Halloween

Halloween! Spooks and haunts galore this year. Claire picked a witch costume accented with a broom, and Garrett went as a Transformer. Earlier this week Claire drew up a jack-o-lantern design on paper in the morning. That night she drew the face on her pumpkin and cut out the parts by herself. Garrett choose a spider design for his pumpkin, and with a little assistance from dad it turned out pretty cool! The night turned out perfect after a week filled with over 4 inches of rain, cooler temps, and high winds. We set out around the neighborhood to visit friends and neighbors. When the kids tired we returned home to enjoy the bountiful loot, pizza, and share a Halloween movie. Click on the collage bellow for more Halloween pictures!

Wasserbahn Waterpark

This weekend we took the kids to the Wasserbahn Waterpark while mom was attending a nearby conference. Earlier in the week I told the kids we should secretly surprise mom at her hotel, little did they know the hotel had a waterpark until that morning.The kids had a fantastic time. Both kids quickly worked up the courage to go down the big green body water slide. Garrett was a madman as he enjoyed far more trips than either dad, Claire, or mom could endure. Claire also improved on her swimming skills. She is tall enough to enjoy every part of the pool. When we were not hitting the slides we played catch around the pool, played hide-and-seek with the dive rings, and spun ourselves dizzy in the whirlpool. Click here for pictures of the weekend.

Absence

Been awhile since I've updated anything here. We've been busy that's for sure. School continues for both kids, though Garrett is far more enthused by preschool than Claire is of kindergarten. Last week Nana Galvin came to visit a few days while our daycare was closed again. Last week was also mom and dad's last week of beginner dance lessons for foxtrot, waltz, swing, and about 5 minutes of polka. The weather has turned cold fast here with a heavy frost this weekend that knocked the leaves off our trees literally overnight. The kids and I reluctantly tore down the veggie garden and potted plants. Snow has been teasing us while it's been accumulating elsewhere. Last night as we were driving back from the Mall of America we'd hit a few flurries and reminds me how much I'm not ready for winter. On the bright side it's apple orchard time and the kids always enjoy those visits.