Jack-o-lanterns

4th Annual Halloween Hike

The whole crew!

Halloween Get-ups

Our lovely Dorothy...

and Sadie.
She had no interest in her ladybug costume,
but provided this unique pose for the picture.

With friends

Sadie Rose Duffy

October 2007

Brand new to us, we'd only known for hours...

October 2008

One year old, a milestone for the whole family

October 2009
Two years old- already the little character- our lovely Sadie Rose.

The Pookas

Maren invented the Pookas today out of wine corks, push pins, felt, carded wool and wire. Papa Pooka sports a beard and Pookette wears the long hair next to him. Maren used wire cutters and a hot glue gun to create her new guys.

The 100th Time's a Charm!

Sadie and Grandma read the Star Wars book for the 100th time today!

Happy Birthday Sadie!

You are 2!

We LOVE you!

Costumes At School

Maren's K/1 class, ready for Halloween

Halloween Gnomes Arrived

Lion King Live in my Livingroom

Maren & Jonah recreated a few scenes from The Lion King this afternoon. Both kids saw the Broadway show and loved it. Maren HAS NEVER "performed" for us. The Lion King brought out her inner Broadway and she sang and danced and got super sweaty.

Jude and Sadie got into the act. I think this is the scene where the animals hold Simba up and declare him the next king. Sadie had no idea what was going on. She just ran into Maren's room, grabbed a cat and held it up. She's got the drama down though.

Lots of dancing.

Serious moves outta Maren!

Dressed Up for Halloween

Maren and friends dressed up their buddies and practiced trick or treating this afternoon.

Maren's frog is going to be a paper ghost. Jonah's penguin is going to be a paper snake and Jude's bat is wearing his birthday suit.

Classic Sadie

Almost two-year-old Sadie at dinner this evening.

(Ellie sniffs Sadie's toes under the dinner table.)

SADIE: STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP! (Gives Ellie a slight kick.)

MOM: Oh Sadie, please be nice to Ellie.

SADIE: I don't like her!

MOM: But she is our doggie.

SADIE: But she is YUCKY!

First Sewing Project

Got a sewing lesson today on my sewing machine (Thank you Barb!) and I completed my first project...THREE BEAN BAGS BABY!

10 Years

We celebrated 10 years of marriage on the 23rd with a lovely getaway in Girdwood-

just the two of us!

Thank you Grandma Duffy!

Grandma Gets Involved

Within 24 hours of being in Alaska, Grandma Duffy jumped in and got involved in the bean bag sewing project. She was "the guest sewer!"

Acessorize

Her idea.

I LOVE a BARGAIN!

Every December, a friend and I shop the UAA Craft Fair for Christmas gifts. Every year I see a ceramic butter keeper-lovely item- but oh so pricey- around $30. Now, I love to support local artists, but I just don't have an extra $30 in my butter gear budget. Well, I found my dream butter keeper at Value Village for $4.99. I know what you are thinking- It's a butter keeper, is that really blogworthy? Yes people, it is. Value Village is in my blood, part of who I am and this new addition to my ceramic container collection is the proof in the pudding! Ha!

Toddler Crew

We did it!

Maren and Amei talked all afternoon about walking down to the spooky house in the daylight. "I'm not scared. It's not real." As we got closer to the house and their pace slowed considerably, Maren pulled out a wine opener/pocket knife she had just scored at a yard sale, held it in the ready position and announced, "I've got this in case anything comes alive." Both girls bravely approached the ghoul, discussed all the details of it appearance and that was that. Later in the evening, when David came home from work, she told him all about it. Maren declined to check it out after dark. Bravery comes with the light of day.

Riding a Bike?

A Home for Poppy

Maren and David just finished reading Poppy by Avi. It is a story about a brave mouse that takes on an owl and wins. Poppy now lives with us. Early Thursday morning (before 6am), I taught Maren the blanket stitch and she made Poppy a little bed. "She needs food." So we made a piece of cheese for Poppy to eat. I think Poppy will be very happy with us.

More Fun with Noodles

Luke Skywalker is now a part of everything we do. Sadie smiles and blushes when she says his name. She looks at his photos in our Star Wars visual dictionary and yells, "LUKE!" like it has been years since she last saw him. Here he gets the noodle treatment. I'm sure you'll be seeing him again soon.