The Dark Side to Birthdays

As much as I tried to make Halle's birthday memorable for her, I'm afraid I will always remember it as the WORST birthday ever!  Luckily she's 3, didn't notice the bad parts, and loved her birthday.  In fact, she just asked me if she could have her birthday again today :)

So we were just starting to recover from the effects of Andrew's illness a couple weeks before when the day before Halle's birthday the 24 hour bug hit our house - staring with me.  I was so, so sick.  But of course life goes on and you don't get a break from work or kids if you're sick :(  So basically, I got none of the prep for her birthday done, including not making the cake I had planned.  

The day of her birthday, I was starting to feel better, but the house literally looked like a tornado whipped through it.  And her birthday fell on the busiest work day of the month, so I hardly stepped away from my computer from 7am to 6pm.  Halle had selected waffles for her birthday dinner, and I obliged her, but was so distracted with everything else, that at least half of the batches were burned to a crisp.  (Notice my disaster of a kitchen.)  Don't worry, there were enough good batches that we all ate. 

I told you the house was a mess.  This isn't even the worst of it and the picture doesn't do it justice.

Because I had to work so late, the bakeries were all closed by the time I was done - I had hoped to run out and pick up some specialty cup cakes in lieu of the cake that didn't happen.  Since that didn't work out, I asked Andrew to run to Costco and pick up some of their cupcakes.  Only - they had NONE!  Nothing!  Only some of those huge sheet cakes that feed a small army!  :(  So, yes, Halle had Costco muffins for her birthday.  I'm so ashamed.  She loved them, but that's not the point.

Abigail was too fussy and went to bed without her muffin and Eve wasn't feeling well, so opted to not have any (which is saying a lot for Eve).  I couldn't have any because of the challenge I was doing so Halle ate her dessert alone.  Again, she didn't mind, apparently it was only me who was bothered?  

Shortly after getting them all in bed, Eve's throw up started and she was sick all night.  Halle and Andrew got it two days later.  I had piles and piles of soiled clothes and linens just piled about - it was a nightmare.  But, somehow, Halle still looks back with fondness on her birthday and is eager to celebrate her next one!  Good thing kids are forgiving - next year will be better, Halle!  Love you!

Halle Turns 3!

Although she doesn't look it, Halle was really excited to turn 3!

She kept asking me, "Is me three?"  :)  For her birthday, I hid her presents around the house and drew a treasure map for her to find them!  She was SO excited!  She needed a little help deciphering the map, which Eve was happy to provide.....

Daddy helped too!

She found presents in places like "Ice burg Cove", "The Fire Pit", "The Great Cave", etc.... 

Her last present was in the "Tiger Cave" (I tried):

She managed to find them all and had a great time opening them!

Three candles for a big girl!

I promise she's wearing shorts....

For added celebration, we went to Chuck E Cheese on the following Saturday.  We were a bit early, so had to wait in the car for a few....

Again, Halle had fun, she just likes to keep it inside....

After a LOT of fun filled games, the girls cashed in their tickets and chose their price.  What did they pick?  10 tootsie rolls.  They are their father's daughters :)

We're so happy to celebrate this accomplishment with Halle!  Cutest three year old around!  She did a doctor visit a few days later and came in at the 95th percentile for height and the 90th for weight!  (People often ask me if she and Eve are twins)  We sure love Halle!

Halloween

With Andrew just recovering from being sick and me trying to recover from several days with NO assistance from our poor invalid, Halloween kind of kicked my trash this year.  But I tried, I promise!  

A few days before Halloween was a birthday party for a girl in Eve's primary class that our whole family was invited to and since their costumes weren't ready, they wore last years'....again :)  Thanks to Natasha for Abigail's adorable pig outfit!  It was a hit!

I stayed up super late the last couple days before Halloween and managed to finish their costumes in time for the Trunk or Treat on the 30th.  We celebrate Halloween Eve with some orange pumpkin pancakes!

Great weather for the Trunk or Treat and our care bears were eager for some candy!

Most people even knew what they were!  Although one person thought they were bunnies and another thought Hello Kitty.....?

Abigail with one of her little friends :)

Showing off the goods!

Then some door to door trick or treating the following night!

Abigail was Share Bear:

Halle was Wonderheart:

And Eve was Cheer Bear:

Pretty cute girls!  And luckily they were happy with their costumes (they changed their minds A LOT on what they wanted to be).

We had a lot of fun trick or treating with them and they tired out after going up and down our long street, so we didn't have to stay out too long - win, win!

Taking stock of their loot - they'll be enjoying it for quite a while to come!

One Long Walk!

I mentioned that Andrew was sick - so the day after the Pumpkin Trail I took the girls with me to drop the car off because the check engine light had been on for a while.  And we got to walk home!  I didn't think it was that far, but it took us 45 mins.....and a good part of it was uphill - good exercise for me!  Especially when Eve was (in her words) 'the most tired of anyone' and had to ride in the stroller too. 

But the fun part was that we got to walk slowly past the field near our house that has Texas Longhorn cattle - we pass them in the car all the time and see how many cows we can count, but this time we got to stop for pictures!  The cows are way in the back this time, so you can't really see them.... 

And next to that is the field with the spotted horse....

At least the weather was beautiful!  And turns out it was NOT the check engine light that was on, but the tire pressure light - one of the tires had a nail and a slow leak.  :)  Guess I should learn the difference between those lights?

Pumpkin Trail

The week before Halloween began our official insanity that has been the past month, starting with Andrew getting super sick :(  So I took the girls without him to Lubbock's Pumpkin Trail!  We had fun!

We missed Daddy (especially when no one would look at the camera)!

They loved the Mike pumpkin and both wanted their picture by it:

Not quite tall enough to be seen :)

The Pumpkin Trail is basically what it sounds like - the line the paths of the botanical garden with donated jack-o-lanterns, then there are groups that set up little photo ops along the way.  All in all, I think it took us just shy of an hour and we were going pretty fast.  

I tried for a Texas Tech picture.....maybe next year.....

This one's for my armed forces brothers :)  They're playing with a gun.

We were all worn out by the end but finished the evening with some hot chocolate then home to take care of a sick Daddy :(