Halloween was very fun this year. The girls enjoyed dressing up in their belly dancer costumes (authentic Turkish wear, brought back as gifts from CeeCee and PopPop) and trick or treating was a real treat when the girls figured out what it was all about! Carving pumpkins was a family affair this year, and the girls weren't afraid (after a little coaxing) to get their hands slimy in the pumpkins.
We went to the annual Darling Doubles Halloween bash where the girls got to play with other twins in costume.
We took advantage of a gorgeous sunny afternoon to carve pumpkins on the deck.
Emily and Addison got to do some fun pumpkin painting.
Friends from Mom's Group came over to play on Halloween.
DeeDee handed out candy at home while Uncle Dylan, Aunt Britney, Callie and Annalea came trick or treating with us around the neighborhood.
Yep, those are authentic Turkish "7 Day" pants - a gift from Eric and Cathy
The Hicks Zookeepers and Peacocks
Chris's outfit also came as a gift from Eric and Cathy from Turkey
The highlight of the third trip to the pumpkin patch was the fruit snacks. We met our twin friends Ian and Abbie and their older sister, Ellie in the hay bale maze at the farm. The kids all worked up quite an appetite wandering through the maze, and since they were momentarily still while eating, I snapped this group photo.
Emily and Addison had their good ol' dried fruit strips, but the Kadlecek kids had something the girls had never seen before...freeze dried fruit. Luckily, these kids are the sharing type and the freeze dried deliciousness was sampled by all
Emily asks Ian for more, but he's already shared plenty and is hanging onto that apple!
Big Sis Ellie to the rescue, shares with little Em
I just love this picture because Ellie is so happy to have shared her snack!
Ian flees the scene before Emily can start asking for more
Before heading home, we burned off some energy in the bouncy castle. Emily was not into being bounced around by big kids at all and only lasted a few seconds before practically jumping right back out into my arms. Addison, on the other hand, couldn't get enough. I actually had to crawl up in there to get her out when it was time to go!
Bounce!
Addie has had a way of adopting grandmothers since she was able to reach her arms out to people. There was a grandma over here watching her grandson, and Addison kept coming up to the mesh and giving the grandma the biggest grins. On a side note, last week Addie adopted her first grandpa, climbing up into his lap at the mall play area.
We will definitely be visiting Rock Creek Farm next year for our fall outdoor entertainment. And we promise that we'll actually buy one of your pumpkins next year!
The second time we went to the pumpkin patch, it was a sunny but very windy day. Most of the moms and kids we were going to meet there backed out after seeing how strong the winds were going to be. We didn't stay long because the cold gusts sent us running to our cars after only a few photos.
Emily and Addison get to drive their pumpkin friends, Nora and Lyndi
Already arguing about who gets to be at the wheel.... good thing we have some time before 16!
Blow-your-hats-off windy!
Say cheese!
All that wind got the dirt blowing, and that night the girls were ready for a good scrubbing!
Look what Dad does to our hair at bath time! He is so silly!!
There is a great pumpkin patch not too far from our house that offers acres and acres of pick-your-own pumpkins, gorgeous mountain views, farm animals to oooo and ahhh over, and free bouncy castle entertainment. We had so much fun the first time we went, we ended up going back two more times before Halloween came.
The first time we went, it was with our twin friends Sophie and Oliver. They are a little younger than the girls and weren't quite as sure about exploring the bumpy pumpkin patch terrain.
Oliver is telling his mom he's ready to go home!
Emily and Addison had a great time exploring the patch, and while I thought being a whole year older might make dirt less appetizing (see last year's dirt and stick eating here), I was wrong.
Addie makes a face and offers me the rock she's munching on. Wasn't as tasty as you were expecting, hu?
Mmmmm! Pumpkin!
Ooooo! Vines!
Mud Muncher!
After getting our fill of pumpkins, vines, and dirt, we headed over to the farm animals to say hello. The girls have been getting pretty proficient in their animal sounds, and were able to converse quite smoothly with several of the animals.
Emily came up to this guy and was ready to greet him with a "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" He taught her that turkeys say
"Gobble Gobble!"
Oink Oink!
Addie was fascinated with how the big kids were feeding the animals.
She observed those big kids closely and then tried to copy. Mom read the sign and said "No way Jose!"
Not to be deterred from her feeding mission, Addison brings her sister on board to see if they can sneak one past Mom
"Hey kid! Look over there! That's the good straw...go get us some!"
Great Grandma and Grandpa Hicks gave us an Elf on the Shelf this year on Thanksgiving. This little guy hides somewhere new every night, and in the morning the girls get to find him. What fun!
Emily has learned that Dee Dee will share her earrings. We all know how much Emily loves her accessories. Earrings are just the best. The danglier, the better!
