The Great Catch-up of ‘08
Lots has happpened this summer that hasn’t made it to my work blog. I thought I would stop using the family blog… but I think I still need it. I have begun to shoot more and our life sometimes doesn’t make it onto the other page… or in a more distilled version.
I would like to begin again. Anyone game to read this one too?
This is the End
I’m not sure how many people still visit this site but I thought I should let whoever know that I am not longer here. I have finally decided that updating 2 blogs is just too much! So I have concentrated all my efforts on Stacie’s Musing… my supposed work blog, which has family updates too. So, if you are ever surfing your blogs, please visit the Smith clan here, and change your bookmarks too so you can visit often.
Thanks,
Stacie
Ezra’s Birthday!
We came home from school pick-up and it was time to make something for Ezra’s birthday. After too much dilly-dallying we began the cupcakes… which were very good, by the way.
Then our neighbor friend came over to play and I decided we should make a party out of things. So I called our other neighbors and after dinner we had 5 kids and 6 adults to celebrate Ezra’s 2nd birthday. Nothing fancy and very last minute. The way this party came about is very reflective of how we operate. Spur of the moment with no plans. Sometimes it doesn’t work out so well. Often messages are left and no one is around to play. Thankfully things worked that night.
India’s gift to Ezra. We gave him the trucks donated by the Dahls. Thanks! He still loves them as much as when we were at your house.
After playing with all the toys, finally the cupcake was eaten.
Thanksgiving
For the latest updates check out the work blog. We had fun and I photographed, which is fun too.
Check it out!
Take Three; finally!
This is it! The last installment of Halloween posts. Thank goodness. I thought it might be December before I got caught up… I think I’ll still be behind, but less so.
On Halloween India’s school had pajama day. Rather than deal with the distracting costumes and all the blood and gore, they decided to host a story telling day. I volunteered to read to the class. Rather than read any old story, I brought in Cinderella Skeleton and even dressed up as one of India’s progenitors visiting from the grave. It was a lot of fun and the kids loved it. I am going in every Wednesday to help with reading time and each week I’ve gone a kid has mentioned the skeleton costume. I wonder how long my fame will last.
Ezra and I were dressed to the hilt. Too bad it was 8am. Once we came home it was bath time. That black hair spray is really messy. On our way out of the house Ez dragged his hands across our white wall. You should have see the look on Zach’s face. I told him it would come off… not to worry. And it did, easy as pie (does that mean it was easy, ’cause pie ain’t all that easy for me). Well, the bath was the last of my costume and Ezra’s was never as cool again.
These photos were taken by India’s teacher. How cool is that?
This is us later in the day:
The fury pants up close.
Professor Snape repairing a broom.
Jack made it to Denver. India added to our hanging with a candy corn and abacus bat. The invite to our party the Fri before.
All Hallows: Take Two
Ok, I am way behind. Keep coming back, I think I might finally be able to catch up! Zach is due back anytime from his second trip to Sydney. It has been 2 weeks without him! Thank goodness my mom could make the trip out here. She was such a help… even if she doesn’t think she did much. I would have been in really bad shape if she hadn’t come. The dishes are done, Ez’s room has been painted, and I think the house is put together. Can’t tell, ’cause I’ve been on the computer most of the morning. I had a shoot on Tuesday that I am editing. I posted it here.
Ok, back to Halloween. Sooo long ago…
We went to our Ward’s trunk-or-treat. Not very exciting; we showed up late and I talked with one other adult for about 2 seconds and had 3 or 4 trick-or-treaters. Oh well. It was fun for the kids and Ez got his “treat, treat” down pat. Here are a few photos from that adverture.
Zach went as Neo from the movie “The Matrix”. The costume was purchased for his true costume of Professor Snape… Harry Potter theme at work. See Ezzie’s furry pants? Oilily for $2 from Savers. Ha!
“Chreat, chreat?” (that’s treat in Ez talk). Ez’s favorite is lollypops. He was an Ez Monster for Halloween while India was a witch… with green hair even.
Halloween: Take One
Every year it seems there are all sorts of Halloween festivities. I like to add an extra one for the kids. India invited kids from school and from the neighborhood. We wanted to keep it small. If anyone out there went to India’s 4th birthday, you will know why I wanted it small.
We had a blast. There was dry-ice making the witche’s brew even more witchy. We decorated the punch and snack bowels with glittered bugs. India and I put together a puppet show while Ezra napped. There was even trick-or-treating at the school afterwards.
I am sorry to not have photographed all the decorating we did. It is difficult to get a party together and photograph the details.
The cast of characters:
the pirate
The witch and Hannah Montana
The construction site, the Wookie
The uncostumed (she soon got dressed up)
and the undressed… Ez ran around the house yelling and laughing for at least 45 minutes.
The spin dizzying the kids for pin the face on the pumpkin. I kept hearing “this is too easy!”
But no one pinned a perfect jack-o-lantern!
The puppet show
On the way to trick-or-treat street
Harvest Festival
Last weekend we headed to the harvest festival over at the Little Museum. We got there a bit late and didn’t have any cash on hand. The story of our lives. But, by a miracle we were handed enough tickets by folks leaving to get us a hay ride!
These are the pumpkin pie pumpkins they were selling.
This is India pressing apples to make apple cider.
The apples
The donkey
This was the quaint fall spot we were looking for.
India on stilts and Ezra in the hay maze, which he didn’t want to leave
They both enjoyed washing the clothes. Put ‘em to work early.
Pumpkin Patch
This year we didn’t make it to a quaint, picturesque pumpkin patch. We went to a patch beside a busy road in Denver. But it was for a good cause. The proceeds went to Habitat for Humanity. One of India’s school friends was heading to the patch so we followed. It was a lot of fun and we got a couple of cute pumpkins.
India didn’t get enough of her own popcorn since Ezra dumped it in the car. This is her buddy’s bag… she’s sneakn’ some
I feel like I’ve taken this back-lit shot before.
Not quite the same, but this is India at almost a year and a half. This was at a quaint apple orchard just outside of Boston. Oh the yummy apples!