Costuming up some fun for this season

Recently the time with the girls has been rough.  I'm not sure what it is between teething and not getting enough sleep, but the whiny, crank level has been way high.  The time outs have over flowed, along with the tears from all the girls (it does not help that my hormones are working against me - more like sobs than tears at times).

So to try to combat this we have participated in some of the recent fall activities.  Quite the opposite from my change of perspective from last year.  But I wanted to try to fight the urge to just chalk up this time, wishing the days away, and try to create some positive memories. 

I asked my mom if she wanted to make Zoe a costume, since they both love her work.  Of course she did, but she ran out of time and found this little number. Zoe couldn't have been any more ecstatic to be Tinker Bell, just as I had been one year as a child. (That picture will not be included, as I had chickenpoxs at the time.)  She was a little disappointed that she could not fly, though.

My little giraffe got a lot of attention and it was funny to see how it seemed to change her personality.  Beach found this treasure for 25 cents at a garage sale a couple years ago, a great investment! Shiloh screamed when I put it on her the first time at the house, but seemed to embrace it in the cold weather.  I'm sure her hearing and sight were hindered. 

The kind boy across from us on the hay ride offered to take our picture (after seeing me attempt to do so several times - I'm sure I looked pretty special).

Another day we went to this random festival in the middle of no where Lexington.  I definitely should have checked Mapquest before heading out as it was in the opposite direction of where we needed to go afterwards (and we were quite late).  BUT the girls got to ride a horse for the first time!  After going around the circle once, Zoe announced, "I'm done," in her very Zoe fashion.  So I threw Shiloh up there and walked next to her for a couple more loops, which she seemed to enjoy.  

Our church had a chili cook off that Beach and a friend worked hard to enter.  I wasn't able to attend, as it right was in the middle of nap time but Zoe came home with a cutie face and they had a great time. 

My parents church had a small trunk or treat, so in that it was excuse to wear the costumes again off we went.  Horrible lighting for pictures and squirmy littles, left little prof, but I tried.  I wanted to capture Adayln there with Shiloh and this was the best I could do! 

We visited the neighbors again and caught up with where we seemed to leave off last year.  I wish there was a way to make more connections with them...but we did try to stop and chat at each house.

We explained to Zoe that we were going to send most of the candy "to the soldiers".  (A local dentist will send it out to the troops- isn't that awesome.)  She did not like this idea, at first, in that she relates the word solders to the Roman Soldiers that killed Jesus.  But after explaining and talking it through a few more times, as she held my hand walking on our pretty dark street tonight, she noted that the soldiers were her friends.  I'm glad she is grasping the concept a bit more, as I want to help her cultivate a giving heart.  By explaining that there are soldiers helping to keep us safe that do not get to go to festivals or trick-er-treating, so to share the love with them, is a good start.  Don't worry, they did get a couple of pieces themselves.