Happy Halloween!!!

This is the first year that I have TWO little ladies to dress up and I really love the idea of doing costumes that go together, but are still different, so when Scarlett became obsessed with Madeline, I started talking about Halloween and hinting about what she'd like to be.  Then, Madeline rescued a dog and the discussion for costumes was closed.  Hello, puppy dog, Poppy!  Good thing Scarlett was still really excited about the Madeline idea because it has been a few months since this whole fascination began...she's still trying to get me to be Miss Clavel.  "Mummy, when is your costume coming?!" was how she broached the subject this morning...smart lady, but it's not gonna happen!  (I have too much birthday planning to do [still] to worry about dressing up!  Maybe next year!)

So there we were, Madeline with her rescued pup, Genevieve!  Too bad Poppy was less than thrilled with the idea of wearing a costume.

SO crossing my fingers that trick-or-treating goes a little more smoothly!!!  Luckily, Scarlett was the perfect Madeline and even tried to make Poppy less of a grumpster!

We tried to include Poppy in our photo shoot, but Scarlett totally stole the show!  What a fantastic Madeline!!!

And just because I want to see, here is Scarlett in each of her past costumes:

CUTE!  I wish I had been smart and picked a costume for Poppy without something on her head!  Scarlett last 3 minutes with that cupcake hat...next year!!!

Have a Happy Halloween :-)

An entire month of blogging in one post.

Well, September has been an eventful and fun-filled month, so far!  First of all, Louisa Violet Francis turned THREE on the 10th!!!  (Ahhmmm...since her mother hasn't blogged about it yet, I feel like I'm safe...!)  Here is Lulu's special day in pictures:

Laughing??  And no fights?!  Scarjo must know it's her birthday!!!

Lulu S-L-O-W-L-Y dragged that kitty away...she is a smooth one!

Poppy loving the birthday shopping!

Captive audience...just waiting to get their hands on her goods!

Lulu loves her some chocolate!!!

Oh, Alyssa!

Lulu, the Ladybug Girl!

And then, the 13th marked ONE YEAR since Scarlett stopped nursing.  Just one.  How crazy is that?!  At the time, it wasn't a bizarre thing for me to nurse her to sleep, but now she's such a big girl, that I can't believe how much she has changed in such a short amount of time!

Poppy had her first visit to the Apple Farm!!!  Parties!  It was a quick visit and perfect because it was a Wednesday at noon -- no one was there!  Tyler, Mary, Brian, and Lulu met Scarjo, Poppy, and me there after our MOPS play date...very spur-of-the-moment!

Another eventful change that's going on in our family...we're following my crazy mother's lead and going vegan.  She watched Forks Over Knives and that was it for her!  Then she read Skinny Bitch and that was the end for the rest of us; she converted us all to at least vegetarianism.  One by one.  Molly was the first to convert and the easiest because Mum buys all her groceries and makes most meals.  Mary and I have been open to the idea, but harder to turn because we (okay, mostly me!) just struggle at cooking in general.  Now we have to find substitutes??  Too much.  But it's happening and I'm excited to make my babies into healthy eaters!  Goodbye, Splenda (no, thank you, luekemia!), half & half (sads forever.), and buffalo chicken (hardest. thing. ever.) and hello, tofu, "princess" (forbidden black) rice, and soy milk in my coffee!  So far, so good!

Also, I went to the Ulta Benefit Brow Bar and had my eyebrows done!!!  After Poppy was born, my eyebrows fell out.  For reals.  Sooo, off to Ulta I went, after very badly trying to fill them in myself for the last 11 months.  The wax girl there was a miracle worker!!!  Totally worth the $12/per eyebrow (what!!!) wax job.  Totally.  Here is the evidence:

Clearly, I'm psyched!  

And now that September is quickly coming to a close...I need to order Scarlett's Halloween costume SOON!!!  I have had it planned for a few months, but keep forgetting to actually buy the costume.  Struggle.  Here she is last year...two days before Poppy was born!  I am not sure if I can come close to this cuteness, but I'm certainly going to try!

Happy Halloween!

Love,

Scarlett the piggy

We're excited!

Halloween is right around the corner and Scarjo is getting in the spirit of things:

Okay, this is a little creepy!

Its Official.

I am a blog creeper.  Ew.  (That's one of Scarlett's new words!)  I read all of my favorite blogs on a daily basis for the last few months, but have yet to actually post on my very own blog.  Slacker!  Or really it's a lot of laziness/Mary's here, so she knows all of my news.  Shame on me, though, because I use this blog as a baby book-ish record of Scarjo's babyhood and I have missed some pretty big things...

