Abby's Halloween

Warrenton Halloween Parade Beautiful weather for carving pumpkins

Lunch at Subway after Halloween story time

Girls at Trunk or Treat... AP at soccer

Practicing Fern... before the carriage arrived...

The moment she'd been waiting for, for months!

Abby chose to be Fern from Charlotte's Web and I think she was adorable, although many people didn't quite get it! She really wanted to be Fern so that she could push Wilbur, the baby piglet in a carriage. It HAD to be a carriage just like the one Fern pushed in the movie. So after searching every antique store in VA this summer, I found one on EBay that a man was selling in a town next to my dad's in NY! My dad and Carol drove it down the day of the Trunk or Treat (which worked perfectly for us, b/c they had a wedding reception to attend in Annapolis and were headed down to visit this weekend already!)

Abby wore a vintage apron and a ribbon in her hair and was so proud pushing her carriage! When I bid on it, I was under the impression it was a doll carriage, but it turned out to be the genuine thing... straight from England and in wonderful condition. Everyone stopped to admire it... although many people thought she was Nanny McPhee! I guess the giant spider sitting on top w/ the web that said "some pig" doesn't mean anything if you haven't read the book... but in any event, she loved being Fern and didn't seem too put out, when people kept saying "you're who?"

(She did through us for a loop Sat. am when she woke up and decided I should be Fern and she'd be Wilbur!... I had about 45 minutes to get everyone dressed, fed and figure out a pig costume for her before we headed to Warrenton for the Halloween parade and story time!)

Patrick's Halloween

Trunk or Treat was on a school night, with soccer to boot! Enjoying a late pizza w/ Grandma and Grandpa Mac, who came into town just in the nick of time!

Spending Halloween weekend w/ Bubby and Grandfather... soccer in MD on Sunday... busy, busy...

Contacts!

The Ranger's Apprentice at Trunk or Treat

Fun painting pumpkins w/ Grandma and Grandpa Mac!

Patrick chose to be the main character from a new series of books called, The Ranger's Apprentice which are popular w/ preteen and teenage boys right now. He combined a few old costumes together (a pirate and Anakin Skywalker) and added a cape. We wrapped his bow and arrow in contact paper to resemble wood and cut feathers out of sticky-back felt and covered the plastic feathers on his arrows. I wrapped his boots w/ cording and he sewed a Celtic clasp to the cape. He also made a gold feather necklace which the character wears in the story and made his own knife which we tied on w/ a leather belt... he loved the look!

Patrick got straight A's this quarter and his teachers all had very positive things to say about his work ethic and behavior. Thank goodness! His last soccer game of the season is tomorrow and he has one last tournament to go. Then he is planning on taking a break from soccer and has expressed an interest in Tae Kwon Do...

He got his first pair of contacts this week and is doing very well w/ them. He's definitely growing up... it won't be long before he's asking for laser surgery!

Margaret's Halloween

Carving fancy pumpkins w/ Grandma Mac

All dolled up...good thing the weather cooperated!

Volleyball Clinic

Here She Comes... Trunk or Treat at EHE

Amazing weather on Thursday for Trunk or Treat... needed long johns for Sunday's trick or treating downtown...

Margaret was Miss America this year. It was so much fun gathering all the things for her costume. I ordered a real tiara online and clip on diamond dangling earrings. I searched for the perfect dress and found one at a second hand shop in town. It had a rip in the underarm seam and when they heard it was for my daughter's Halloween costume, they gave it to me for free! I made a sash for her and she had perfect shoes from Santa from last Christmas... she was a sight to behold!

Other Margaret news... Margaret has just finished a season of volleyball training which met once a week for the last few months. I'm hoping to sign her up for Sat. cheerleading at school this winter... She also just got new glasses: purple!