One Year Older and Wiser Too

The count down ends.  She's one!!

Nothing says Happy Birthday like a Garden Gnome Party!  I have no idea why I picked this as a theme.  Something about the red and white just seemed suiting for her.

 Recognize these blocks from the crabitats or perhaps Aiden's construction party?  I'm so happy with my little block decor.  Scrapbook paper and countless hours really go a long way!  PS, no blocks were permanently defaced as I am sure I will use them again!  Like you were really concerned, right?

I opted out on the cake.  Didn't fit the theme:)  We had pumpkin pie and mini apple pies instead.

I made the toadstool out of a $5 table I found at Goodwill.  I thought the kids (and adults too) would get a kick out of taking gnome pictures.  I couldn't get Maddex to wear a beard, but she was nice enough to leave the hat on for 10 seconds at a time.

Don't be surprised when we are all gnomes for Halloween next year.  Or maybe I can even carry it over into Christmas and dress up a snowman like a gnome just so I can caption it "Chillin' with my Gnomie".  They're kind of like elves.  Gnome on a shelf?  Secretly start bearding random objects in the house?  Eh, I guess I need to let go.  Could it be that I'm hanging on to my LAST baby and her LAST first birthday?   

   Possibly. 

This is Halloween

I wanted to squeeze in Halloween pictures before I get too far behind.  I don't know why, but I was SO OVER Halloween this year.  Probably because we started decorating way too early and I had a haunted house taking over our play room for over 2 weeks.  I constructed this monstrosity for the kids to play in with their friends.  It was a success, but I think even the kids were done with it after a week!  I couldn't wait for Nov.1 to come so I could take that bad boy down!  The kids had more than enough festivities to last them until next year.  We took them to Boo at the Zoo, Trunk or Treat and good old fashioned trick or treating.  We will also be paying it forward today and taking the remainder of our candy to the dentist so they can "ship it to the troops"...I put quotations around that because I'm not 100% convinced that's what they really do with it.  We got enough Easter and Valentine candy to convince me that they are probably stashing it for themselves for next year so they don't have to shell out any money to buy candy.  Cheapskate dentists.  Whether they do or not, I'm still donating.  We're all out of chocolate now anyway.

Boo at the Zoo.  Brian may be the first person ever to be dressed as googly eyes...

And some Halloweeny stuff in between...traumatizing small children, carving pumpkins, spider muffins on Muffin Monday, eating overly frosted sugar cookies.

Accidentally grew pumpkins and squash (that's what happens when you use compost dirt, things just sprout!)

Trunk or Treat

 Hey, if you count Brian's googly eyes, everybody's looking!

Trick or Treat

Here's a video of the 'haunted house' and the kid's most very favorite Halloween song CLICK HERE
and if you want to watch me teasing Aiden again, CLICK HERE

And of course, there's the after Halloween clearance sales for next year too!

Whew, Halloween's over!