Monday, November 15, 2010

Anne Eating Garden Peas and Other Stories


Alli has always hated anything hygeine related: bathing, brushing her teeth, putting up her hair, clipping her fingernails, washing her hands... Stuff in that realm. I have been under the impression that these things are painful, making her dislike them. She has a sensitive head, the water is too cold, etc, but after a conversation we had Sunday, I think I've had it all wrong.

I was getting the girls dressed for church, telling them they needed to look extra pretty etc. I say these things to help them get motivated and stay focused.

Me: "We always want to look our best Sunday, Maddie, so let's wear the shirt that goes with this dress."

Alli, interrupting: "I don't really like being pretty Mom. That's why I don't look forward to it. I'm more the dirty-adventurous type."

Maddie, thankfully, assured me that she liked being pretty. As for Alli, I'll check in with her on this pretty thing at a later date and see how she feels.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Apple Bobbing and Other Stuff

It's no wonder it rained this year on Halloween. I actually put some effort into our Halloween costumes, and so it just makes sense that it would rain all over them. Still, I had so much fun crafting these costumes that I just might do it again next year. But let me explain...

You see it all started with an idea and a friend. One day early in October I had this thought: Hey, I have a glue gun. why not use it on those costumes I got for Halloween? That was followed by me doing absolutely nothing because I don't even know where a craft store is, and I'm not really into Halloween.


If not for my friend Lessley stepping in, the holiday would have passed as usual. The week before Halloween I took my store bought costumes over to her house, and we brainstormed ideas. Between the miscellaneous stuff she had and a trip she took to the craft store, we came up with some great stuff. Lessley made Alli's cape and found some fringe and things to glue onto her dress. I picked up some bling stickers and hair glitter and the rest is history. I am so thankful for all of Lessley's help! I'm sure she had better things to do right before Halloween. But without her I wouldn't have caught the Halloween vibe, and it made the night a million times more fun.

I even found the energy to get some apple bobbing and mini pumpkins together for the kids and some friends to decorate. That was a lot of fun as well, and it was nice to have one last good memory in our trusty house that has seen us through so much. Soon we will say our final goodbyes, but that is another story for another blog.