Happy Halloween!

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

The Princess and the Farmer

I think I've mentioned it before, but Halloween is just not my holiday. We never celebrated growing up, so I have no real traditions or memories associated with the day. But now that I have a child of my own, I'm succumbing to the worldly pressures and deciding to go along with the fun.

That being said, I felt under the gun to get Violet a good Halloween costume without spending too much time or money dealing with the hassle of it all. I went from store to store, unimpressed with the selection or appalled at the prices of the cheap scraps of potentially flammable fabric they were hawking as costumes. So when I spotted a beautiful, sparkly, perfectly pink party dress for the same price as a costume, I figured I had it made. Best of both worlds! A costume, yes, but also a dress that Violet could wear again! And it really was beautiful... so much so that I tiny bit of me wished they had it in my size. And that I had a ball to attend.

I was so excited to show Violet and try it on her. She was, however, unimpressed. Okay, full disclosure, she cried once we had it on her. But I brushed it off, convinced that no daughter of mine would turn down the chance to wear such a fabulous frock when the actual day came. I mean, look at it!

She's not crying because of the terrible color combination, I promise.

Well, the big costume parade at school arrived, and as we attempted to cajole her into the dress that morning, Violet flat-out refused. As in, looked me dead in the eye and said "no," simply but firmly. And nothing would change her mind. Undaunted, I took the costume to school and snuck out the door as one of her teachers tried talking her into it. But when I came to get her that afternoon, about six different employees shook their heads before I could even ask how the costume parade went. So what did Violet end up wearing for her costume? Oh, the overalls I sent her to school in.

Violet and her best friend Emma. How cute are these two? They love each other.

Emma the adorable ghost and Violet. A farmer, apparently.

I knew I needed a plan B, and seeing the precious pictures Emma's mom took at daycare gave me an idea. Violet wanted to wear the overalls? Then overalls it would be! A new costume was born - Farmer Violet! The beautiful, sparkly pink party dress went straight back to the store (sniffle sniffle - even the clerk was sad I brought it back), and in its place I bought the ever more practical overalls (the pair she's wearing in the pictures above are actually way too short but the only ones I could track down were from the boy's department - serves her right), a plaid shirt, a handkerchief for the back pocket and a straw hat. All for about the same price, and most to be worn many more times (more bang for the buck).

It was time to debut the revised costume on Sunday for the neighborhood Halloween festival. Naturally, Violet decided to exercise her willpower and almost refused to put it on. (For a while she was running around the house stripped down to her diaper, dodging any attempt at clothing. Only the promise of "outside" made her sit still long enough to dress. She drew the line at the straw hat, however.)

"Do you want to go outside?" "Yesh." "Then you have to get dressed." "Fine mom, whatever, geez!"

Outside!

So, not too bad, right?! I mean, she's no Pretty Pretty Princess, but it's kind of cute. And once we were safely clothed, we headed down to the neighborhood pool area for the party. There was free food, bouncy castles, face painting, games, but of course Violet was perfectly content to just hang out on the playground.

Happy with Daddy.

First taste of a candy apple - she approved.

The only picture I could capture with the elusive straw hat. It took her 3.7 seconds to realized I'd tied it to her overalls.

Some day, damn it, my daughter will wear a princess costume like this.

It's funny, as I was complaining to other parents about how Violet had balked at her original outfit, the number one response I heard was "hey, if that's the worst thing, you have nothing to worry about." And they're right. We have many more years of costuming ahead of us, so many that I might be sick of princess outfits before I know it. And at least I know Violet was happy on this autumn Sunday. So really, that's all that matters.

Autumn Days

You know, just hanging out in the backyard on a beautiful autumn day...

The Luckiest

Violet is changing so fast these days, it takes my breath away. Just look at her!

Stealing my heart on a daily basis.

Remember when she had no teeth? Well, look at that mouthful now!

I finally resigned myself to the fact that cold weather is here to stay, and Matt and I made a Walmart run while the grandmas were in town so we could stock up on every five dollar pair of 2T pants we could find. Violet has totally outgrown her wardrobe and it is time to accept the fact that she's officially moved up. She is getting so big.

Speaking of the grandmas, they came and played on Saturday, and Violet boo-hooed the saddest tears when it was time for them to leave. I casually mentioned that they were going to go home and the floodgates opened. It took an episode of Elmo to get her calmed down, and every day since then she's announced to me (about 47 times in a row) that Moo-Moo went bye-bye. (We're pretty sure she calls both her Mimi and Grandma by the oh-so-affectionate "Moo-Moo".)

