This is Halloween!

Before we went trick-or-treating, we decided to have a special Halloween pizza. Eliza loved that it looked like a jack-o-lantern, and I'm hoping this will be a fun and easy Halloween tradition.

I did Eliza's hair in a French twist "because that is what Tiana wears," and she ran off to Becca's house for a little make-up. I love that Becca is our neighbor for a million reasons, including her skills for applying make-up. Eliza was obsessed with the lip gloss Becca used and couldn't stop smiling when I came to get her before trick-or-treating. 

I love seeing her happy, and she was positively glowing because she felt so beautiful. Tiana was the perfect Halloween costume for Eliza. I got the boys dressed in their superhero costumes, and we were ready to go! Ezra was Batman, and Elliott was Superman. 

Nathan had to go to class, so we had fun trick-or-treating with the Vaughn family. Ruby was an adorable Tinkerbell, and their friend Caeden was Harry Potter-Dr. Who (so cute!).

The girls had so much fun, and the babies eventually learned how to keep up and knock on doors with them. Kyle and Becca helped me corral the twins; I definitely would not have been able to manage everyone on my own. 

It was a great Halloween, and we had a great time with the kids. We only came home once it was dark and unbearably cold. The kids had a piece of candy and went straight to bed without complaining. I'm thinking this huge stash of sweets is going to last us a long time!

Halloween Preschool Party

One of my favorite things about our neighborhood is the preschool down the street from us. Most of the children attend our church and are our neighbors, and Eliza loves knowing that she goes to school with so many "neighborhood friends." Miss Kristie is the teacher and is absolutely adored by everyone in the community because it's obvious how much she loves our children. 

I was excited to go to preschool today and be the class mom for the Halloween Party. In Othello, Eliza attended a co-op, and I always appreciated how I was able to see exactly what she was learning and how she was behaving during class. Today, I saw that Eliza is completely comfortable at preschool, does her best to answer questions, and loves to talk to her friends. She was so proud that I was there (and dressed like Super Woman) and was just so happy. I definitely have a little extrovert on my hands! She really came to life when she was around her friends, and I loved seeing her so happy.

We played games, ate snacks, and were entertained by Miss Kristie (who was dressed as Thing 1). It was a good day for all of us :)

Injured. Injured Bad.

On Sunday afternoon, we went to American Fork to have a final hang out with the family before everyone went back home. Eliza was thrilled to have another opportunity to play with her cousins and ran off with Miles as soon as we got there. A few minutes before we finished cooking the meal, Miles came running up the stairs saying Eliza was hurt, and we could all hear a blood curdling scream. As a parent, hearing your child scream in pain and having no idea what is going is absolutely terrifying. Dustin, my brother-in-law, and I immediately jumped into action and ran to find Eliza. She was outside, and I could tell she was bleeding from her face. My heart was pounding as my nephew Miles told me that they were playing frisbee and Eliza "bumped into a column" that was outside. Somehow, Eliza's glasses broke when she hit the column and broke on the frame instead of absorbing any impact. When they broke, they sliced her eyebrow open.

Dustin carried Eliza upstairs, and we assessed the damage. It didn't look good.

I was, of course, freaking out. I knew she needed stitches. Dustin and Nathan gave Eliza a blessing and said a prayer that we could feel a sense of peace and calm. We then left and went straight to the Emergency Room. Although Eliza was obviously in pain, she was able to calm down before we arrived. I knew stitches were inevitable, so I was mentally preparing myself for the upcoming trauma.

Sure enough, Eliza needed 16 stitches. The doctor let us know that the cut went all the way down to the bone. Eliza was extremely brave as she was held down and the doctor stitched her up. We promised her all of the ice cream in the world after the ordeal (and we followed through).

As soon as we got back to the house, I ran to find the pair of glasses that inflicted so much harm upon my child. I wanted to smash them into a million pieces once I found them.

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. Eliza has had these glasses for just over a month. This is the third time they have broken. I should have known they were dangerous after the first two times they broke, but I never foresaw them hurting her like this. The first break occurred when Eliza accidentally bumped into the handle of the refrigerator. I was appalled at their lack of durability and noticed that they broke on the actual frame (rather than the leg) but went in for a replacement pair because they were covered by insurance. A week later, Eliza was going down a slide and somehow broke them again. This time, they scraped the side of her face a little. At that point, I should have known not to replace them. Again, I figured it was because she was being too rambunctious and let insurance cover the break. With this third break, I am furious with both myself and the manufacturer of these glasses. I went to the optometrist and showed them Eliza's stitches and the knife glasses and strongly advised them to no longer carry the dagger frames. If the cut had been a half inch lower, it would have gone into Eliza's eye. That is a horrifying thought, but it also makes me realize that these glasses are not safe for children at all.

So, we are back to pink glasses. Fortunately, my mom is a nurse at an eye clinic and has already ordered us some new frames. I don't care if they aren't covered by insurance, we are never buying a pair of frames like this ever again.

Crazy Weekend

The past couple of days have been crazy. On Friday, the majority of Nathan's family came into town. Nathan's little brother, Brandon, and his band had a sold out show scheduled at The Velour for Saturday night, so the family showed up to support the youngest Robbins brother. Additionally, Brandon had huge (and very secret plans) to propose to his girlfriend, my childhood friend Haleigh, during the concert. Haleigh didn't know, but her mom, dad, and one of her brothers had flown to Utah to be at the concert and see the proposal.

