Hi there...

I'm back.  And lots has happened since I last posted... IN NOVEMBER!  Yikes.  We're probably going to have to do some rapid fire pictures.  Let's start with fun family outings.

Mike took a day off work, and we went to the Shedd Aquarium.  This was actually our second trip there.  The first time, we went on a free day.  Total bust.  It IS a free day, but you still have to pay to see the good stuff-- whales, dolphins, penguins, sharks, seal lion, etc...  So when we saw a Groupon for the aquarium, we snatched it up.  (That place is PRICEY!!)

Riley and Noelle really like whales and sharks (and fish and seal lions and mermaids...), so they were pretty excited.  But if you don't know enough about me, their mom was pretty pumped, too.  I may or may not have had a whale room when I was a kid (are you still a kid in high school?).  We're talking whale posters, whale wall paper and-- the crowning jewel-- a whale phone, whose ring sounded like whale calls.  Uh-huh.  Oh, and I was all set on being a marine mammalogist.

Anyway, when the girls saw the different creatures, they got excited.  When I saw them, it sounded something like, "Look!  Look at that!  Oh my gosh, it's a BABY beluga whale!  Michael, do you see it?!  Look!  LOOK!  Holy cow, I love it here.  Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh.  Are you serious?!  Michael, they keep coming up against the glass!  We're, like, inches from them!  This is so great!  HOLY COW, THIS IS AWESOME."

Without further ado... the aquarium.  

The girls both love these ginormous Dora and Diegos.

Watch out!  Shark!

Penguins!

Do you see it?!  It's a whale!  Right in our faces!!!

The baby beluga!!  Crazy, right?  He's gray and adorable. :)

You took on the jellies, Dude!

Everything's better when Daddy's with us!

Blank

We were scrolling through old pictures yesterday, and I came across these... rare blank faces from our expressive kiddos. :)

You'll remember this...

... as the time you almost caught Captains Riley and Noelle Green!

 

 Alright... so maybe I'm stretching the quote.  Make me walk the plank.  Let's go back to the beginning of Halloween fun, shall we?  Prepare for lots of pictures.  You've been warned.

 We headed up to Arlington Heights.  I'm just grateful the girls were feeling well enough for it.  I would have been really sad, knowing the fun they were missing out on.  But we made it to the grandparents' place and started having fun right away.  I call this next shot "Profile of a Pirate".

 Noelle is REALLY good at the pirate face... especially the sassy pirate face.

Oh my gosh, I just love these next few.  They crack me up!

You can tell that Riley's not 100%, but she was really making an effort.

 ... and a sword can cheer anyone up!

 Yes.  As a matter of fact, I did try to dress up.  Mock me all you want.  I'm pervious to mockery when my behavior revolves around a theme.  I'm nothing if not enthusiastic!!!  

Hannah is HILARIOUS in this picture.  She's just playing the part, right, Sarah?? ;)

 Sarah was playing the part of the blue ocean... I think...

Brooks got layered hats and Noelle's sword for the walk around the neighborhood.  He was really stoked about it.  Can you tell?

" Candy?!  This party is off the hook!!"

  Till the next time we decide to dress up, these are your friendly, neighborhood pirates, signing off.

Happy Halloween!

Well, we've gotten some good mileage out of our pirate costumes.  And that's good, because the girls have both been under the weather, so I'm not sure if we'll really be doing much in the way of Halloween festivities. 

 This past weekend, there was a little "trunk or treat" event at the church at the end of our street.  I decided to try to take some pictures of the three pirates before we went.

 Brooks wasn't really feeling it.

 Though pirates aren't know for their cheer, right?  You can see that I appliqued Brooks's shirt to make him even more pirate-y.  I'm not a big fan of skulls, so, as Mike said, I tried to make it look like a skull and crossbones without it being a skull and crossbones. 

 I actually like the swords more than bones.  And Little Man also got a fleece pirate hat.

 Here's the trunk or treat.  The girls, believe it or not, are really into getting free candy.  Go figure!

 It was actually a little weird, I thought.  Okay, so I thought it was bizarre.  Lots of ghosts and witches and stuff like that... at a church.  I though it would be more harvest/Fall-themed.  I realize that I tend to the conservative side, but still...  our park district event was less ghoulish.

 Happy Halloween!  Hope you get a good stash of goodies! ;)