crazy weekend!

The boys started out bright and early Saturday morning... they were both running in the Hot Chocolate Race. Alex was doing the 5K and Jeff was doing the 15K. Here's Alex's results...
... not too bad considering he doesn't really train for it... he just gets out there and does it! Alex insisted on running this race because of the treats afterwards... hot chocolate, chocolate fondue and Ghirardelli chocolates!!! Plus they have really good goodie bags.... he got a great hoodie that he wears all of the time now.

While the boys were at the race, I took Clara to her sewing class. This one is to make a fleece jumper. Clara and her friend are the only two in the class, so they're moving quite quickly. Their instructor told them to bring their American Girl dolls next class and with their extra time and fabric, they'll make matching jumpers for their dolls!

After the class, Clara got to come home for a bit before heading off to a sleepover birthday party (at the Four Seasons, no less). While Jeff was dropping her off there, I was at Alex's rehearsal (he's been asked to come back again this year as Thomas Mara, Jr. in Miracle on 34th Street). After that.... it was all about Alex... we had dinner and watched his movie pick... Iron Man.

Alex has been taking a fencing class this last term and he has really enjoyed it! After class on Friday, he and two other classmates were handed envelopes as they left. In Alex's envelope was an invitation to join the fencing team and info about a small tournament they were hosting on Sunday. Alex was extremely excited about being asked to join the team! We thought about the tournament, and in the end, decided that he should try it. If he liked it... then we would look into joining the team... if he didn't, we would just continue with classes.

So... Sunday morning, we were off to our first ever fencing tournament....


It was a tough morning for Alex. It's always tough when you go from winning almost every match in a beginner's class to crushing defeats when competing against actual team members. There were a handful of other new invites but the vast majority of the competitors were actual team members. It was hard to take for him. We had to have the little reminder talk about how the coach gave him an invitation because he saw potential in him... he saw that with work and training, he could be a good fencer. Getting the invite did not mean that he was magically a good fencer... to be really good at anything takes hard work and training. He decided that he was up for that and that he really had enjoyed the tournament. Now to figure out what goes from our schedule in order to add this. :-)

After fencing, we picked up Clara and two of her friends from the birthday party. They were so crazy tired that they were extremely giggly! We took them all out to lunch and then straight to another sewing class. I had signed up for this one before knowing about the birthday party. Alex and Clara were both signed up to take the class (Clara's two friends' parents were meeting us there to pick up the girls). They were going to make pillowcases. Clara had taken the class last session, but wanted to do it again, as the instructor told her she could bring our sewing machine to class and she would show her how to use it.

They both did a great job!

Here's Alex's new pillowcase....
... he decided to go with a Christmas theme and picked Peanuts fabric for the main part and snowflakes for the trim.

Here's Clara's...
... this was the fabric she wanted last time, but there wasn't enough left. This time they had just enough! Even though the dog is a yorkie (we think)... it looks quite a bit like Mango!

They both really enjoyed the class and both want to take more! Alex wants to make the "lazy pants" next. Clara made them last session and wears them all of the time.

Then to cap off our crazy weekend... Jeff got on a plane for a short work trip... sigh.

Now the crazy weekend is over... and the crazy week has begun!!! Happy Monday!

On Clara's actual birthday....

(October 23rd)

... we made our annual trip to the American Girl Store. This year we did brunch again. However, this year, it was just the girls.... Clara, both grandmas and me (the boys were at the Michigan State vs. Northwestern football game).

One of Clara's favorite things about eating at the American Girl Cafe is the little box of conversation starters....


We always have a good time with those.

This was her first year to not get a new doll. She didn't want one... I'm a little sad thinking that our AG days are waning. She did get some accessories though, so they're not completely over yet.

She had wanted some new clothes for her birthday, so my mom told her that she could go shopping and pick some out from her. It didn't go well.... she just wasn't finding anything that she liked. Then we mentioned the Ugg store and her eyes lit up! So... we were off to the Ugg store. She found the "perfect pair of boots"... tall, black sweater boots... she even wore them home.

