September - Talk Like a Pirate (or a Truck Driver...)

The kids are STILL asking about the Easter Bunny.... and more pointedly WHY the Easter Bunny didn't hide the Easter eggs outside. As September 19 approached (International Talk Like a Pirate Day, for those who remain as of yet unenlightened) I decided to embrace the opportunity for another hunt (well, another INdoor hunt but the POINT IS it seems to have deflected the Easter Bunny's failure to hide eggs in the rain-soaked lawn - at least until next April....).
Prior to the big day we made (more like IIII made, thank you Disney Family Fun magazine for yet another 'spectacular idea' that was completely beyond the scope of a 3 & 4 year old....) pirate bandanas with dreadlocks. Meanwhile, the county park system offered a pirate class (right?!?) that I had signed them up for with the anticipation of doing something fantastic for this new-found 'holiday'.
The night before Greg & I put dozens of X-marks-the-spot cards all over the house accompanied by a coin or 2 as 'treasure'. While I was at work they embarked on their treasure hunt... donning their Family Not-So-Fun Bandanas, carrying their County Park Program Booty Bags (which Nick abanonded for a more appropos fireman's hat...???) and thirsting for riches...

Poor Calvin trying to stay out of the way of the chaos...
The ears.... the smile... the dreads.... the fireman's hat... the garbage can.... it all adds up to one funny picture.

And their 'official' TLaP day portraits - I couldn't decided which one I liked better... so you get both!
Where's Waldo?
I mean.... Calvin...
Oh there he is! Cute kitty!!
This is one of the best shots I've ever gotten of him. He's not into sitting for photographs... go figure.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is........ Adrienne at the dentist!
It was Nick's FIRST visit. Text-book description of deer-in-headlights.

Who needs a dentist!? Adrienne did the job free of charge!
He let her poke around with the mirror for QUITE a while - I was just waiting for him to take a chomp.

We were hoping to head back up to Westfield's wonderful Touch a Truck event again but they cancelled this year (boo-hiss!). In an 11th-hour find there happened to be one in a neighboring town that started right after their sports class finished up. So just like that we traded in our kickballs for car keys.
Always the highlight of the day.... the fire engine MUST be the first stop.
The EMS crew was so gracious - they let the kids play with EVERYTHING within arms reach (let's just say I do NOT want to be the next one who gets hauled off in that bus!!).
"Adrienne... am I still alive?!"
She listens intently, nods assuringly, "Oh yeah mommy, you're alive."
*phew* one less thing to worry about today....

"Nick, am I still alive?!"
He puts the stethoscope to my check, shrugs his shoulders & nonchalantly replies, "Nope."
Oh MAN! I thought I was good to go there...... *sigh*
And if that's what you have in mind
Then that's what you're all about
Good luck movin up cause I'm movin out
Mm I'm movin out Mm oo oo uh huh mm hm

The horns. Oh the horns. Every kid. Every truck. The entire time.
"Whiell... Pop Pop always said he was going to take us to the dump... at least we'll catch a ride on the real thing..."
("whiell" - how Nick says 'well' as he's pondering a thought)

Getting a lesson from the Verizon crew...
(maybe they can teach daddy how NOT to cut the phone lines....)


Yes, honking the horn was a must in EVERY... SINGLE... TRUCK. But for Adrienne she also had to buckle her seatbelt in EVERY.... SINGLE... TRUCK.

Now if you're going to play cops & robbers THIS is the way to do it.

Oh baby girl.... I sincerely hope this is the only time I see you sitting back there.


I wouldn't have thought much more about this quick little video of her dancing except that the first frame is SO STINKIN' CUTE I had to go frame by frame to pull out a few stills. PURE....... JOY!!!!




The line for face painting wasn't completely atrocious.... I figured we would give it a shot. They were SO patient - even while I was starting to get ants in my pants!
Adrienne knew she wanted a leopard. No question.
My little jungle cat!

Nick was all over the map. A tiger. Then a kitty cat. Then the kid in front of him got a truck on his cheek so HE wanted a truck on his cheek. Then a kitty cat. Then a tiger. Then a red tiger. Then a rainbow tiger. Then a truck on his cheek.
He ended up with Darth Maul. Works for me.

I've GOT to frame this one....

There's something very Napoleon Dynamite about this picture....
As if face painting weren't enough.... tattoos!
Trucks, horn honking, seat belts, stickers, hats, face painting, tattoos, hot dogs and chips and now a dancing rabbit?!? Where ARE we?!? Disney?!!?




"Oh no. You're not getting bunny lovin' while I'm dancing with him. He's MY rabbit."
I can only imagine what she's going to be like at her prom....

Nick's first day of Sunday School!!!
We hung out with Tori while Peter & Keri were off picking up a second crib for Plate & Napkin.
Adrienne provided dinner theater.
And Nick provided the late night show. Nothing slays 'em more than raspberries in a plastic scoop of ice cream.





The picture I REALLY wanted had all 4 of us cuddled up on the couch - Tori & Nick sandwiched on either side of me and Adrienne holding my hand as we watched Beauty & the Beast together...
*awwwwww*
Well as it turns out Cookie Monster was wrong and C for Cookie is NOT good enough for them!
Carrot Cake CupCakes.....

..... with Cream Cheese ICing