Bowlin', bowlin', bowlin'...

This week we got invited to our first birthday party! Our friend Robby turned 5 and we went to the bowling alley to celebrate with all of our friends from the child center. We had a great time bowling, but got a little impatient waiting on our turn so we gave it up after a few tries. We found other things to do there, as you will see below. Thursday we celebrated a quiet Thanksgiving with prime rib, spinach and artichoke stuffing, green bean casserole, and sweet potato casserole. On Saturday, we went over to Robby's house to play while Mom and Dad went snowshoeing. When they picked us up, they learned Linnaea had fallen off the couch onto the coffee table and had quite the shiner. We're hoping next week is a little less adventurous for her. We'll be in Florida in 17 days!







This is a great photo of the haircut Linnaea gave herself a few weeks ago.





The first thing we found at the bowling alley was the video game with a big gun.





Elise gets a turn at Lock N' Load.





Linnaea throws a ball. She was actually really good at chucking it down the alley.





Daddy helps Elise push her ball down the lane.





Elise tries to do it by herself.





Linnaea is REALLY excited about eating the Thomas the Train cake. She loved her piece of cake and immediately wanted a second one. When we said no, she threw a perfect 2 1/2 year old tantrum.





This is Linnaea's black eye. Every time she wakes up, it's so swollen that her eye is a little slit. But she is a trooper and has already been begging to go back to Robby's house.

Halloween and stuff

There is a lot to do in Walden for Halloween! On Thursday we worked at the day care and we took all the kids over to the "big school" for the elementary school parade. We all dressed in costumes and bundled up to make the one block trek in the 17 degree cold. We got to walk with the preschool and pose for pictures in front of all the parents. On Friday we got to go trick-or-treating downtown to the courthouse, The Moose restaurant, the post office, the library and the bank. Our first stop was pretty chaotic as it took me about 10 minutes to talk the girls into putting their first piece of candy back into their baskets so we could go get more. We also got 2 half dollars at the bank. It was also freezing this morning, about 22 degrees, so we headed back home as soon as possible. Saturday morning we carved pumpkins, then watched the Gators stomp Georgia, and then went trick-or-treating that evening. We had planned on only going to 3 or 4 houses but the girls loved it and Linnaea kept asking to go to the next house. They were really good at saying "trick or treat!" and "thank you!"


Linnaea with her pink fingernails. She talked about having her nails painted for several weeks.





Doing acrobats on the closet bar.





I think it was Elise's idea to go upside down.





But Linnaea never shies away from a challenge!





This is where Daddy lays when he talks to Grandma and Grandpa, so Linnaea is doing a perfect imitation.





Linnaea demonstrates a scary face so I can carve it on the pumpkin.





Making pumpkin number one some ears.





Linnaea touches pumpkin number one.





Linnaea cleans out pumpkin number two. Elise would not dare to stick her hand inside.





The finished product.





Elise enjoys a "popsicle" from Grandma and Grandpa.





Linnaea eats her own.





Elise practices trick-or-treating with her "Elmo pumpkin."





This is the worst picture EVER but I had to include it as it was the only one of Elise in her costume.





Ditto about this picture. Really bad but our only choice.