I'm feeling a little guilty that tomorrow is December and I still haven't posted Halloween pictures. Does anyone even care? Well, since I can't seem to stay on top of printing my pictures for albums, and this blog might be my only reference point some day, I need to post them. So here's a recap of the last month, starting with tonight.

Tonight we sat through Maggie's dance recital. It was the definition of "you get what you pay for." She's been in a rec department program. We have not been impressed with the organization during class, and I'm not sure that she's learned any actual ballet. Tonight's recital was ridiculous. First, she had a 545 rehearsal. The doors were supposed to open for parents at 645. They did not. The show was supposed to start at 7; it did not. Once it did start, it was never ending. It was loosely based on the Nutcracker Ballet. Loosely. It took at least 5 minutes between each dance to reset the stage. And then, each dance was just a few arm waves and toe taps. We didn't get home til about 845. Insanity.

However, Maggie LOVED it. She went to bed with a huge smile on her face. And that is what is important!

Last week, we hosted our first Thanksgiving. It was wonderful! The girls worked hard to create place card/napkin rings.

And they were thrilled to sit at their own special table

We ate, we laughed, we were grateful for all of the blessings in our lives. It was a fabulous day!

I tok this picture one morning to capture the crazy outfits my girls chose one day. Hello, orphans!

Almost 3 weeks ago, Maggie and her best friend Lauren had a joint birthday party at Katherine's gymnastics club. They had the exact same party last year. Hey, if it's great, why change it? They gave each other the same gift....without planning!

It was easy for the parents, exhausting for the kids, and fun for all!
This picture demonstrates Abby's new skills. She now takes a stool from the bathroom to help her get what she needs elsewhere in the house. She is sneaky and smart. She understands everything you ask her to do and follows directions....sometimes.
I loved this. Just a quiet morning before school, and before I would let them watch TV for the day. Just 3 girls reading, adorable!
Sometimes, you just HAVE to have polkadots!
That takes us back to Halloween. Abby tried to reject the idea of a costume, but once she got used to the pumpkin suit, and discovered how fun it was to walk and wiggle her butt, she loved it! Maggie was a unicorn, and in most of the pictures I took, she put her face down so that you could see the face of her costume instead. Katherine enjoyed pretending to "sting" everyone with the stinger on her bottom. We had plenty of fun, and we still have some candy left if you're interested!


In WI, the last Thursday and Friday of October are always days off of school for a Teachers' Convention. Luckily, my favorite teacher does not feel the need to attend the convention. So we traditionally get away for a night. We went to Key Lime Cove for the third year in a row. What's not to love? It's less than an hour in the car, with water slides, wave pool, lazy river....it was delightful!


So, now that we have October and November documented, we can push on to December!