Zoo Boo!

Happy Halloween!

We had a lot of fun practicing trick-or-treating at the Indianapolis Zoo last weekend despite the cold. Today is beautiful and warm so we're ready to get out there tonight and really collect the candy. We hope everyone has a safe Halloween.

Chunky Monkey with a Whole Lot of Banana!

Today the Moms Club put on a Halloween party for the kids with music, games, prizes and pizza. We had such a wonderful time! I had given thought to dressing up for this myself (to get into the spirit of things) but decided it would require too much thought and time...it was a good thing because not one mom was dressed for Halloween! Instead I managed to put on a Halloween shirt and socks for the occasion. Tomorrow it's another fun filled day at ZooBoo (trick-or-treating at the zoo) and then we'll be looking forward to the real thing next Friday. It's sad to think there's only one more week in October...the best month of the year!

King Kong versus Godzilla

a.k.a. Sonia and Justin

Sonia and Nadia are in the same playgroup as Justin and his older brother, Carter.

This is my friend, Courtney. I think you've seen her in some previous posts on our blog. Anyway, we arrived today sporting the same Halloween shirts (not planned) so I had to get a picture of us together.

Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin

We've prepared a few different types of pumpkins this year...we carved bats that Nadia chose, put together a puppy face and then painted. Nadia loved the squishy inside of the pumpkin and played with it for quite awhile but the best part is that if you look closely...it was all done in her high heels.

Cat in the Hat & Big Bed

Today Jose and I received our flu shots (this was Jose's very first-surprisingly he didn't cry...hee,hee) and then the girls and I headed out for pumpkin painting and roasted marshmallows over a huge fire pit. It was cold enough today for winter coats and hats. Sonia is sporting Nadia's old cat hat from two years ago. It's a little small but still so cute. We're going to try to get a video posted of Sonia clapping and dancing. Her dancing is similar to that of the Butabi brothers in, "A Night at the Roxbury".

Nadia recently started favoring our bed or "Papi's Bed" as she calls it. So we decided to move her into her own, "Big Bed". Now we just have to convince her that her bed is not a trampoline! Today Nadia and I decided to get creative and put together the "Haunted" ginger bread house that Nana bought for us. The toughest part...keeping Nadia from eating all the candy while I made the icing.

Nadia...Comaneci?

Annual Stoney Creek Pumpkin Patch

We've spent the past three years picking out pumpkins at Stoney Creek Farm with the Prathers...time really does fly. Looking back, the previous years were much cooler. It was probably around 80 degrees this year...it felt like summer not fall...it felt like we should be searching for ripe raspberries rather than the perfect pumpkin! Oh well, we had a great time watching Nadia run through the inflatable caterpillar maze, ride the pumpkin train and a pony. Sonia seemed to enjoy herself too until nap time hit and then she was out of it! There are other pics in our family album (some of which I copied from Amy) so please enjoy.2006- Nadia and Carson

2007- Camden, Nadia and Carson
2008- Camden, Sonia, Carson, and Nadia

(Next year...there will be 5 kids with Prather number three on the way)

The Orchard vs. the Grocery Store

Last week I was shopping for fruit at Meijer...but all I could think about was the delicious, fresh apples at Stuckey Farm. Anyway, I called up Amy and on Friday we headed out to the orchard. After the kids had picked their apples, we stayed at Stuckey Farm for a picnic and to let the kids play. It was a really nice time...I have a feeling that next spring/summer we'll be back to pick much more than just apples. You can view our photo album for additional pics or view Prather's blog.

Random Photo Posting

I feel bad that we're running a little behind on our posts but if you haven't heard, I placed our camera on the fireplace (not a smart move) and walked away for just a few minutes. During this time Sonia yanked on the strap and pulled it off the ledge. It fell only a couple of feet onto the carpet but it's no longer working. We're now using our old camera and it's been hard to remember to bring it along. So what have you missed since our last post? Pumpkin painting, lots of Halloween decorating, costume searching, some sleepless nights, teething woes, personal haircuts given by Mami, and lots of laughs. We've been having so much fun with the girls. Although Sonia's only 7 months, Nadia and her play very well together. Sonia most always wants to be where he big sis is and Nadia is really starting to show a lot of compassion towards her little sis. With Sonia's personality emerging more and more every day and Nadia's imagination going wild-Jose and I are having a blast watching them interact and play...it really is great!

Halloween is here!

As you can see, we're all excited for the 4th quarter of the year. For Tatum, October 1st means that her favorite holiday trifecta is upon us... Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. These, of course, are Tatum's favorite holidays. It already looks like Nadia and Sonia share that same passion with their Mom.