November Beach Day

Sunday morning we drove over to Nantasket Beach to walk around. It looked warmer out than it was and with the wind blowing it very cold, which didn't stop Elise from playing on the playground. Of course, this may be why she is sick today and I am home watching her. Kurt is at an orientation at Target in Abington, where he is going to be working during the holiday season. It is a graveyard shift, so we will see how that goes - the coming weeks will no doubt not be too much fun for him.

Dress

Just had to share this cute quilted dress my Mom made for Elise - she looks very Mod, especially since her hair is so short (and fine). I tried unsuccessfully to get her to wear it a couple of weeks ago and then on this day she was just fine and we had no trouble putting it on. I have very fond memories of this fabric as it is leftover from the backing used for a nine-patch quilt my Grandma made for my brother and sister when we were little. It is a little too big for her, but that probably won't stop me from dressing her in it again soon.

Another Apron

Here is my latest completed project. Thanks to Linda for letting me have the fabric - I think it turned out pretty well, though it seems a bit big for a medium. I am getting the hang of using binding and I am looking forward to making a few more aprons once my Mom sends me some fabric. Before I start on another one, I feel like I should go back and finish the two quilts I have in the works - we'll see how long that takes me.

Last Day of Halloween

A third night of Halloween? (As Elise would say, "what"?) Yes, for the second year in a row, Meredith and Cody, and baby Emerson (who won't be a baby much longer) invited us to their Ward's Trunk-or-Treat party at the church in Hingham. I guess three nights of Halloween were too much to expect for Elise and it took all the coaxing we could muster to get her to at least wear her hulla-skirt (which she finally let me put on her when we got to the church). It was nice to see Meredith's family again and we sat with them for dinner (you can see Cody, Meredith's mom and nephew, Logan here). I think Elise enjoyed herself and watching all the kids run around, but she just wasn't feeling it so we didn't even manage to stay for the parade in the cultural hall or the trunk-or-treating part. We didn't feel too bad as Meredith and Cody were going to head out early too. While I'm not interested in being involved with the church, I have to be honest and admit there is something so comforting about being in such a familiar environment as the church's cultural hall and primary room. Elise loves it when I sing Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam, but not many of the other primary songs I remember - but I sing them to her all the same.

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween! We took Elise over to her cousin's for trick-or-treating this year in Canton, MA. They live in a nice area with lots of houses in close proximity to one another so the candy-getting was good, especially for Aidan and Zane, who made out like bandits. I can't remember the last time I was out trick-or-treating, it was fun and Elise had a great time and would like to go more often (without the dressing up part). It was nice because we stayed over night so we didn't have to drive home late with kids still out. We have been enjoying her candy. We know it won't last long, but it was great that she loved the apple one of the neighbors was giving out and the bags of pretzels - she has finally caught on about what to do with lolly pops so she likes those too.

Halloween Prowl

Last Sunday was cousin Zane's fourth birthday and so we went to celebrate it with the Clarke's. After his birthday dinner (and cake and ice cream) we all headed out to a Mass Audubon sanctuary in Sharon called Moose Hill for their annual Halloween Prowl. It was a perfect night, still pretty warm and clear. All the kids dressed up - Elise was a pirate as you can see and even kept her headscarf on the entire time - what an angel. The only problem was her wanting us to carry her the whole time, which probably accounts for why my back went out on me later in the week. She sure is 30 pounds of cuteness. My Mom made the cape and it was perfect! It wasn't intended to be part of the costume, but it worked so well.

Last Day at Forest Street Academy

October 17 was Elise's last day at her daycare. It didn't made sense to keep her in as long as we did given Kurt's work schedule, but I desperately wanted to as I liked the routine and the teachers and the other students. Actually, I'm sure it was much harder on me than her. Olivia is in the swimming lesson just before ours so it has been nice to see her on Saturday mornings for a few weeks anyway. Here is Elise with Miss Joanna and a shot of Meghan (Megywegy) and Olivia. Kurt is home with her now and she seems to be enjoying that.