Playing with the new camera

Just a few practice pictures with my new camera.......which I love :)

My little fashionista!

Or should I say my little Travolta!

Getting Ready for Christmas

Patrick REALLY understands the power of Santa this year. We wrote our letter to Santa early this year so that Mom and Dad could hold Santa over Patrick's head. Cruel, indeed.....but oh so powerful! Thank goodness Santa has a cell phone...it makes the threat of calling him even easier.
Patrick "wrote" the whole letter....mom just helped form the sentences.

Halloween

A Sweet Spider Witch and the Incredible Hulk head out to trick-or-treat........

Since our 'hood is limited, our first stop is always Tom's.

Doesn't she just look adorable. There is a picture of me dressed as a witch somewhere around when I was the same age as Elizabeth. I will post it if I find it.

Hulk sure had a lot of patience for his witchy sister. She kept finding sticks to use as magic wands along the way.

How do you ring the bell with the fists of furry?

Tom gave Pal and Sis lots of treats that Mary had made. She always spoils the kids. Next stop was to see Matthew and Patty. Matthew was a bat and flew all around the backyard for us in his costume.

Our last stop was Aunt Di and Uncle Dan's house. There we saw Linda and Joe, Grandpa, Peg, Joe and Megan, and Uncle Rich and Pam. Aunt DI had a special treat for Pal, Sis and Megan too, and treats for Mom and Dad! Pat wasn't really into trick-or-treating because he wasn't feeling well, and actually ended up under a blanket on the couch. Elizabeth had a BLAST handing out candy to tons of trick-or-treaters. She would very thoughtfully choose candy for each kid, put it in their bag and then give an enthusiastic wave and "BYE" to everyone.

Megan, aka Sleeping Beauty, and Elizabeth.

On our way to the car Elizabeth trick-or-treated to some houses with Megan. She wowed us with another word at the end of the night....Joe. "Bye Bye Joe!"

Pre-Halloween Fun!

We have been preparing for Halloween for what seems like the whole month of October. Here are just a couple of ways that we have been getting ready - First, we swam in the corn box at the Hollow.

Next came playing and jumping in the hay. Daddy wanted a roll in the hay, but Mom deemed that as inappropriate!

A few nights after the Hollow we had a spooky dinner of mummy hot dogs, banana ghosts, banana and pepper bugs, and ants. It was Yummy!

And, of course, spooky.

For desert, pumpkin seeds....a big hit!

After dinner we helped clean out our pumpkins so that Mommy, the perfectionist, could pain stakingly carve them. Thanks for picking out such as complicated picture Pat!

Pat's pumpkin became a glowing skull and Sissy's became a booing ghost.

Our last pre-Halloween activity was a dress rehearsal at Zoo Boo. Patrick was a little disappointed that Hulk couldn't see a lot of the animals we usually see.

Sissy was cuter than ever and had a great time. Pop Pop and Grandma came with us and loved seeing the kids in their costumes. We are definitely ready to break out the candy buckets and hit the streets!

Funny Sleepers

Lately, it seems that whenever we open the kid's door to check on them we end up thoroughly entertained. One night it is Elizabeth falling asleep just like Mommy does, book on her face. Another night it is cute little snugglers.

Funeral for a fish :(

On October 19, 2008 the Louer family bid farewell to Jerry, of the late duo Tom and Jerry. Jerry was a beloved family member for two years. He entertained friends and family with hours of swimming, diving, playing hide-n-seek in the tank vegetation, and blowing bubbles. Jerry is survived by his tank tappers, Patrick and Elizabeth, and his feeders, Brian and Cathy. Jerry was predeceased by his partner Tom approx 1 year ago.

Fall Fun and Friends

Patrick, Peyton, and Elizabeth....the three big kids at the babysitters....just having some fun in the leaves on one of the gorgeous fall days we have been having lately. Makes me insanely jealous that I was at work :(

A Girl And Her Ice Cream

In the marathon day that began at Davis's Baptism, we ended up in Skaneateles for a healthy dinner of ice cream cones. Elizabeth clearly enjoyed hers......

Halloween Tricks

After Davis's Baptism we told Patrick that we would stop at Hafner's because they have a haunted house set up. There are no live people scaring during the day and they try to be really kid friendly....sending kids in with flashlights, etc. Three times Patrick tried to go into the house, all his own decision, but never made it into the actual door. The flashlight and evidence of the CD player didn't even pursuade him. However, whenever we tried to walk away from the haunted house he would throw a fit. We eventually got him away, with the promise of seeing farm animals. It worked out well....Patrick got to give a calf its bottle! He was really excited. The next two pictures are from the exit of the haunted house, on our way to the car.

Um, Mom. Is this what happens to you when you come out of the haunted house?? Good thing WE didn't go in. Is this trash in the road?? It's naughty to put trash in the road.

We'll just move the trash over here.

Davis Gallauresi's Baptism

This was such a beautiful day. God was looking down on us and smiling because no one could have asked for a more perfect fall day. How could you not smile on Davis?? Patrick and Elizabeth can't wait for all the holiness to begin......they were practically banging down the door. They can't wait to run up and down those pews!

Luckily, Hulk did not smash the doors!

Proud Parents and God Parents. Yup, that's right, I am Davis's proud Godmama!

The whole God Family. John is Elizabeth's godfather, Brian and Heather are Leah's godparents, and Nick and I are Davis's godparents.

Elizabeth didn't entertain herself by running up and down pews but by throwing hymnals all over the floor, over and over.

Patrick loves to hold Davis and is unbelievably gentle. I wonder what age babies have to be for Pat to loose the gentle routine....maybe when their mobile. I'll keep you posted as to when it wears off for Davis.

Leah's such a cutie....even if she was having an accident, as we later discovered.

Autumn Leaves

Patrick definitely has the cheese smile down......mixed in with a little utter annoyance that I thought wouldn't appear until the teen years.

Patrick was annoyed that Daddy hadn't buried him more, so.......

Daddy buried him completely! Couldn't fool Elizabeth though, she new there was something fishy about that pile of leaves!

And then she uncovered the truth. It was Patrick in that big pile!

Picking Our Pumpkins At Tim's

We were off to Tim' Pumpkin Patch to get pumpkins to decorate our house, and get into the Halloween spirit. Pat and Sissy weren't too much in the spirit though.....no one would go out to the field to pick their pumpkin. Brian was thankful he didn't have to push a wheelbarrel full of pumpkins and kids for a mile.

Rather than picking pumpkins the kids were into all the other things there were to do, like climbing on hay, riding tractors, riding the giant ram, digging in corn, and looking at all the farm animals.
Patrick figured out the cool contraption to feed the goats when they were on the roof of the chicken coop. Now if only the goats were up there to eat all the food we dumped on the roof!
Much to Patrick's relief, Donna, the mummy that was in the outhouse last year who we have a personal relationship with was not there this year. I think Donna was the reason why Patrick was in tears about going to the pumpkin patch before we left. This year there was a witch in the outhouse.....way less scary.
Patrick got to ride home in a "jungle". Clearly the best part of the day!
When we got home we used all our pumpkins to decorate the front of our house. It is the best job we have done yet!

My Three Loves

These are the best times :)