It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Halloween started off with Rosie's entourage gathering to watch her march around the school for her Kindergarten Halloween parade. She decided to be Doc McStuffins. For those of you who are unsure who Doc McStuffins is, don't worry. She's very current and very Disney Junior. You can see her here.
After much deliberation, Sadie decided on a flower costume. Both a chicken and a duck were high on the list, but in the end the flower won. She made her mama weak with her cuteness.
Later that day we headed to the Paschalls, as we do every year to have dinner and trick or treat. The 4 adults dressed as Charlie, Linus, Sally and Lucy.
We had a great time together.

Halloween-eve carving

Concordia Parade

Doc McStuffins and Megatron

Pumpkins

It's pumpkin time in the Eckert house! 

 The farm that we visited had some activities from the early pioneer days such as butter churning and doing laundry using buckets and a wash board. The girls loved it!  

Sadie is learning to swim. I sit motionless, in awe for 30 minutes each Wednesday and watch her. She's so dang cute. Don't you just love the goggles? 

California Budget Cuts? No problem!

Knowing what Ron does for a living, Rosie's teacher approached him last week and asked if he might be willing to volunteer and teach a P.E class for her K-1 class. 

Oh, yes. 

Take that, Jerry Brown!

Kindergarten!

How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

                                                               - A.A Milne

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

Summer vacation in our house is kind of a joke. Ron's busiest time is during the summer months... when I am off of work. 

Yes- it's tricky. 

Naturally, we try to get away for a family vacation at the end of August as Ron wraps up and is relaxed and ready for vacation; and just as my anxiety level is at its peak because school is starting and I am back to work! Stress and all, we had an amazing week away together in the Monterey area. We had many adventures, played, discovered new things, visited friends (and even made some new ones!)

First stop: Carmel Beach. We basically opened the car door and let the girls jump out and run. They were tired of being in the car.

Picnic at Point Pinos Lighthouse

Santa Cruz and Big Sur

Monterey and the Aquarium

This is a park where I used to play as a kid. It still had some of same toys!

Can you say, tourist?

The Monterey Bay Aquarium

(the girls had such a great time here)

Fun times with Laura and Mike Robinson-Harbert