That Elf-in Time of Year Again

Thanks Courtney - for reminding me of Jib Jab. This just makes me giggle.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Because the video just didn't do the outfits justice

Dance! Dance! Dance!

The girls were invited to a birthday party this past weekend. It was held at a local dance academy - great idea for a party. Ashlyn was pretty excited about the whole thing and was thrilled when I took them to buy leotards at Hell-Mart earlier in the week.

Anna? Not so thrilled.

She thought that "Dance Party" apparently meant "I'm-going-to-have-to-wear-some-sort-of-frilly-dress/skirty-thing-and-that-will-scar-me-for-life Party".

Once I convinced her she could wear the leotard with pants, she was fairly good to go.

We showed up for the party along with about 12 other little girls all dressed in a variety of dance gear. The dance academy then gave them the option of putting on extra costumes. The other 12 little girls chose sparkly jazz outfits, fairy wings, tiaras and precious tutus.

Our girls?

Ashlyn chose some sort of woodland creature costume. The fact that she wore it backward made her look like some sort of demented chipmunk.

Anna chose camouflage pants and an animal print cowboy hat.

Such dainty girls.

Apparently Anna was the hunter and Ashlyn was the deer. The hunter was trying to "get" the deer and then eat it (their story - not mine).

A cute little teenage girl taught the little girls a dance routine without any parents in the room and then they put on a show for all the parents. It was adorable and comical. They did the same routine a few times and I caught one of the performances on film. Check it out!

The little 2-year-old in front cracks me up. She was absolutely adorable.

All the girls had a great time and our girls definitely want to go to the next dance party they are invited to.

How to Cook a Turkey

by Anna Riggs (part of a class project that was made into a book and sent home with each child)

"You get your 30 pound turkey at the grocery store - Target. It costs 20 cents. Take it home and put it in the oven. Before you put it in the oven, you punch it hard 5 times. Then you push it together hard. Put 2 boxes of salt on it, then 2 bags of brown sugar. Then put 1 box of pepper on it, then 2 boxes of flour, and 2 boxes of sunflower seeds. Put 3 different colored gumballs on it. Then put 4 oranges in a box and 1 bag of raisins. Then put 1 slice of white bread on there. Then put 6 gumdrops. Then put slices of meat - chicken - on there. Put 1 squirt of chocolate icing in a bag then put 7 cherries in the box. Then put slices of 7 apples in a bag. Then put meat - steak - in a box. The put 6 grapes in a box. Then I'm going to buy another turkey that costs 10 dollars. Put all this stuff on that turkey. Put the turkey in stove. Cook it 6 hours at 60 degrees."

Anna's was the longest submission by far.

Ah yes...the next Julia Child.

Our dainty flowers on Halloween

Ah, yes - our dainty, flower-like daughters who love all things "girly" (NOT) chose to be ninjas this year. Mm, hmm...ninjas - one a "cobra ninja" and one a "dragon ninja". Pictures (and video) are definitely worth a thousand words in this case, so here is a pic and a video of the girls in their costumes. Be sure to listen for the Thriller soundtrack in the background.

The pic below is from the morning after Trick-or-Treating. They actually started sorting the candy the night before and then finished up the next morning. This is definitely their Daddy coming out in them, but I do love me some nice organizational skills - ha!

Ashlyn with her FAVORITE candy - Tootsie Rolls. We got a bazillion of 'em.

Anna with her FAVORITE candies - Starburst, M & M's, & a Hershey Bar.