On the morning of Friday, October 26th, Ella and I headed off to her preschool, Halloween party after taking Logan and Lia to school. This is my third time attending this preschool party with my children and I love it every time. Ella decided to go dressed as Ariel and actually wore the same costume that Lia did to the same party six years ago! She looked so darling and actually got multiple compliments on her awesome, star fish headband that also belonged to Lia. Here is Ella sitting in the chapel with several of her classmates waiting her turn to announce who she was dressed up as.
Ella telling everyone that she is dressed up as Ariel with the help of her teacher, Miss Vera.
After every child had the chance to say who they were dressed up as, they performed a few songs with the help of Miss Vera. Here is Ella performing one of these songs. I have noticed this year (by watching her in both ballet and gymnastics) that she is a natural performer and really stands out amongs her peers. You can tell this by just looking at how much straighter and stretched out her arms are than all of the other kids in her class in the picture above.
A close up of Ella and some of the other girls in her class after their singing was over.
We then spent the next 45 minutes or so enjoying all of the games and activities set up in the chapel. Here is Ella walking through the blow-up, haunted house.
Ella finding a piece of candy inside one of the holes in the table.
Ella tossing a bean bag in a cauldron.
And fishing for a treat.
This is the first time ever that one of my children started PreK at this preschool and actually had multiple friends from church attending, too. Although all three of these other girls are in other classes, it has been so nice to have other moms and little girls to talk to while waiting in line or to ask for help picking Ella up after preschool if I am at a doctor's appointment. Here is Ella standing next to Emmy (Rapunzel), Amelia (a mouse), and Mia (a Num Nom).
And, of course, we couldn't leave the party without asking to take a picture with the best preschool teacher ever. Oh, how I am so grateful that Ella is my third child to be assigned to Miss Vera's class.
The evening of Friday, October 26th, all five of us drove to the church to attend our ward, Halloween party. Most years we just have a trunk-or-treat in the parking lot, so my primary president offered to host it with the help of her presidency (which meant two other ladies and me). Since the 1st counselor and I are by far the more organized and detailed oriented women of our presidency, we basically took over from the beginning and planned and pulled off the entire thing. As exhausted as I was by Friday night, I am so glad that we were able to host it for our children's sake and I was quite relieved to see that it turned out to be a smashing success with quite a large turnout. Here are all three kids heading into the church before the party started. Ella is dressed as Cinderella for this second, Halloween event.
The kiddos and me.
We all enjoyed an amazing potluck dinner at the beginning of the party. Here are the kids with Ron and Brian while enjoying dinner at our table before the festivities began.
We then had the kids participate in a costume parade after finishing up dinner.
Logan (in the corner) and Ella walking by.
Lia's former Activity Day Leader asked her to escort her darling son, Weston, around the room. Lia has thought that Weston was the cutest little guy for the longest time. I just love how Lia is looking down at him in this picture.
We then spent the next hour wandering around to various classrooms so that the kids could play Halloween games put on by the Young Men and Young Women. Here are Logan and Rachel (a girl in his primary class) blowing spiders down a table.
A close-up of my pirate.
Sisters side-by-side doing the same after their brother finished.
Here is Ella trying to toss a ring around orange soda bottles decorated like pumpkins.
Ella throwing her rings with the help of papa.
The kids had the chance to shoot three baskets from three different lines taped on the nursery room floor. Lia made the first two shots before "striking out."
Logan actually made two of his three shots, too, including one that ricocheted off of the ceiling and right into the basket. Logan thought that was pretty cool!
The teenager in charge was pretty nice and carried Ella up to the basket every single time she had to shoot.
After the games were over, everyone headed out into the parking lot for some trunk-or-treating. Some of the cars were pretty well decorated including the one in the picture above. Needless to say, Logan was fascinated with this car.
Wendy and Brian handing out candy to our children at their car.
This is the second Halloween that Lia has shown up to the church party to find her friend, Suzette, dressed up as the same thing. The other time was in 2014 when they were both dressed up as Elsas. I had to get a picture of the two Hermiones when I got the chance!
