) the zoo! It had actually been quite awhile since we'd been there so the kiddos were very excited to see everything again. Thanks for coming with, Grandma Karen!

PS Just so you know, there is just one month until "New Moon" hits the theatres...yes, I know I'm a big nerd, but it doesn't take much to get a pregnant woman (now entering her 3rd trimester--hurray!!) excited these days.

Week In Review

This past week really seemed to fly by! Here are some of the highlights!

Last Sunday, we celebrated Uncle Peter's birthday (which was Monday, but he had class that night so he came over on Sunday). The kids enjoyed playing and "helping" him open his present :-).

On Wednesday, Cubby was able to accompany Emily on her class's field trip to Vala's Pumpkin Patch. It was freezing cold and muddy, but, they dressed warmly and had a great time! Unfortunately, Cubby didn't get any pictures of he and Emily together...he's still learning. They got to ride a train and go for a hayrack ride out to the patch. Emily picked out a very cute pumpkin w/a great stem.

This week we've also been working with Christian on doing his number 2's on the potty. (With him, it's seemed easier to tackle this first and since he's enjoying it, we're counting our blessings along with less poopy diapers to change!) He even likes to tell me to "go out, Mommy!" and, as you can see, he likes to take his time and catch up on the latest toy magazines while he does his business.

I did learn my lesson though as on Friday, after he'd banished me, he came running out with a smile on his face and poo on his leg...and, as I discovered, on the potty, his clothes, and step stool as well. YUCK. Thankfully, it didn't get on the carpet or rug and he had a great time playing in the shower as I cleaned everything up. So, we're learning lots' these days! (Staying in or very close to the bathroom is a good idea!)

In any case, this week we're looking forward to better weather (hello zoo on Monday!) and to a visit from Cubby's parents this weekend! Have a great week, everyone!

Emily's Wish....Granted!

Emily has been working all month on going to bed "like a big girl" (no whining, no coming out after going to bed). Today, she got to celebrate her achievement! We let her eat breakfast AND lunch while she watched cartoons, they went and ran around the gym at the Y, my mom and I took her shopping during naptime, and she got to pick out something from the dollar spot at Target. But, those things weren't even the "big" reward....

Earlier in the week she asked Cubby, "Daddy, can we look out the window and see the snow?" Cubby told her that it was still fall and that we'd see the snow when it was wintertime. Well, she must've known something that we didn't because when we woke up this morning, it was a winter wonderland! The kids were sooooo excited and could hardly wait until they got their snowsuits on and could get outside. They had a blast running around and even jumping on the trampoline! Thankfully, this is Nebraska and so the weather changes frequently and the snow is almost gone. I'm sure it'll be 75 degrees by next weekend. In any case, Emily told us that she was sure God sent the snow just for her...and the other kids to play in too :-).

Needing A Little Magic?

After dinner, are your children running around like crazy people, yelling at the top of their lungs? Are you finding that you want to pull your hair out because they need you the exact moment you get into the bathroom? Basically, are you looking for a little magic? Then may I suggest you hit an apple orchard...I'm convinced they hold magical qualities! There is one particular orchard, I think, that holds just a little extra magic. It would be the Flynn's orchard.

Tonight we were able to head over to pick some apples at the Flynn's and it was just what we needed! The children, previously screaming banshees, morphed into the sweethearts of every parents' dreams! Emily loved "wandering off" down the orchard lane and Christian insisted upon taking off every apple's stem before putting it in his bucket. It was chillier this year than previous years, but, we still brought home plenty of delicious apples. I can't wait to bake! We feel so fortunate to be able to experience just a little magic each fall.

Lindseth Family Pictures, Fall 2009

My friend, Camie, offered to take our family pictures before she moves on Saturday! She has a great eye for pictures and we were so grateful that she would share her time and talents with us. Thank you, Camie! Here are just a few of our favorites...there are so many it's tough to choose from!

Emily's First Road Race!

Today Emily ran in her first road race! It was very exciting! In September, I had seen a flyer at the YMCA for the "Race for the Kids" run downtown in the Conagra Foods Plaza. They had different heats for the different age groups--preschool up through 6th grade. A parent had to run if a preschooler was running, and, since I'm not really able to run much these days, I thought it would be a fun thing for Emily and Cubby to do together!

For preschoolers through 2nd grade, the race is just a 1/2 mile so I knew it would not only be something Emily would be able to do, but she'd enjoy as well. I really want to start her running early so that she learns that it's fun and not something to be scared of (like I was for so long!).

It went fantastic! They had all kinds of activities for the kids to do both before and after the race. There were also many local mascots present (and they even ran their own 50 yard dash race, which Christian really enjoyed since one of the mascots was a big green dinosaur).

After Emily and Cubby got their racing numbers...

It was time for "warm ups"...

Christian got cozy....

As Cubby and Emily got ready to run!

Here is a video of them finishing. (Yes, I realize it's sideways...I didn't realize that you couldn't rotate the video like you can a picture! Ugh! Still, it's pretty cute.)

And, here are the big racers!! Emily was so happy with her ribbon! Way to go, Emily! We're so proud of you!

The Dinosaurs' Quest??

Here is what I found when I went into the kitchen the other day. Not quite sure what Emily was going for when she set them up...maybe you could help me out? Best response gets to feel extra special for the day!