Take, for example, her only second Halloween ever.  I never wrote about how she was the leader of the pack, marching up all those stairs with some 'tude because she wanted her CANDY.  Her costume was a bat, btw.  Mary and I dressed Louisa and Scarlett as the same thing because nothing is cuter than a bat, other than TWO bats with shiny, black Mary Janes.  CUTIE-CUTES!  And we felt ironic because the last thing you'd expect these two sweet, innocent little ones to be dressed as are gross, creepy bats.  You'd expect princesses with frilly tutus, which will probably happen next year...  Not gonna lie, Scarjo has a thing for tutus.  I am not sure why, but I didn't see that one coming!  I thought Alyssa Lou was the tutu-wearer in the fam!

Another unblogged about event was Lulu's first birthday!  Worst. Aunt. Ever.  It was also the worst party ever, so samesies!  OMG, my family + the Clunies = AWKWARD DISASTER!  Mary and I tried to save it with our sparkling personalities, but Mary-Anne LaMarre (aka: Fancy Mum) was in the house and there was just no way around the completely uncomfortable divide that was at that party.  Next year, no in-laws!  Brian will be back, though, so yay!  Or maybe just two parties...or have the party on neutral ground (23 Morrill/our new pad because we best be selling this shizzzz!)...just a few ideas, Mar-wad!

Speaking of birthdays, Scarjo's 2nd one is right around the corner.  Holy cannoli, how did that happen?!?!  She is almost freakin' two.  Time for more babies, ASAP!  Not even kidding...

I'm thinking no party for this year, though.  Sads for me Scarlett, but I just cannot handle the in-laws (us Beal girls have some issues, eh?).  For reals, though...I'm having nightmares of my MIL trying to steal my little Miss Scarlett.  Like legit nightmares.  Something's got to change...and I'm thinking that Thanksgiving and Christmas are all the in-laws that my poor little stress-ball self can handle.  I do want to have a little get together with my friends, so that we celebrate Scarlett turning two in a mini way!  We'll see...!  Let's be honest, I just want to dress her in a personalized 2nd birthday outfit.  But they're so cute!

Something else that is blog-worthy/hilarious; Scarlett thinks that Louisa is her own personal real live baby doll.  She tries to walk her, brush her hair, push her in the baby strollers...you get the drift.  Scarjo may also try to get on top of her to pig pile and sometimes rides her like a horse and says, "neigh!!!"  We're working on that! It is pretty entertaining, to say that least!  Poor Neiners!  (It rhymes with "weiners!"  Oh, did I not mention that is Louisa's nickname?  We can thank Scarlett for that one!)

Almost two is a pretty fantastic age, I will admit, even though she's turning into a child right before my eyes!  Scarlett calls Da, Santa, and Auntie Molly on the phone all. the.time.  She sits there, laughing, and then says, "funny!  no...yeah...Mamy, Mummy, Neinu...yeah, no, hahaha, funny!"  If it's Santa, though, she'll add an, "I nice!  Baby ease!"  It is probably my favorite thing to watch her do...I'll have to record that sometime!

So Christmas is only 15 days away!!!  Mostly all of my presents are wrapped and under the tree.  Woohoo! I know that there are going to be lots of last minute things that I'll have to do, so I'm pretty excited to be this far finished.

Lately, other than Christmas shopping, Mary, Lulu, Scarjo, and I have been going to Rhyme Time at the library, Toddler Time at the Alfond Youth Center, and socializing with Grammum and Alyssa at Cam's soccer and gymnastics practices!  Fun times in the 'ville!

Ok, now for new picturesssss!  This is the fun part:)

Stealing Mum's "wa-wa-yeah."

Weirdo!  She likes to play under tables.

Testing out the Halloween costume.

Personal. Life-size. Baby Doll.

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Scarjo loves her babies!!!

Alyssa, Scarlett, Louisa

Driving to Portland was exhausting.

First time on a carousel...less than impressed!

Halloween 2012

You may be asking yourself, "Already?!  What a nut case."  But, yes, Scarlett (& Louisa's!)  Halloween costumes have been purchased and are in the process of being shipped as we speak.  And while what they're actually dressing up as must remain a secret, I have to share some sweet things that I've spotted along my journey to finding the perfect costume.  Oh so many adorable options for Halloween day!

Scarlett's obsessed with kitties, so these would be perfect!
Clothes with "Daddy" sayings are. not. allowed.  There can never be enough of these sayings, though! 
Honestly, all of these would be acceptable, but I'm dying for the princess jammies!  (and can we talk about those ballet slippers?!  LOVE.)
Sweet!  Just not sure if Scarjo could pull off all that orange!
Gotta love Etsy!
If only Tyler could pick her costume...yikes.
Not her costume, but I kiiinda wanted it to be...!
Absolutely love this, this, and this!

Here is Scarlett last year on her first Halloween, my little cupcake, with Princess Tiana! 

All bundled up for trick-or-treating!