Week in Review: Artist in Residence and Trick or Treating

Oh, what a week! I took a little blogging vacation for a few days and it felt good to have one less thing on my list. Evie was on fall break both Monday and Tuesday which meant no dance or school. I enjoyed the freedom of a break in schedule and spending some extra time with my kiddos. We spent most of the week outside soaking in this late October sunshine. However, at 4:30 this afternoon, the novelty was worn off and I was ready for my relief squad to come home. Hello Daddy! He is putting both kids to bed so that I can get this post cranked out before crashing myself.

Monday: Evie was in desperate need of some new shoes which meant a trip to the mall. My girl loves the mall and was in heaven the entire trip. We purchased shoes, played at the park, window shopped, checked out the bathrooms and ate some Chick fil A. Henry seemed exhausted so we headed home for nap time. It was a short nap day so we decided to go to Costco for some berries and Halloween candy. Carl got home in time to wash his truck with our little helpers and go for a stroll around the neighborhood before dinner.

Tuesday: Campbell and Christian came to play while Courtney had an appointment. It's really not much harder to have a few extra kids around the house especially our sweet boys. They all played in Evie's room while I folded some clothes in my bedroom. It was hysterical listening to their conversations! We broke out some craft supplies and everyone had fun making their own creations. Henry slept a really long time after playing hard all morning. I decided to try painting with the kids. It was definitely an outdoor project. Henry found it more fun to mix the colors while Evie spent over an hour creating her masterpiece. Carl came home early and took the children for a run. I made spaghetti for dinner and found out that Henry is a huge fan of spaghetti night. It was a good thing that dinner was served alfresco because Henry made a large mess.

Wednesday: We met Kristin and her kids at Whole Food's for Kid's Hour. Henry and Evie had a ball listening to Rachel Sumner. Such a fun, free, kid-friendly activity! Rachel told me after the program that she sees a lot of kids but that she can tell Henry is going to be a Smarty Pants. Oh dear! It does appear that way as he has turned into quite a little tornado in the past few days. We made a return and tried to find some princess shoes for Evie. I need to be more specific in how I explain things to Evie. The store did not have any shoes in her size which Evie took as she was not going to get any princess shoes. It was a scene for sure but she eventually figured out that crying was not the way to get new princess shoes. It was a gorgeous day so we had a picnic lunch and some playtime before nap. After nap, it was time to check out a few more stores for princess shoes. Evie finally agreed to wear her black patent church shoes  with her costume since her feet are impossible to find shoes that fit appropriately. Carl had a dinner meeting so it was a quiet night.

Thursday: My favorite day of the week! Both kids went to school. I went to vote. Be sure to take advantage of early voting if your town allows it because the lines are fairly long already. Tennessee is about as red as it gets but everyone still makes the effort to come out to the polls. I met all kinds of characters while in line to vote including an adorable 92 year old man. Impressive! It was another gorgeous day so I treated myself to a day off the clock and spent the morning walking around Downtown Franklin. It was just too pretty to be inside! I picked up a few gifts and bought myself a scarf and Henry a sweater. It was so nice to leisurely stroll through the stores without any distractions. I came home to straighten up the house a bit and then picked up the kids. Henry was sleepy since he had not napped at all even though he was up at 5. Sweet Boy crashed as soon I put him in the crib. Evie and  I played outside for a bit and then The C's came over to play too. Carl mowed the grass and I took the kids for a walk and then put them both to bed. Thursday mornings are wonderful but those afternoons are get dicey very quickly with two cranky kiddos.

Friday: We took our time getting ready and then made our way to the nursing home for trick or treating. Evie was thrilled to be Cinderella. Henry was not as impressed with his Sock Monkey costume but he certainly did not protest much at all. Evie was a Nervous Nelly in the nursing home. I had to personally escort her by hand to each resident for candy. She is not a fan of nursing homes and then loudly announced that "she was ready to go home and not get any more candy from these old ladies." Henry enjoyed it all - the costumes, the candy and most of all the dog. We made our weekly library visit for new videos and books. Cinderella made lots of new friends wearing her beautiful costume. I was exhausted after our morning chaos so Evie was promptly plopped down for a movie and lunch while I recovered from the morning. It was a long afternoon and our first chilly day of the season. Carl was a welcome sight when he walked in the door! I made comfort food for dinner - herb encrusted pork chops, mashed redskin potatoes and garden peas. Perfect for a chilly evening although this weather will seem tropical within a few short weeks.

Happy Friday, Y'all!