It's Trick or Treat Day!

Bean is very excited that "Halloween Day" has finally gotten here.  She has asked every day if it is time for her to wear her Cinderella costume and her "high heels" that light up.

Last night she helped her Daddy carve the pumpkin.  Hubz found a picture of Mickey Mouse and asked Bean if she wanted him on her pumpkin.

She said "Uh, no.  But we can have a Minnie Mouse."

So Hubz agreed.  I have to brag on Hubz a little bit.  He found a picture of Minnie Mouse on his phone web browser and free handed the stencil he used to carve her face.  I was amazed.  I had no idea he was so creative.  Too bad he let me know because I will use this talent in the future somehow.

Here's this year's pumpkin.

I usually have trouble waking Bean up in the mornings.  She can be a little grouchy when woken up.  I have NO IDEA where she gets this trait from.  None whatsoever.

But this morning was different.  All I had to say was "It's Halloween Day!  You get to wear your costume."

She hopped right out of bed.  This is something else I will have to use in the future.

She put on her dress and she looked beautiful.  Her hair didn't quite cooperate but I have come to realize that whenever there is something going on where I want Bean to look exceptionally cute or when she'll have her picture taken a lot, her hair turns against me.  My hair does the same thing to me but now this is the second generation of hair that is pullin' a 'tude on me and I really don't appreciate it.  Oh well...

Here is Beanerella!

Happy Halloween from us to you!

Fall Activity Trays

Bean has been working on some new fall activities.

Cutting Practice Trays

I found these free Fall Cutting Strips from Montessori Print Shop.  Bean does really well using her scissors.  She does better with paper than hair, though.

Playdough Play

I found this recipe for pumpkin pie scented playdough and made some up for Bean.  Note to fellow playdough makers - I tried making this recipe.  I did not have enough salt so it did not turn out right.  Next time I think I will try cutting this recipe in half to see how much that will make.  But it did smell wonderful anyways.

Halloween Sensory Tub

I couldn't find all the fall items I had for last year's sensory tub so I had to get a few new things.  Thank goodness for Target's $1 section.  Yes, lookey there, I gave Target a compliment.  Ha!

We used sticky skeletons and mice which we quickly learned weren't good cause the green peas stuck to them, ghost and bat erasers, mini pumpkins, snakes and spiders.  Bean left one of the spiders on the counter and later that night when I went in for a snack, I had quite the fright!

Notice the bee that is hanging around up there?  That's Bizzy.  Bizzy the Bee.  Bean was assigned to bring her home for the weekend and journal what the two of them did all weekend.  They had a wonderful time together and Bizzy has been invited back any time she wants.

Conversations with a Bean - Target Practice

I want to share a conversation I recently had with Bean.  I think toddlers can come up with some of the best dialogue ever heard. Hollywood screenwriters have nothing on the ankle-biter set.

As I said yesterday, this past weekend was Hubz' family reunion.  One of the past times at the reunion is skeet shooting. I guess that's what you call it.   I've never seen a skeet so I am guessing that a skeet is the actual round clay targets that get shot up into the air.  If I am incorrect on this, I apologize to any skeet I might have offended by my lack of knowledge on their...well...skeetage.

Anyhoo.

Bean, her cousin Tater, and I were all on the front porch in the swing.  I was praying hoping to try and swing one or both of them off to napland.  This did not happen.

We were swinging - just a swingin' - when Hubz and BIL2 walked by to retrieve Hubz' shotguns (yes, plural) from our car.

SIDEBAR - I love how Hubz put 3 shotguns in the back of my car and never thought to let me know that they were there. You never know when a Thelma and Louise moment might come up or when The Bandit might pull you over on the back roads of Georgia. It might have been nice to get a heads up on the fact that they, along with 300 pounds of ammo, are in your possession and safekeeping.

Bean hopped down from the swing and ran to the porch stairs to watch.  She asked me what they were doing.  I told her that Daddy and Uncle BIL2 were getting the shotguns so they could go shooting.

Bean said matter-of-factly, "Daddy's gonna buy me a pink gun when I get bigger."

Uh huh. Really?  Well this hasn't been given the ever important Mother Seal of Approval yet so we'll see.

Don't get me wrong. I grew up around guns.  My own Daddy had a collection of them and I knew never, ever to touch them. I was allowed to shoot his shotgun once and when I got myself back up off the ground after the recoil, I said "Thanks, Dad" and went back inside to watch some Scooby Doo.

I even had my own BB gun and never once shot my eye out with it.  So I know they are a rite of passage here in the South but I'm not ready to wrap my mind around this kid getting one.

After I uttered my non-committal "uh huh", Bean then asked me "what are they gonna shoot, Mommy?"

I said "targets".

Bean spun around on her heel to look at me and said with the utmost earnestness...

"Not Target! That's my favorite store!"

Not making it up. That's what she said. After I stopped laughing, I explained what targets were and she was happy then to return to the swing.

The Best Friends.

This past weekend we attended the Hubz' family reunion.  I spent most of the day following these two around. 

This is Bean and her best friend and cousin.  Since everyone on this blog gets a nickname, we will call her Tater.  I reserve the right to change this at any given moment or more aptly when I can think of something cuter.

On Saturday, Bean and Tater loved each other.  Some days they don't.  But Saturday was a great day for these best friends.   They walked all over holding each other's hands.   They shared the stuffed dog, swings, smiles, giggles, drinks, cupcakes, and lots of fun.

 

Office Baby Shower

A co-worker and wonderful friend of mine is having a baby in November.  We had a baby shower for her today and I wanted to share some of the crafty things I made for the shower.  Maybe you can get some ideas for your next baby shower.

All of these ideas are ones that I've found over time reading other mommy and craft blogs.  I steal find so many wonderful ideas from fellow bloggers.  Bloggers are awesome!!!

I got the idea for duckies swimming in a punch bowl from here.  Everyone thought this was so cute.

I used this template found at The Cutting Cafe to make this baby banner.

I wanted to do more layering around the letters but my Silhouette needs a new blade.  That's what happens when you try to use it to cut out sandpaper.  Oh well, it was still pretty.  (Note all the law books in the background.  Too bad those don't come in a cuter color.)

A few months back I stumbled upon this tutorial for a diaper bassinet.  I made one for a cousin's shower and it was very easy so I thought I'd use these for our centerpieces.  I found Pampers in prints and knew they were made for this project.

We had a great time at the shower.  Now I can't wait to see and hold that new baby!