Halloween 2011

C7 was a colonial girl, and if I do say so myself, her costume looked great! Yes, it was her nightgown with blue fabric wrapped around her waist. And we made a mob cap, which she kept on the whole of trick or treating (incredible!). Remember the outfits from Colonial Williamsburg? Her costume looks just like the ones we rented for Q5!!

Q5 was a cat, she looked great! She shortened her tail a bit from last Friday, but that was OK. No tripping!

Daddy

Sometimes C42 gets the short shrift from the kids because they are such mumma's girls.

C7 and I were reading a Highlights from last June (or the June before, I don't know, we got a huge wonderful stack from a friend) and found a little project for dads -- making a ~Dad Coat of Arms~

So, we decided to try it. I got a huge piece of cardboard from work, cut it into a shield shape, and the girls decorated.






C42 was surprised with it when he got home!

Introducing ...

It snowed today. It started as lots and lots of rain, but switched to big heavy snow, then back to rain, then back to snow and I think it ended up as rain overnight. But the ground definitely was covered for a little while.

C7 was in and out of the house, watching the weather on the computer, checking the temperature, yelling "it's so beautiful!" and generally just being extremely excited.







And all this reminded her that she wanted to take pictures and that she wanted to post her pictures to her blog. She created a blog a couple of weeks ago and this was her second post.

So, introducing Camera Kitchen Floor of Dogs! (we were worried the name might already be taken, but whew, it wasn't). Yes, it shows that I'm posting thing, but it isn't me, it is all C7. She took the photos, posted the photos, wrote the text.

School Halloween Parade

Make that ... School dress up as a character from a book parade. Not that that fools the parents who don't let their children participate in Halloween. Those kids still didn't dress up. But for the rest of us it caused a litte stir as we had to make sure our dress up was somebody from a book.

So, C7, who is going to Halloween as a colonial girl, chose to go to school as a 1940s girl from one of the Dear America books ... and wore a skirt with a sweater. Stuff she likes to wear every day [classic C7, right? Remember Kindergarten? And first grade?] C7 is next to her friend M7 who is dressed as Han Solo.




Q5 wore a cat costume. I'd found Trois Petits Chats and figured she was le petite chat noir. But she then found a Dorrie book, and went as Gink. Either way, she was a black cat, with a very long tail! There were 4 kitties in her class!! One of them is her good friend H5.




And ... them parading.

Here is Q5 with her awesome teacher!




And here is C7 with Han Solo. She appears to be looking for me, but I'm so right in front of her that she doesn't see me!!






**UPDATE**
Have another video of Q5 playing with her tail!

Rainy Day

The weather forcast is predicting snow for Western Maryland, and perhaps even the metro region. But I doubt we'll get any. Right now it is just rain, and we are having discussions about "raining cats and dogs" or when it rains "cows and horses" (thanks for that, C42)

So, instead of being outside we are inside, painting. What are we painting? We are painting the rain.

Party prep

Q5 went to a party this weekend, and wrapped the gift by herself. She asked if I would video her. Sure. So here it is. Four videos of Q5 wrapping a gift. Proud moments:

Q5 cuts out the piece of paper. Too small.




Q5 pulls off too much tape and then it gets tangled and so she rips some off and tapes it to the floor behind her back.




Q5 gives me a look and a "Mumma!" that means what the heck are you doing???!?? and attempts to tie a bow.




Q5 actually ties a bow using the "bunny-ears" method. I don't know where I learned this method. I thought it was C42 who taught it to me but he denies it. So I must have learned it somewhere. C42 thinks it is cheating, but, eh, they can both tie bows now!

Nancy Drew

I've been attempting to get C7 to read Nancy Drew since she started to read. Neither had been interested, so I brought the books down to give to a friend's daughter. Q5 saw them and told me she'd read them. And FINALLY one of them picked up a book (after I brought the books down to give to a friend's daughter) to read.





C7 saw that I took Q5's photo and she grabbed a book and started reading, to.





OK, it only lasted a day or so, and I suppose it doesn't matter what they read, and Nancy Drew isn't the best of reads but it has a lot of fond memories attached for me.