Happy Halloween

Snow Capped... Pumpkins?

Spooktacular Party

We had a spooktacular time at Emma and Ryan's Halloween party! Grace was in her glory trying on all of Emma's dress-up clothes. In addition to her Jesse costume, she wore Ariel, Snow White, and Pocahontas outfits. All of the children had fun playing together, making a Halloween craft, and eating festive cupcakes and pumpkin cookies. We were even able to bribe them into taking a group shot with fabulous treat bags. This was a great way to kick off Halloween. We love our storytime friends!

Storytime Treat

We've been singing songs and reading books to prepare for Halloween all month, and today we had the pleasure of "4 corner trick or treating" at storytime too! Andrew was excited to put his Woody costume back on, and he kept saying, "howdy, howdy, howdy!" He got lots of great treats, and his favorites were playdough, silly straws, animal crackers, and a whistle. I can't wait for the whole Toy Story crew to go trick or treating together on Monday!

Costume Debut

This year the Colonna Kids will be characters from Toy Story! I decided to have them try on their costumes tonight, and we had an impromptu photo shoot with Jesse, Woody, and their beloved Hammy.

Secor's Family Farm

It was a gorgeous Autumn afternoon. So, once Dan returned home from golfing we headed over to Secors Family Farm to check out the Fall decorations, run through the hay maze, visit the animals, and eat some apple cider donuts! Dan and I enjoyed the afternoon with our sweethearts, and then we headed to a fun evening at the Park Ridge Marriott to celebrate the 50 greatest moments in the history of St. Joe's sports. I wish our weekends didn't go so quickly! I guess it's true "time flies when you're having fun!"

Super Sam Turns 4

Grace and Andrew's buddy, Sam, celebrated his 4th birthday today, and his special guest was... Batman! All of the children had a wonderful time learning "superhero moves," solving clues to find treasure, and playing with their balloon creations (Batman made Grace a beautiful flower and Andrew a "T-rex"). Everyone had a SUPER time (including Kate - this was the first birthday party she was invited to)!

Princess Playdate

This afternoon Grace had a playdate with her favorite fellow princess, Olivia! It was the perfect Fall day for a run through the pumpkin patch and hay maze at DePiero's Farm. We enjoyed lunch and some delicious treats from the bakery. Andrew woke up just in time for an apple cider doughnut! Before we left the farm, we visited and fed the animals. We always have fun with Aunt Maylene and Princess Olivia.

1 Month Birthday!

I can't believe our sweet baby girl is already 1 month old! Katherine Rose brings each of us so much joy! Grace and Andrew are crazy about their baby sister! They're always giving her kisses or a gentle touch, and Dan and I love snuggling with our littlest angel. Kate's an amazing baby! Last night she gave me her first big smile, which instantly made my heart sing and brought tears to my eyes! We feel so blessed to have 3 happy and healthy babies! Grace and I love dressing Kate. She's our little doll, and we were sure to dress her in a tutu to celebrate her 1st month birthday!

Our happy little girl! She had her first smile last night 10/15/11:-)

Kate's 1st cake

Grace's Class Trip

I was happy to be one of the volunteers for Grace's field trip to DePiero's Farm today! We went with her teacher's aide, Miss Kaitlin, and 3 of her classmates... Riley, Joey, and Aaron. It was a fun morning! We began our visit with a pumpkin picking hayride. Grace enjoyed running through the pumpkin patch, admiring the "spooky" Halloween decorations, and selecting her pumpkin. After the hayride, we had a delicious snack... apple cider and apple cider doughnuts. Before heading back to Lollipop School, the children happily ran through the hay maze a couple of times. It was a memorable morning, and I loved being a part of Grace's special day.

Grace, Riley, Miss Kaitlin, and Joey were anxious for the hayride to begin!

Grace and Joey had fun exploring the pumpkin patch!

Grace was happy that her friend Lucia (from group 4) was on the field trip today, too!

Snack Time... YUM

I loved the smile Grace gave me as she exited the hay maze!

Grace enjoyed taking the Lollipop School bus to and from the field trip!!