Halloween Preview

Last Friday we had our ward trunk or treat and Elizabeth had the best time going from car to car saying "Trick or Treat." Now she always asks to get something out of the pumpkin where her candy is kept. She can't wait to go Trick-or-treating for real next Tuesday and I thought I'd send out pictures of Elizabeth and Rachel in their costumes early so you can see how cute they're going to be. I'm dressed as the "jock" I used to be in high school.





























I also thought I'd add a picture of Rachel playing the piano. I was trying to play yesterday and she started pounding on the piano so I picked her up and sat her in my lap. I tried to continue playing but she kept on pulling my hands off, basically telling me she wanted to play on her own, without mommy playing. I think we have another independent Elizabeth on our hands. I wonder where they get it from--it couldn't be their mother.

Houdini on a trike

A few days ago we went to the mall to get some dinner at the foodcourt. On the way out we stopped a Dick's Sporting Goods, which is a very large store. Well, I took my eye off Elizabeth for a moment and she was off. She hadn't had a nap that day, so she was very hyper. Alicia and I scoured the store, splitting up and looking all over for her. This was officially our first experience of losing our child. Finally we found her at the front of the store riding a tricycle down the aisle. As we searched for where she got the trike we realized that it was all the way on the other side of the store. That girl is fast!

Eric, come downstairs!

Are those the words that Alicia shouts at me when it's time for dinner? Nope, that's what Elizabeth was saying to me this afternoon. Yesterday it was, "Alicia, where are you?" It is so cute to watch a two year old who can barely talk refer to her mommy and daddy by their first names.

We don't encourage this, of course, she just notices when we talk to each other and use our first names. I guess this is why parents always refer to each other as "Mother" and "Father." But I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to do that. Maybe I'm desperately trying to hold on to a piece of my youth, but I can just see myself instantly gaining 50 years to my age as I say, "Mother, could you pass me my reading glasses?" If the consequence is my daughter using our first names rather than saying mommy and daddy then so be it. Get off my back, I could be out there buying sports cars to deal with my temporal disadvantagement condition. Hey, now that I think of it...

Picnic With the Ponies

Today we were able to go on a picnic with the ponies. We didn't really eat with the ponies but Elizabeth got to ride one and we did have a picnic afterwards. One of the moms in my MOMS club group owns two ponies and she was kind enough to share them with us. Here are some pictures of the fun we had.

This is a picture of Elizabeth riding Lily the pony. Doesn't Elizabeth look like a professional equestrian? She also got to brush the pony's hair and feed her pony cookies and carrots.



Rachel also liked being around the ponies. She loves all animals really. When she gets near one, she starts squealing and talking her little baby talk. Maybe animals and babies share the same language.



I thought I'd put in a picture of our beautiful fall foliage. The leaves turned their different shades of yellow, orange, and red literally overnight. That's another thing we like about Ohio--the true four seasons. You don't quite get that in California; it's either rainy and cooler for two maybe three months during El Nino or summer. The weather here's been really weird lately. Yesterday was 80 and then we got a huge thunderstorm and today it was 55. This weekend it's supposed to get back up into the 70s; gotta love the midwest!