Trunk-or-treating at the Schaffer car where Eli was found wearing a creepy, gas mask.
After both Logan's and Lia's soccer games on Saturday, October 27th, we rushed back home to get changed so that the kids could head over to our neighbor's Halloween party. Since both of their girls have birthdays in October and November, they host a joint birthday/Halloween party every year. Logan was convinced that he would not have fun and that there would not be any boys at the party (although I told him otherwise) and threw a huge tantrum before it was time to leave. So, this is the best pictures I got of them before walking them next door.
Standing in front of the large cobweb in Poppy's and Daisy's driveway before ringing the doorbell. And, as you can see, Ella decided to dress up as Snow White for this party.
After a break on Sunday, we continued with more Halloween fun on Monday, October 29th, by attending our school's, Halloween skate party at our local skating rink. Although our school has been hosting this ever since I can remember, we have never been able to go since it has always been on a Friday night when Ron has had football supervision which meant I had no one to leave Ella home with. However, this was the first year that I felt Ella would be old enough to try out skating. There was just one problem--I am pregnant and refuse to take the risk of falling on my stomach while skating. So, although all of my kids were finally old enough to try it out, there was no parent to go out with them on the rink. After arriving at the skating rink, Logan announced that he didn't want to go, but Ella and Lia both insisted that they did. So, here is the picture I snapped of all three kiddos before venturing out onto the floor.
Sadly, I had to just send Lia onto the rink without anyone to help her. It just broke my heart since I am usually the parent who is right there teaching her how to ride a bike or dive off of a dock or water or snow ski. She just shuffled along at a glacial pace while hugging the wall most of the evening. Luckily, she had two other friends who were also beginning skaters who she stuck with most of the evening. Ella, on the other hand, just couldn't make it happen without me to help her out there. I broke the rules and walked onto the rink with her in my street shoes to try to show her what to do, but after a minute or two, I realized that this just wasn't going to work. There was no way that I was going to send my 4-year old daughter out onto a large and crowded skating rink all alone with anyone to hep her. So, after taking this picture, I broke the bad news to her. She was so sad that she burst out crying and begged to go with Lia. Unfortunately, Lia was in no way ready to help her sister as she had no idea what she was doing herself. So, sadly, I had to take Ella off of the rink and return her skates to the counter. Logan and Ella lasted for about 30 more minutes watching Lia and running around the video arcade before they declared that they were ready to go home. Luckily, I had anticipated this happening and had arranged for Lia to catch a ride home with her friend, Sienna, an hour later. So, we left early with the hopes of returning next year when I will not carrying a baby in my belly!
A cute picture I managed to get of Lia as she skated past us while hugging the outside of the rink.
Cute Ella, dressed up as Aurora this time, pretending to play a video game that I refused to pay for her to really play.
Sienna and Lia posing for me on the side of the rink.
Logan, my handsome pirate, hanging out while watching Lia skate by.
A picture Sienna's mom sent to me of Lia with a bunch of her friends from school.
Our last Halloween event occurred yesterday morning, October 30th, when Ella and the rest of the girls in her dance class got to dress up in costumes. Ella chose to go as Elsa this time. We managed to arrived just as Emmy and Amelia got dropped off at their teacher's house.
Ella all dressed up as a pretty Elsa. Oh, how this girl loves dressing up as princesses! I will be so sad when she outgrows this phase.
The parents were invited to come back and watch the last 20 minutes of class. The girls performed some cute dance numbers for us in the studio. Here is Lia skipping across the room when it was her turn to dance.
Ella and some of the other girls practicing their releve.
Ella doing a plie, too. She just looks like such a natural dancer! I love how much she is enjoying ballet after Lia's short-lived stint years ago because she refused to wear tights. Luckily, Ella does not have this problem at all.
Ella striking another ballet pose. So cute!
Going up in another releve with her arms in high,fifth position.
The girls gathering in a circle with their teacher, Miss Krystal, at the end of class. And, that's a wrap until we actually go trick-or-treating for real this evening!
