Halloween Parade

Friday afternoon was the traditional Halloween Parade around the common after Preschool. Here is Ally with some of her classmates.
Unfortunately it started to rain just as we were getting ready to parade around! Fortunately Becky has an umbrella with her, so Ally and her friend Stella gathered under it to stay dry.

Ally held it all by herself to walk.

She loved it and felt so grown up.

The rain did not stop, so Becky trekked to the car and retrieved 2 more umbrellas which she gave to Ally's buddies, Stella (as Sleeping Beauty) and Semi (as Dora).

After the long walk, in her cowboy boots, Ally was pretty wiped out. But we did get this nice picture of the 3 of us!

It did require a lollipop to get Ally to look at the camera! Here she is on my shoulders for the long walk back to the car.

When we got home we decorated the house with spider webs.

Ally did most of the outside work.

Becky and I did the work up high for the inside pictures.

Today we're having a lot of people over for a Halloween Pizza Party and then trick or treating afterwards.

Ally Does the Monkey Bars!

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Sorry if the volume is too loud - apparently I had the microphone about 2 inches from my mouth!

If the embedded video isn't working, try this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlCztnx2_3k

Traveling with Aunt Beth

Aunt Beth met us at the airport in Boston and we flew down to Philadelphia together. Ally was pretty thrilled to sit next to Aunt Beth on the airplane. Becky and I were thrilled Aunt Beth played with Ally so much, and we has some time to read and do puzzles. They "fished" with Ally's head phones for a long time, and then they went camping. Thanks Aunt Beth for all of your help and support, Ally is really lucky to have you as her Aunt.

When we landed, Ally wanted to walk through the airport with her backpack on.

Yes it is so big, she has to hold the shoulder straps or they fall off. For the record it is a preschool size backpack! She was so cute and so oblivious to all the people commenting on her.

Pumpkin Carving

After picking pumpkins we of course had to carve one! Aunt Beth got it started. Gosh that is a huge knife.

Ally started scooping out the guts with a spoon

But soon changed and started going through it with her hands. We of course saved the seeds and toasted them for a yummy snack.

This is Ally's excited look. She was very excited to have the inside all emptied out and ready for the face to be carved.

Grandma Debbie, Ally and their jack-o-lantern!

The finished product all lit up.

After the pumpkin carving it was time for bed. Grandma Debbie read Ally her new book, Stellaluna.

Pumpkin Patch

When we were in PA we went to a "pick your own" pumpkin patch. I was VERY excited. I have picked a lot of things in my life, but never my own pumpkin. The weather was spectacular and it was lot of fun. The pumpkin patch!

Our family of ghosts

Grandma Debbie made a great scarecrow.

Poppy was a hilarious Frankenstein

Ally was fascinated by the rotting pumpkins! That's my girl! She likes, worms, snails and rotting things.

Aunt Beth was showing Ally the worms in the dirt underneath the pumpkin.

Becky carrying "the chosen one"

There was a large corn maze for big kids and adults, and this small maze of hay bales that Ally enjoyed. First she walked through the maze with grandma (chased was more like it). Then she ran to do it again walking on top of the bales like it was a balance beam.

mommy and Ally

on the hay ride back from the patch

Then we found the pumpkin toss. It was a huge hit!

Ally just loved it.

So did everyone else. Becky was trying to get the larger ones in the back.

The concentration on her face was priceless. And the huge pile of pumpkins to throw. She would throw them all and then we'd go collect them again and make another pile to toss into the cut-out.

Wedding

We traveled to Pennsylvania for Becky's cousin Jake's wedding this past weekend. It was a great trip - beautiful weather and a fun time with family.

Our family outside the church.

Becky and her mom (Grandma Debbie).

Beth and her dad (Poppy)

The green dress women; Emily, Sarah, Beth, Aunt Pam, Becky and Aunt Polly. It was so funny that they all wore green. I felt so left out!

us again - this time inside at the reception.

The bride and groom at the cake cutting.

Ally was so excited to dance, and he blue dress is a special twirling dress - but then when it came down to it she was so tired she refused to dance on her own and instead insisted that Becky dance around with Ally on her shoulders.

Beth and I thought the back view was hilarious!

Ally thought playing peek-a-boo with mama's face was hilarious!

Then I went around and took couples pictures:

Cousin Mandy and her husband Ed - we attended their wedding in May.

Aunt Cindy and Uncle Denny (the parents of the groom)

Grandma Debbie & Poppy Dave

Uncle Jim and Aunt Polly

Aunt Pam and Uncle Tommy

The favors were these neat boxes to fill with candy from the candy bar. Ally loved her lollipop.

In the morning Ally was showing off the wedding favors. Actually those were the boxes for Becky and I. Ally's favor was a really neat pail full of kid activities. She got a small stuffed animal, stickers (which she used to decorate our favor boxes during the reception), markers, a book and a pad of paper to draw on. It was so age appropriate and I thought a really nice gesture for the children who attended.

It was a lovely wedding and a great party afterwards. We feel so fortunate to have such wonderful family.