The lion, the witch and...

...Joe thought it'd be fun if he somehow dressed up as a giant wardrobe, but we never really followed that idea through. :)
Here are some pictures from Halloween 2010, which was a week-long celebration around here (not including the weeks of candy-eating following the big day).

The witch and her black cat


Putting on her tap shoes for costume day at dance class


Ava's dance class


Time to celebrate at preschool


Of course, Ava and her BFF picked the same costume


Finally, the actual night is here. I'll spare you the photos of Charlie crying while putting on his costume and attempting to pose in it with Ava. Here is one where he's literally pacified. He just visited the immediate neighbors with Ava before she went out "for real."


Some of the neighborhood kids ready to go


As much as Charlie wasn't into the trick-or-treating, he loved the people coming to the door (Oma and Opa got to join us, too!)


He carried his basket of candy around for the next couple of days - just taking everything out, examining it and putting it back (he didn't figure out, til a couple of days later, what was actually inside those colorful wrappers; then, there was lots of grunting and pointing whenever we came near the stash).


It was a fun week, and I ate more candy than a person should consume in a year's time, but hey, you have to look out for your kids' best interests - we can't have them eating all that junk!

Sibling love

It's been such a long time since I've posted, and not for lack of material; Ben and Katie's wedding was the highlight of our last month - unfortunately, I don't have any of my own pictures from the event, so I might have to copy and paste some of the ones I've received online. Also, Halloween involved a full week of photo opportunities, between dressing up for dance class, school and trick-or-treating.
But, for now, I thought I'd devote a post to the sweet relationship between Ava and Charlie. Literally every day, I am amazed at the unconditional love that Ava gives her little brother. I always imagined that she would be a great big sister, and most likely a little "mother hen," but I never could have imagined her unending patience and understanding with all of his toddler antics. And she doesn't just tolerate him, she actually seeks him out throughout the day to play with him and read to him. You can see how rewarding it is for her when he snuggles into her lap or gives her hugs and kisses (and how sad she feels when he insists on Mommy instead). Here are a few shots from the last month...

In their favorite reading nook (under my computer desk)


Reading after breakfast


Love this one!


I love seeing their different eye colors together


Yup, more reading...


Visiting Ava's classroom


Charlie was NOT happy to be in his costume last night - this is the best we could do! (Oh, and I don't know how to rotate it, because it wasn't on my camera!) :) But, you get the idea...

Five!

We have a five-year-old! This blow is somewhat softened for me since I can still refer to Ava as a preschooler. But she is such a big girl in so many ways - she's reading like a champ, riding her two-wheeler, and spending hours at a time playing outside with her friends. I continue to be amazed at what a wonderful big sister she is - she "plays" with Charlie all the time, reads to him, gives him tons of hugs and kisses, and just generally enjoys being with him. And he is probably her biggest fan, as well.
So, to celebrate the big 0-5, Ava had a party with some of her best friends at Perpetual Motion, here in Woodbury.

Waiting for friends to arrive


Obstacle course fun


I think she smiled the entire time!


Crazy jumping girl


Waiting for the kids to...


...shower her with blocks!


Cake time!


Three of her party gifts: Snow White dress, Easy Bake Oven, and chef's hat and apron, all modeled early the next morning!


The next day, we had our parents and grandparents over to celebrate at home. Ava was excited to get lots of craft supplies, books and a whole slew of new Silly Bandz!


Happy Birthday to You!


We love you, Ava!

End of Summer

Here are some random pics from the last month or so. We had a great summer - it seems like the nice weather has been here forever, and that's saying a lot in Minnesota. After a few camps and sports the first half of summer, we spent most of the second half pretty unstructured, playing at parks, going to beaches and pools, and playing with friends.

Here's Ava with two of her biggest fans


Charlie's always smiling (except when he's not) :)


Riding a pony at Woodbury Days


Giving up the morning nap can wear a guy out


But a long afternoon nap can re-energize - yes, both feet are off the cushion!


A costume montage


Everyone's favorite...corn on the cob!




Next week, Ava is back to preschool three mornings a week. She'll do dance and swimming in the afternoons/evenings, and Charlie even has a few activities lined up: he's going to do a little toddler tumbling class, a baby storytime, and we'll do a drop-in playtime at ECFE. And, I almost forgot: Ava's birthday is in less than two weeks - that will probably be my next post.
As for me, I'm looking forward to monthly game night, book club, and moms' night out, as well as attending Wicked with a friend and going to a company party with Joe this month. And...the event we're all super excited for: Ben and Katie's wedding!!! Less than a month away...we can't wait!!! Happy Fall, everyone!

Milestone!

Look what Ava learned to do today:



Joe and I were actually not involved in the process; I looked out the window before I went upstairs to put Charlie to bed, and I saw Ava pedaling along while her little friend across the street ran alongside her. Charlie and I went out to watch, and sure enough, she had it! After I put him down, I went out and got her on film. She is so proud of herself. She fell asleep with a big grin on her face!

Vacation

We just got back from a mini-vacation at a resort in Alexandria. The four of us went, along with one very adventurous great-grandma! We had a fabulous time, and between the indoor pool, outdoor pool, beach and water park, we were hardly ever out of our swimsuits. The three days went by quickly, and it was virtually stress-free, which is remarkable when two young kids and one slightly high-strung mommy are involved. :)

We started the mornings with breakfast in the apartment...(doesn't Charlie look like a big boy sitting at the table?!)


Here's Charlie at the indoor waterpark - he liked toddling around the shallow area while Ava had a blast on the slides. We all floated around the lazy river a few times, even Grandma Lois!


Two of our days were hot and sunny. Here's Ava, our little fish, at the outdoor pool. She's been working on handstands and somersaults in the water.


One day was rainy, so we stuck with the indoor pools and the kids' activity center, where Ava watched a movie, played some board games, and did some crafts...


...and decorated cookies - yum!


The resort had some family activities in the evening, including a campfire with s'mores...


An added bonus to having an extra adult along: when the kids were in bed for the night, Joe and I got to go out and do a few things on our own - we played tennis, mini-golf, ping pong, and sat at the deck bar and relaxed - thanks, Grandma Lois!
It was a great trip - the resort was very family-friendly, the kids were super travelers, and everyone had lots of fun!

Soccer 2010

Ava did another season of Parks and Rec Pee Wee soccer this summer. She loved the practices and always begged to be goalie but was not so into the little game they had on the last day - I think it was just too chaotic for her, but she kind of followed the group around and had fun anyway.

Team picture




The big game :)


Water break


Back at it


Good game!