Baby, It's Cold Outside

Last night, we bundled everyone up and caught the last few moments of daylight on a chilly and rather quick walk. Bad parents that we are, the boys do not own winter coats yet, so it was multiple layers and blankets for them. Ellie was prepared for the cold weather (it was hovering around 30 degrees, I believe), but insisted on wearing these irridescent pink cowboy (or should that be cowgirl?) boots. Thanks again so much, Grammie and Papa, for those. :)

So off we went.

{Gamradts, this is what you have to look forward to -- giant stroller and all!}

"I'm not so sure about this idea, Mom. My nose is cold already."

"Yeah! I love riding in the front!"

It's amazing how quickly it turned from this....


"This walk is so much fun!"

To this.....

"My fingers are freezing!!! I want hot chocolate."




"Someone get me home. I can't feel my face."

Okay, it wasn't that cold!
Really, people, we are South Dakotans!

Random!

These pictures have been floating around in a draft, but don't really fit into anything that merits a whole post. Check out crazy dinnertime hairdos, leaf raking, Ellie's birthday cupcakes, fairy dress-up, and some baby jabbering and big-sister freestyle singing.

Birthday Bash -- Round 2

What do you get when you take five preschoolers, princess attire, pizza, presents, and a whole lot of sugar (well, just cake and ice cream)? Insanity. Okay, it really wasn't that crazy. Ellie celebrated her 4th birthday (again!) on Saturday with her friends Stella, Aubrey, Brielle, and Mariana.

And of course, Alex and Maguire and Mariana's little brother, Phinley, who were all corralled in the living room during the girly festivities. For some reason, their dads didn't like our idea of dressing them up like little princes for the party. Strange.

Here's Ellie, all dolled up as Sleeping Beauty and waiting for her friends to arrive. Why is she not dressed as her beloved Ariel, you wonder? Well, due to the multiple birthday parties, our birthday budget called for making do with what was in the dress-up drawer. So Sleeping Beauty she was!

Aubrey, Brielle, and Ellie watching for the other princesses

The girls had fun making their own crowns, but no one wanted to wear their creations since they all came to the party with princess crowns and pretties already!

No Ellie party would be complete without Ariel making an appearance. And since Mommy certainly wasn't about to put on a shell bikini and a red wig and sing "Happy Birthday," Ariel came on a cake.

The birthday girl -- how can she be four?!

Presents!

We had such a fun time celebrating Ellie's special day with all of her friends. Here she is blowing out her candles. Wishing for another party, too, I'm sure!

Ellie Bean's Birthday Bash -- Round 1

There are a few perks to not living in the same state as any of your grandparents. One of the best is the multiple birthday celebrations! When we were in MN last month, we celebrated the big 0-4 with Grammie and Papa, Grandma and Grandpa Studer, Uncle Tim, Aunt Heidi, and Alyssa, and Great Grandpa and Grandma Eiesland. Ellie decided the occasion called for cupcakes and cake, and not just any cake....a butterfly cake! So here she is, posing with the butterfly she and Grammie cooked up. Although, from the angle that the above picture was taken, it almost appears to be a cake for Breast Cancer Awareness Month! :)

Lighting of the candles.

Ellie, serving Grandpa Studer his cupcake.

Grandma Studer and cousin Alyssa

Uncle Tim & Aunt Heidi

Yum, cupcakes!

A little playtime with Great-Grandma.


Posing in her new gymnastics outfit, because her wish of being in gymnastics is finally going to come true!

As Promised....

Maguire: "Someone get me out of this ridiculous get-up RIGHT NOW!"

Ellie: "I wonder how I can convince Mom and Dad to let me have all of the boys' candy..."

Alex: "Mmmmm, leaves...."

And so began our fun-filled Halloween night. We started the evening with dinner at the Lawrence's (tortilla soup -- yum!) and after some sustenance, decided we were up for the challenge of wrangling two 3 year olds, an 11 month old, and two 9 month olds into their costumes. No outing would be complete without several hundred pictures to document the occasion, so the poor children posed (pretty nicely, actually) while sweating through their fleece costumes in the unseasonably warm weather.

Maguire and mom -- still looks pretty happy, doesn't he?





Ellie, Mariana, Maguire, Phinley, and Alex


Things took a turn for the worse for Maguire, who decided he was not amused by the lion costume, so after a few more shots without him, we were off to get some candy!

A great time was had by all. Just think, next year, we'll have two toddlers to chase -- now that's scary! Happy Halloween!