I was reading an article the other day about the little milestones we forget about until they've passed. Sure, we all document the biggies - first smile, first step, first word. But now that we've hit the majors, I'm starting to get wistful about the tiny ones. Violet used to have the sweetest affirmative "yeh?" when we'd ask a question. Now her answer comes out all big-girl and definitive - "yash". We used to play this game where we'd tell her to "go crazy!" and she's shake and head-bang away. Well, I asked her the other day and she looked at me like I was the crazy one. Sigh.

On the other hand, Violet gets more fun by the day. Call me biased, but she's pretty darn awesome as kids go. She talks constantly and gets frustrated with me when I can't quite figure out what she's saying. She figures things out so quickly - show her once and she's off to the races. The things that amaze me most are the ones she comes home with. We taught her that a monkey says "ah-ah-ah" months ago. But the other day when I asked, she busted out with "ah-ah-oo-oo" complete with tickling the armpits (the universal sign for monkey, in case you didn't know). I certainly didn't teach her that! She's learning amazing things. (Okay, the monkey thing doesn't sound that cool, but imagine if your kid did something you'd never seen before that you obviously never taught them. Wow!)

Violet loves books. We can't get her to bed without a ten minute pit stop by the bookshelf. She's growing into her wooden puzzles and other toys that she wasn't quite ready for a few months ago. Both Matt and I agree that we've hit a really fun stage (minus the terrible two's temper tantrums Violet has also learned). And we know we've been blessed with a happy, smart, beautiful little girl.

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know
That I am
The luckiest

- Ben Folds

Happy Birthday Matt!

 Happy Birthday Matt!

We've been together for 12 years. We've been married for six. We've been parents together going on two years. And every single day has been made better because you are a part of it.

You are an amazing husband and dad. Watching you grow into your roles has been inspiring. You tackle life in a  straight-forward, easy-going manner that helps calm this frazzled working mama.

You make us laugh every day. You make Violet and me feel like the luckiest girls in the world. Because we are.

Happy birthday, my dear! We love you!

Clean Sweep

Remember how excited I was to get a housekeeping service when I finally started pulling in a real salary? Well, it's just as awesome as I thought it would be. To come home one day and everything be clean and lemon-fresh smelling. Ah. Naturally, we have it back to Loughman style in three days or less, but for those few hours, it is wonderful to know my whole house is clean at the same time and I don't have to think about it.

Of course, one of these days Violet will be old enough to start pulling her  own weight when it comes to housekeeping.

I swear, she got the broom out all of her own accord. Totally her idea.

It's not child labor if they volunteer, right?

Aaaaand... she's over it.

Full Circle

Maybe it's the rapidly approaching holiday season... (Oh, you didn't know the holidays were right around the corner? Well, when you're as busy as I am (without another day off until Thanksgiving) you have to start planning the holidays early or they'll creep up and bite you on the butt. I just now managed to procure a Halloween costume for Violet and we're already halfway through October. But that's another story.)

Maybe it's the need to create and control something in my whirlwind life.

Whatever it is, I've been a little DIY obsessed lately. Not the actually "do" part, mind you. In my case, the D in DIY stands for Dream. But anyway, lately I've been dreaming about do-it-yourself wreaths. Check out the two I recently pinned over at Pinterest.

via Tanda Plain and Tall

Check out this amazing wreath made of coffee filters! That's right, coffee filters. How cheap and easy does that seem?! Now the only question is, how would it hold up? I'm concerned about the dust it would collect. Something this delicate seems difficult to keep clean. But how stunning would it look against a dark wall?

The other creation I keep coming back to is this:

via living with lindsay

It was made with a dollar store foam wreath and a one dollar paperback novel. That's right, this wreath is made from a ripped up book. I don't know why I find this idea so appealing - I love books! Maybe it's because my Kindle has made paper pages obsolete? Maybe because, despite my Kindle, I still want to find a way of preserving those pages?

What do you guys think? Should I make an attempt? Would it look right in my house? What fun DIY projects have you attempted (or dreamed about) lately?

Currently Reading

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain. I got it for cheapo as a daily deal for my Kindle. Fans of the his Travel Channel show No Reservations would love this book - your can totally hear Bourdain's voice and mannerisms come through the page. He is smart and irreverent and a perfect way to wind down from a long day.

And in case you're wondering what the ol' book club is up to, here are the picks we made to round out the year:

October - Something Borrowed
November - The Pelican Brief
December - A Little Princess

We were shocked to realize that of all the books that have been turned into movies, we've never read one by the illustrious my-book-just-got-made-into-a-movie-starring-someone-hot-like-Matthew-McConaughey author John Grisham. The guy has had eight best-sellers turned into blockbusters! So of course we had to remedy that before the year was out. And of course, we're always looking for suggestions! Any favorite books-turned-movies you care to recommend?

