The Linda Family

We had a great Valentine’s Day.  Ashleigh really loved shopping for cards and presents and handing them out.  She even insisted on getting a card for Rebekah from her.  When Wes took her shopping she picked out an adorable pink dress for Rebekah, complete with the matching shoes, socks, and hat.  It looks like Rebekah will be a stylin little girl for Easter thanks to her big sister!

Our morning was filled with fun times of giving each other presents and cards at random times.  We also were getting ready to go to the salon.  Ashleigh and I had appointments at All About Me Salon and Day Spa in Towson.  She was geting a hair cut, and I was getting a cut and highlghts.  I was excited, but nervous about how Bekah would do.  Luckily she slept through the entire visit to the salon.  When we got there Ashleigh started to get shy and nervous.  We all went and met our stylist Olga.  Funny side note, on our way there I was reading reviews about the salon, and someone raved about her.  I was quite happy to have gotten her.  Ashleigh stood there and watched me get started, and played on the chair next to where I was for a few minutes, until they needed the chair.  She foiled my hair, then cut Ashleigh’s.  Ash was NOT happy to have her hair cut, despite how much we had talked it up for the previous few days.  Olga put the booster in the chair, I put Ash in, and she straightened her legs and pushed herself right out.  I didnt realize what she was doing, so I put her in again.  Then I realized she was crying.  So, Olga had me sit and put Ash in my lap.

Olga had told me that her first job out of beauty school was at Cartoon Cuts.  She said it was a horrible work experience with a bunch of bratty kids and parents who don’t want to help, but she learned how to cut FAST.  And, boy was she ever right!  In what seemed like the blink of an eye Ashleigh’s hair had been trimmed straight across the back and was given new life with long layers throughout.  Her hair looks much healthier and the curl looks better with the layers.

Once we were done at the salon we were ready for dinner.  We had a late breakfast, and missed lunch, so an early dinner sounded about perfect.  We  headed over to Canton Dockside for some crack, I mean, Crab Bisque.  When we got home we finished exchanging presents.  Ashleigh was THRILLED to get some new Dora underpants, new barrettes for her hair, and some organic fruit leather.  Of course, the big hit was the Dove Chocolate I threw in the top of her bag.   We had a great day spending some time together as a family.

Now the photos –

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For trick or treat this year we headed out with Hillary and the kids again.  We we just barely home from San Francisco and still adjusting, so it was a rough day for us, but Ashleigh had a good time.  We headed out to Target in the afternoon in search of a princess costume for her, and ended up with Tinkerbell instead.  The only candy bucket they had left had the Disney Fairies on it, so she decided that her costume should match.  This suited me just fine, since Tinkerbell was $5 less than Cinderella and Tinkerbell came with cool fairy wings.  Cinderella was just a dress!

Unfortunately we left so early to trick-or-treat that Wes wasn’t able to get there to go with us.  I think that, combined with the adjusting to life at home instead of away made Ashleigh a little grumpy. There were 7 kids as all together as we headed out across the neighborhood.  After a few streets Ashleigh was tuckered out and we just walked along with the rest of the group and headed back to the house first.  We ate dinner, and Wes came to hang out with us for a bit before we headed home and called it a night.

Here are the  couple of photos I managed to get

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So maybe I had a little too much fun while Wes was putting Ashleigh down for her post turkey nap, er, well, I think Ashleigh put Wes down for a nap, since he’s asleep and she’s sitting here on my lap…But anyway, I found this…what fun!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9573792497

We had a blast trick-or-treating with our friends. We went over to Hillary and Neil’s (Owen & Blake’s house, if you’re 2) for a yummy chili dinner (thanks Hillary!) then we (the moms – Clare, Hillary, and of course, me) took the kids out. Wes and Neil stayed home to hand out candy…and do guy things…

The kids had a BLAST!! Ashleigh was so excited for the day that she didn’t take a nap at home. I did make her lay down in our bed and watch a movie for her “rest time”, but that was more for my sanity than hers!! So, 10 minutes into the drive she passed out in the backseat. If you look closely at her forehead, above her right eye you can see the pink spot from where she was laying her head on her pumpkin bucket. She was NOT letting that out of her sight! She also fell asleep wearing my sunglasses. She prefers those to her own. I guess they block more sun. So, you’ll notice they were falling off her face….

When I got out the camera Ashleigh HAD to have her photo taken with Blake. She LOVES him. I wonder if a younger sibling will be as much fun as Blake is when the time comes!

We got Reese and Ashleigh to take a picutre with Blake. How on earth did I manage to capture the moment when both girls were looking to the side but the 5 month old was staring straight at the camera?!

We were trying to get all 4 of them to look the same way at the same time….that is a feat with three toddlers and an infant!

Apparently the boys were being silly and Reese and Ashleigh needed to discuss it…

Our first stop was across the street at a house where no one was home, so Clare helped the kids get their candy.

We tried to get the kids to stop for a photo about half way through at this house with ghosts in the front yard. It was a nice thought, but it did not work. Toddlers with a mission for candy have a mind of their own…

Of course, about half way through Ashleigh decided she wanted to ride in the stroller…Why? Because her friends were. Who knew peer pressure started so young?

This child has not ridden in a stroller in over a year, close to two…and she decided that a stroller was fun…In fact it was so much fun that she and Owen were trying to nuzzle up to each other in the stroller. It’s hard to see from this lousy photo, but it was dark and I was pushing the stroller and taking a picture, so forgive me!

Once we got back to the house the kids were SOOO excited to try out their candy. Owen went to bed shortly there after. Reese and Ashleigh got in thier PJs for the trip home, unfortunately Ashleigh didn’t fall asleep.

She loved her princess costume, though she wasn’t a fan of the hat. She had it on for a while, but she discovered the Little Mermaid princess tiara she got for her birthday in her room yesterday afternoon and decided that her tiara was a much better compliment to the princess costume than the hat that was attached! Gotta love it! Oh, and just incase you missed it, Reese was a barista (from Starbucks of course!), Owen was spiderman, and Blake was a cow. The kids were great, they all listened and behaved and I can’t wait to do it again next year!!