October Happenings

October is always a fun and busy month. Not only does it kick off the holiday season, but the weather almost cools down and Fall sports are in full swing. Between ballet, soccer, church, school, pto and homework we hardly have any free time. But we always find a few moments each day to let loose and have some fun. I really am enjoying both the girls at age 7 and 3 and know I sound like a broken record when I say that I wish I could freeze them in time right now. They are my best little pals and I love being their mom...even most mornings when they want to play at 6:00am. Happy October!

I'm a witch ch ch, I'm a witch ch ch...

The older I get, the less I enjoy Halloween. It is the first holiday that I almost feel grinchy about. I guess I really am getting old. Either way, kids love Halloween and I remember being so excited for the big day too, so we got all dressed up and celebrated for days!


Livi and Leo made yummy festive cookies to get us in the sweet spirit and we enjoyed our traditional Dinner in a Pumpkin at Grammie's one Sunday afternoon. The girls both wore fun costumes to ballet class and enjoyed a treat from their teacher the week of the 31st while dancing to spooky music and we had fun at our Ward Trunk or Treat as well as our Neighborhood Party a few days before the actual holiday. Ben and I even got a sitter and went as Batman and Robin to an adult costume party one night. We bought lots of pumpkins at a local church and carved our version of a kitty cat and a vampire jack-o-lantern. They were moldy by Halloween night but we lit them anyway and the girls were so proud.


The highlight of our spooky holiday was definitely the girls fabulous costumes. Olivia decided weeks before October that she wanted to be Dorothy and Grammie worked her magic and made the most beautiful dress. Livi was in LOVE with herself and was by far the cutest Dorothy ever to Trick-or-Treat. Isabelle decided to also follow the yellow brick road and was so pleased when we found a huge and fluffy Glinda dress at The Disney Store. Alee and I put our heads together and created an awesome crown and Belle looked perfect as the Good Witch.


Like years past, the girls were one of the first in the neighborhood out and about ready to gather candy but also one of the first to call it a night. Livi made it to about 20 houses and Belle maybe 30, before they were both back sitting on our driveway passing out the candy in their own baskets. Before too long, we were tucked in our cozy beds and trying our best to NOT dream about any of the spooky things we had just seen. RIP Halloween...until next year.

Flying and Forty!

When did everyone around me become so old?? Not only did my mom turn 60 this year, but my sister Tara turned 40! What? I feel like they are 45 and 28. (Although that would never be possible.) Lucky for me, I got to celebrate with them and only had to turn 34 myself.



The three of us hopped on flights to NYC for a weekend of celebration and had a fun (and sometimes sort of wild) girls weekend in the Big Apple. We missed Alex on our adventure but kept her up to date with pictures and texts and bought as much stuff for her as we did for ourselves. We shopped on 5th Avenue, tried our first Crumbnuts, jogged through Central Park, shopped some more in the Fashion District, ate Magnolia Cupcakes, acted silly in Times Square (so we basically fit in), went to Newsies on Broadway and had such a good time! We walked and walked and ate and ate and just did whatever we wanted for the weekend.


I am so glad that I have such a stylish, smart, beautiful and kind sister and that we could sneak away for a few days of "big girl" fun...even if she is officially over the hill. Happy Birthday Tara!

Is it Fall yet? September in review.

Once school starts and you are busy watching football on the weekends, it feels like the weather should be cooler. I guess in some parts of the world that is the case and the first day of Autumn really feels crisp and lovely. But we have learned to accept Texas for all of its flaws and the heat in September is one of them.

This month we earned money at a lemonade stand, went on a date with our friends the Martin's to a High School football game, packed our suitcases and pretended to board a plane with half of our playroom again and baked Pinkalicious cupcakes which caused Olivia to try her very hardest to turn pink, including eating 4 herself. Isabelle was awarded as the Summer Reading Challenge Winner for second grade reading close to 2000 pages in June, July and August and was quite pleased with her Barnes and Noble Gift Card.


Olivia continued to learn what it meant to go to school and got picked to fill the Share Bucket with some of her favorite things to share with her class.  Isabelle finally earned enough money to buy Saige, The American Girl, after we gave her a little money from an envelope we had from holidays past from Grandma Joan.  We felt like what a great use of the money since Grandma always loved dolls and Saige spends most of her time with her grandma.  It was a fun day when we traveled to The American Girl Store and brought Saige home for her first night.

Despite the (too) warm temps we kept busy with school, ballet, soccer and church and managed to sneak a few play dates in as well.  Now we are on to pumpkin pie and some of the most fun holidays of the year...and hopefully some cooler weather.

BeeNanza 2013

I am blessed with good women in my life. Not only do I have a great mom and sisters but I have cousins and aunts that are best friends as well. This September we hosted our annual Bee Trip right here in Houston, TX. My dad hit the road for Montana as the Bee flights began to arrive and we spent the next three days at my parents home laughing, eating, shopping, laughing, crafting, eating, shopping some more and having so much fun. We celebrated Gloria's birthday one day and then mourned with Tara turning 40 the next. We made new Bee necklaces, held our official Bee meeting with a tribute to the Queen Bee we lost this year, Grandma Joan, had a black shoe contest and shared each of our favorite things. We ate Mexican, BBQ, Kolaches, Bahama Bucks and even made a trip to the huge Bucees in Waller. The weekend flew by and sadly flights started departing rather than arriving but plans for our next reunion are already underway. I love these women and am so glad we have each other. Long live the Bees!

Preschool Days

Olivia wants to be just like her big sister. She is always trying to keep up with Isabelle, and much to my dismay, often seems to be not too far behind. We didn't send Isabelle to preschool at age three but Olivia was ready to go so we bit the bullet and registered her in a two day school program.

We had a bit of a rocky start as the original school I had selected did not leave me with warm feelings for my little Livi after 1 day, but we quickly made a move to a recommended school where Olivia spends her time now on Mondays and Wednesdays. There are 11 tiny 3-year olds in the Busy Bee class and two patient teachers, Ms Stephanie and Ms Mary. Olivia is always excited when it is a school day and comes home happy and exhausted. Her school days are long starting at 9:00am and not ending until 2:00pm but she gets to do science experiments, sing in music, cut/glue/paint and play at the playground twice a day. She takes her own lunch and always tells me exactly what she wants in it, but is happy with whatever I send. Ms Mary always gives me glowing reports on pick-up of her behavior and how sweet and smart she is and Livi is happy to hug me and her teachers both hello and goodbye.

It's hard to believe that my little buddy is a school girl already but it has been a great adventure so far for both of us.

Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart. -Winnie the Pooh