Here she is wearing them to walk Mango when we got home from shopping...
That evening we had her birthday with the grandparents. She decided to not have a cake but homemade pumpkin cheesecake bars instead. I didn't take any photos... I'm not quite sure why. Oh well... at least a got a few of the day my girl turned 9!!

the mango pup....

She is SUCH a good pup! She has a couple "little dog" issues, but they may be just things we need to figure out given she's a rescue. We're getting her out and about a lot to meet lots of different people and dogs (as per the vet's instructions). She's doing really well. The more comfortable she gets with us, the more personality we see. She still likes being a lap dog... but she loves to play as well. She's a hoarder who likes to steal socks, my shoes and Clara's Uggs. She doesn't chew them.... she just likes to steal them and add them to her "collection". It's hilarious to see this little 4.5 pound thing carrying one of Clara's boots off through the house! She got a clean bill of health at the vet! And the vet estimated her age closer to 1 1/2 instead of 2 like the shelter had thought!

trick-or-treat!

So, after Clara's birthday party a few of her friends came over to our house so we could all go trick-or-treating together.

We put in a Halloween movie and had some pizza before heading out. The plan was to watch the whole movie.... but the kids were too amped up so as soon as they were fed, we were off.

It took several attempts to ever get a group shot.

Here's Clara's friend posing with Alex...
But then she decided to see what the hold-up was with everyone else, so now we just have Alex....
Okay.... we found Clara and another one of her friends....
... but we're still missing one.

So, in the meantime, I attempted some shots of my two.

Clara was having quite a time with the stray hairs from her wig....
Then they got the giggles...
And now, finally in character....
.... Pugsley and Wednesday Addams.

And now we have everyone!
(You've got to love that Clara "has" to be in character for all of the photos)

Even Mango went trick-or-treating with us...
... she had on her lady bug dress but the antennae just weren't going to happen.

And one last shot.... the kids in action...
After a couple hours of trick-or-treating and having their candy bags filled to overflowing.... we went back to our house for more pizza, the rest of the movie and candy trading!! They really had a great time!

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!

the monster bash....

Clara has fallen in love with sewing after the camp she was in this summer. She decided then that she wanted to have a sewing party for her birthday. However, we weren't sure where we would have it or what they would sew. This fall she started taking sewing classes with friends at the local Joann Fabric store. We saw that they did parties as well, so we asked. In the list of different parties they could do, the education coordinator mentioned Ugly Dolls. Clara jumped on that one... she loves Ugly Dolls!! We decided to push the party back a week after her birthday so it could be on Halloween and we would have a "Monster Bash"!!

Here is her invitation...
(made with the Monstrocity Bundle by Dani Mogstad @SweetShoppeDesigns.com)

When we were at Joann's one day for class we saw these bright colored bags and thought they would be perfect goodie bags (with a little modification of course) :-)

I printed out buttons from the Monstrocity kit on sticker paper. I intended to punch them out with my large circle punch but I couldn't find it... so we improvised by using my Mickey Mouse head punch and cutting off the ears. They were a little lumpy, but it was all okay.

Clara had fun drawing the different mouths on with a Sharpie....

Inside the bags....
... I filled bags with jelly beans and used the treat toppers which were also part of the Monstrocity Bundle. We also included sewing supplies like embroidery floss, buttons and a spool of ribbon.

Once the kids started to arrive, it was time to learn the basics of sewing on a machine...


Then they were paired up to start sewing...

Alex is very intense with his sewing....
Clara and her friend playing with their dolls (making them dance to the Halloween music mix we had going on my ipod)...

Alex stitching his Ugly Doll closed....
Some of the girls stuffing their dolls....




And now decorating....


Alex and "Drop Dead Fred"...

While some decorated their dolls...

Those that were done with their dolls, moved on to decorating cookies and cupcakes...


I love how creative the kids got with their dolls....
Then it was time for "Happy Birthday" and time for Clara to make a wish...

And open presents...
and read her friends' beautiful handmade cards...

The sock monkey hat!!!!

Reading more cards...

The kids with their Ugly Dolls.....
Clara had a great time and I think her friends did too!! After the party, a few of her friends went back to our house so we could go trick-or-treating together..... those photos coming soon!!!