The Lion and the Ballerina

Halloween gave us a very convincing lion (Mae) and a ballerina who was still pretty upset over the shots she received earlier in the day (Anna).  In fact, it ended up being so cold that Anna got dressed up in a blanket costume.  Mae did break some records.  A year ago, she hit a total of 4 houses in about 45 minutes.  This year she hit houses on 4 different streets in an hour.  It was rainy, windy, and very cold, but she made it down the street, down to the next block, back down on that street, and then down our street.  She probably would have done more but we, the parents, were too cold! -T

She can't wait to be king

Getting the hang of things

She's easily spooked - this is as close as she got to this house

Keeping an eye on it

Battling the elements

THERE'S our little ballerina! (Although with how much she cried during the day after her shots, she never made a sound the hour we were out trick or treating - maybe her cry muscles were frozen?

Successful night!

Mom stealing Mae's candy?

Oh, maybe Mom is just helping her get a piece

I don't really know

The girls

Oh and Mae always informs us when she sees an "X" - this one being the screws in the doorway

Halloween Eve

The night before Halloween we carved our pumpkin.  We got Mae excited about it, but she just couldn't muster up the desire to help clean out the pumpkin of its seeds.  I'm not sure if it's because of her lack of adventure or that she doesn't like messes. -T

Lindsey has to draw because I can't, and well, she's good at it.

Mae giving directions

Excited to help

Well, excited to look, not so much to help

Both of our girls most noticeable feature is their eyes - so we brought that  to our pumpkin and gave it a BIG Anna mouth

Done

The Maeflower - More Than Just a Thanksgiving Thing

We found Halloween is more fun with a 1-year old than it is with a 2 1/2-week old. Lindsey and Grandma Gayle busted out a great flower costume for Mae - thus creating our version of The Maeflower. We debuted it at the Ward Halloween Party and carried it through Halloween night. As long as she was distracted, she even kept the pedals on her head. -T

Ready for action...

...and attention.

No Mae, you're not in a scary costume...it's supposed to be a CUTE costume!

There you go...that's better!

Just love the "What the...?" face!

My cute girls...um, Mom, do you not see your daughter starting to tear into that Twix?

Guess not
Now THIS is what we were looking for with her cake on her first birthday!
I guess she's not embarrassed enough not to flirt

Ready for Halloween night! Let's go!

What age is too young to let them trick-or-treat by themselves?

Mae! You have nothing to collect candy with!
"Do I just follow these girls?"

Now she's ready! We did end up sending a parent with her though
Her first house ever to trick-or-treat at...our neighbor Sue.
After staring at Sue for what seemed to be an hour, she finally got close enough to let her drop something in her bucket.
She wouldn't say thank you...but she made GREAT eye contact for minutes at a time with people which I think meant the same thing
15 minutes later we got to Theresa's house on the other side of us - Mae: "I'd rather have the gog."
"That wasn't a gog you just put in here."

40 minutes and 4 houses after we started...we were done collecting and she decided she wanted to pass out instead.

Although, I'm not sure why Theresa is trick-or-treating at her age

In for the night

Yea for candy!!!

Tired, but happy

"So do I eat all of this in one night?"

Happy Halloween!

Mae's first Halloween! We weren't "those people" though and didn't take her trick-or-treating, a.k.a. using our children for personal gain (candy). We had good family time instead. -T

She's a basketball!
"Dad! Seriously, stop trying to be funny!"

Oh right...she's a pumpkin! Thanks Aunt Laurie!

Big "yawn" for Grandma!

"Hey Grandpa! Is there a cute baby on that piece of paper? Otherwise I can't imagine why you're not looking at me staring at you!"
Burped by Grandpa
"Thank you, Grandpa...now, just give me a second...burping is like a massage for babies and I am very relaxed."

"I think Mom and Dad made a mistake giving me sugar already."

"Sugar...is...AWESOME!"

"I WANT MORE SUGAR!"

"Sugar! It does a baby body good! Or is it chocolate?"

"If Dad were ever on Dancing With The Stars, I wanna say he'd have a goofy picture that looks kind of like this (minus with me)."

Look at my cute Halloween girls...
"Seriously...how many pictures can you take of me in this outfit? Mom...I need something to wash down the sugar...you got somethin'?"
"Typical Mom...always instigating."
This girl loves football...Lindsey told me they get A.D.D. if they watch TV too young...so here's me avoiding Mae's potential A.D.D.