We had a full house with my in-laws, Brandon, and Haleigh staying at our tiny condo, and I felt stressed out the entire time because I just knew I was going to accidentally say something and ruin the engagement! We kept busy by going to In-N-Out with the family, visiting Scheels and riding their huge indoor Ferris wheel, sneaking to Olive Garden to meet Haleigh's family without her knowing we were going, and running around to make sure we had flowers and other various things for the engagement and subsequent celebratory party. The actual proposal couldn't come soon enough! I am so terrible at keeping secrets! We tried to distract ourselves by watching football and not thinking about the proposal, but I think everyone who knew (so everyone but Haleigh) was a nervous wreck. Luckily, Eliza was around to give Uncle Brandon some extra love before the big night.

 Before the concert Saturday night, Nathan and I left our condo full of family members and headed to the ward Halloween party for a little bit. Eliza had an amazing Tiana dressed she was begging to wear, and Nathan and I couldn't deny everyone at church the chance to see the cutest twin superheroes.

We came home from the Halloween party, watched the end of the Carolina vs. Missouri game which was insane and had most of us screaming, and then got ready to go to Velour. Haleigh still had no idea her parents were going to be there or that Brandon was going to propose. I felt extremely nervous for some reason! Becca was nice enough to watch our kids (thanks, Becca!) and came over around 9, so we could go to the concert.

The show itself was amazing. The Moth and The Flame released their new CD and performed their final show before leaving for Europe, where they are touring with Imagine Dragons.

About four songs into the concert, Brandon (who was noticeably nervous) began singing a song with an acoustic guitar. Haleigh whispered to me that she didn't recognize the song. I smiled and then practically pulled her forward so Brandon could walk out to her. He walked out to her, came down from the stage, sang his heart out, and then proposed. Everyone was crying. EVERYONE. Of course, she said yes.

It was the best. My favorite moment was when Haleigh finally saw her parents and brother on staging, smiling and crying with happiness. I am so glad we were able to be there!

Brandon left the next morning for Europe, and I know Haleigh will get to wedding planning soon! I am just relieved that they are finally engaged and that I don't have to keep any more secrets!

Three Amigos

Some days, when the morning craziness is over and we've settled into our afternoon "quiet time," I have time to appreciate how wonderful my kids are. They are finally getting to the stage where they all interact with each other, and I love it.

Today, Ezra and Elliott insisted that Eliza sit with them on the couch while they ate their graham crackers. It was simple, but it made me so happy. I know Eliza must often feel left out, so to see her feel included today was incredibly wonderful.

Finger Painting

It's getting to the point where it's too cold to go outside everyday and play. I'm getting to the point where I am desperate for any new ways to entertain two toddlers all day in this tiny condo. Eliza enjoys coloring, painting, drawing, and puzzles. The babies also enjoy puzzles, but aren't really old enough to appreciate coloring or drawing.

Today, I put some paint into ziploc bags, taped the bags to the door, and allowed the boys to push the colors around. They were mildly entertained.

 Elliott is not impressed.

 I have a feeling it's going to be a long winter. I already miss summer.

Fall Photo Shoot (Fail)

It's been a while since we took a nice photo of all three children together. Today, Nathan and I decided to be brave, drive up into the canyon, find a pretty place with decent lighting, and take some pictures of Ezra, Elliott, and Eliza.

Let's just say that taking photos of two one-year-olds and a four-year-old is no easy task. For starters, Eliza was grimacing in most of the photos as if smiling was causing her physical pain, and Ezra refused to acknowledge the camera's existence.

Elliott, though, did manage to give us a couple of cute smiles. Thank you, Elliott!

We eventually managed to get one semi-reasonable picture of all three kids together and a pretty nice photo of Eliza. We then ended the picture-torture session.

The children were pretty relieved that it was over.

(So were we).

I don't see any family photos in the near future.

Fall Favorite

Today, I asked Eliza what her favorite thing about fall was. She immediately responded, "My fancy red coat."

I agree. It's pretty wonderful.

She definitely has her own sense of style. I wonder if I'll be able to pick out an outfit for her to wear ever again. It doesn't seem likely.

Sunday Dresses

This Sunday, Eliza and I both looked pretty fancy for church. I thought it would be nice to take a quick photo of the two of us, forgetting the fact that Eliza really doesn't like to cooperate for pictures. It obviously took some effort to catch the two of us smiling at the same time (and looking at the camera).

 87 photos later, Nathan finally snapped a winner. Good thing one perfect picture makes it all worthwhile :)

Letter Obsession

Ezra and Elliott are obsessed with practicing their letters. They spend most of the day forcing Nathan and I to write the alphabet on Magna-Doodles and run around the house singing various letters and their sounds. A couple of days ago, we walked to the local elementary school in order to play on the amazing (and fenced in) playground. Behind the school, Ezra and Elliott discovered the Very Hungry Caterpillar with each letter of the alphabet written on its body. They were in heaven.

For nearly an hour, we reviewed the alphabet and they never wanted to leave. I would call out a letter, and they would run and find it. They may not be able to say many words, but they certainly know their alphabet!

 Of course, their favorite letter is "E."