Morning Person

Don't you wish you could be this cheerful pre-7 a.m? And she doesn't even need coffee (yet).

Not sure what's happening here...

This little noodle just make my day!

Raspberry Cordial and Turkish Delight

You either know exactly what I'm talking about when I say the magical words "raspberry cordial" or, alas, you don't. But I hope you do, because you will love this hilarious post I stumbled upon the other day. May I introduce you to "Foods from Fiction" and the hilarious undertaking of two cheeky chicks who attempt to make Anne (with an 'e') and Diana's devilish concoction, and the alluring Turkish Delight straight from Narnia itself. The results are... well, here's a sample to whet your appetite:

"In summary:

Things Turkish Delight Looks Like:

- Vaseline

- Lush bath bar

- A human being’s insides

- A lemon bar injected with blood

Things Turkish Delight Doesn’t Look Like:

- Food

Things To Do With Turkish Delight Instead Of Eating It:

- Build a bomb, maybe (?)

- Home insulation

- Put it in your hair, see what happens

- Throw it at the house of someone you dislike

Maybe it was because we tried it after the Turkish Delight, but the raspberry cordial was GOOD. Too warm? Yes. Too sweet? Yes. But it reminded me of other things I’ve appreciated having in my mouth, food-wise, which is more than I can say for the Delight. This isn’t sanctioned by the book, but Emily and I feel that a little vodka mixed in with the cordial and seltzer would go a long way. Or maybe just a glass of vodka with a splash of seltzer and cordial. Or just a glass of vodka with some cordial off to the side, for the pleasing color. Who knows!"

Who knew food from fiction could be so fascinating?! Do yourself a favor and just go read the post. You can come back here later and thank me lavishly in the comments.

Pumpkin Patch

Beautiful Kinsey Family Farm. Mental note: come back at Christmas for a tree.

Yesterday we introduced ourselves to Kinsey Family Farm. It was a beautiful, warm fall day and we decided spontaneously to visit a pumpkin patch. Visiting a pumpkin patch is one of those things I felt like I had to do now that we have a child. I never grew up making this traditional October pilgrimage, so it's never been a big deal to me. But it seems to be a thing you do with your kids, so gosh darn it, I was going to do it with mine.

A pumpkin for my Pumpkin!

Piles 'o pumpkins.

\

The variety of pumpkins was really quite astonishing. I had no idea they came in white, green, or striped.

One of the things I appreciated about this particular pumpkin patch is that it cost us nothing to get in, probably because there wasn't a corn maze or face painting or other hoopla. But that suited us fine, since Violet chose this particular outing to assert her independence. Sure, there was a two-dollar hay ride, but she wanted nothing to do with it. If we wanted her to pet the goats, she insisted on going the opposite way. She wanted in the wagon, then out, then she decided to lay on the ground and refuse to budge. So it's just as well that the upfront cost was zero and we could leave whenever we needed to without feeling conned out of any fees.

Pumpkin hugger.

Plaid shirt and overalls. Yes, they dressed the part.

Heading towards the animals. How perfect is this day?!

Violet kept her distance from the animals.

I've started realizing that there just aren't that many pictures of me and Violet... I'm always the one behind the camera! Then finally seeing some pictures of the two of us make me realize, we might be ready for a camera upgrade. I know lots of you have invested in the fancy cameras, and Matt was even planning to get me one this year until I nixed the idea. I love the results, I just can't imagine lugging a big camera like that around when I have my little convenient pocket-sized point-and-click. What do you guys think? Are they worth the investment? Do you use your pricey one as much as your old one? Anyway, off topic.

How about this one?

Good choice!

So many pumpkins, so little Violet.

Sitting pretty.

So there you have it, our first family trip to a pumpkin patch. We came home with two pumpkin pie pumpkins (we'll see how that turns out), a mini pumpkin for Violet, and a jar of local honey (I've heard it will help soothe my throat/voice). It was fun, low-key, and I can totally see us coming back here one day. In fact, Matt and I have pretty much decided to make a return visit in December for a tree. We've always wanted to do the whole walk into the woods and chop down your tree thing, and this is the kind of laid-back farm where I think we could accomplish that goal.

It's funny, I was all prepared to be totally stressed out this weekend, with grades due and conferences coming up. But I got a lot done on Friday, finished up a few things here and there, and actually managed to enjoy myself. I'm totally going to credit God with giving me peace and the ability to put distractions away and really concentrate on my family. Hopefully this week will go well, or I'll wonder if I should have spent more time holed up in front of my computer. But for right now, I'm really thankful for a wonderful, relaxing weekend that reminded me of the many blessings in my life - I have an awesome husband, a sweet little girl, we're happy and healthy, the sun is shining, all's right with the world.