Halloween Preview

Today our play group had a combination October birthday/Halloween celebration. The girls got to try out their costumes and enjoy some yummy treats, including the cutest Frankenstein rice krispy treats. Later in the evening, Sophie wanted to practice for the big night. She knocked on her door, and when I answered she stuck out her pumpkin and said, "I want some candy." It took a few tries before she got the whole "trick or treat" part down, but I'm confident that by Friday night she will be fully prepared to score lots of goodies! Even Zoe has been saying "trick treat", but mostly she just likes to knock on the door. Be sure to check back this weekend to see how it all turns out on Halloween!

Zoe's New Room

Since I've had some extra hands around the house, I took the opportunity to give Zoe's room an upgrade. It took 2 and a half days, a grandma, a babysitter and lots of paint. We think it looks great, and hopefully Zoe will enjoy it for a couple of years.

Bath Time with Grandma

Bath time is so much more fun when Grandma is here. Even mommy got to be in a picture. Now that's something that doesn't happen every day!

Say Teeth!

I noticed that I hadn't posted for awhile, so here are several posts in a row of various happenings these past two weeks.

The most exciting thing that happened was the girls' first trip to the dentist. Sophie was very brave and even let the dentist clean her teeth and apply a fluoride treatment. He said her teeth were perfect, no cavities, and we can start using real toothpaste! Sophie is also about to cut her last four teeth - the 2 year molars. One is about to cut and the other three are just under the gum.

Zoe wasn't so interested in having her teeth cleaned. She screamed long enough for the dentist to look and tell us that she doesn't have any cavities and that her teeth looked great. She is also just finishing cutting her first set of molars, which brings her tooth count to twelve. She still gets to use the safe-to-swallow toothpaste since she hasn't mastered the spitting technique like her big sister. All in all the dentist was a good experience and we'll go back in 6 months for another check!

A Hair-raising Experience

I have been learning all about static and it's effect on hair. Here you can see Sophie's hair after she was playing in her tent. But lately we've been having lots of static issues, which for a 2-year-old can be very annoying - they don't have time for static. Fortunately a friend told me that using hair conditioner would solve the problem, and I'm happy to report that my daughter and her hair have been behaving beautifully!

Driving...

Here is Zoe showing off her driving skills and her beautiful smile.

Digging...

Sophie had fun digging in the dirt in the backyard. Aside from several dirt birthday cakes and a cup of coffee, she also dug up a dinosaur bone!

Haircuts and a Rescue Truck

After weeks of restraint, I finally broke down today and took Zoe for her first haircut. Sophie's hair was in need of a trim, so I figured it would be okay for Zoe to get the back of hers trimmed a little too. I did restrain myself from cutting her bangs (I want to grow hers out), but I remembered how Sophie's hair changed once I started cutting it, and now she has gorgeous, thick blonde hair. You really can't even tell that Zoe got a trim, but I have a few locks of hair in an envelope to prove it!

After the haircuts we went next door to do a little grocery shopping. There were lots of firemen in the store purchasing large quantities of Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew. As we headed to the car with our full cart, we noticed that their big rescue truck was parked in the fire lane (obviously they weren't concerned about getting a ticket). We stopped to say "hi" and admire the truck, and they offered the girls a chance to take a look around. Sophie was brave enough to sit on the truck for her picture (since I happened to have my camera with me for the haircuts), but Zoe was a little frightened by the loud engine. Even after the firemen turned it off for her, she still refused to part from mommy for a picture. Of course, the entire way home she said "truck" and "reach" and "truck bye-bye" (translation: I want the truck now, but I can't reach it so the truck must have gone bye-bye). Hopefully the girls won't expect every trip to the Safeway plaza to be so exciting!

*Please note my lack of photography skills. I'm sure my father and Jace and are cringing, and my grandpa Morris is probably rolling around in his drawer!

Yom Kippur '08

Today we all got dressed up for Yom Kippur services. This time Sophie happily participated in getting her pictures taken. The girls made me proud by displaying their wonderful behavior during the service (unlike some of the other children). In the picture, you can really see how tall and thin Sophie is getting. She's lost the toddler look and is all big girl now!

My Little Dare-Devil

Sophie has always been pretty fearless about physical activities. Her latest thrill is finding higher and higher things to jump off. I caught her jumping today off the small wall at the park where we were enjoying the gorgeous fall weather and having a picnic dinner. She later jumped off of the tall wall, which is about twice as high as the one you see here. When I offered to hold her hand while she jumped, she uttered the famous line, "No. I can do it by myself." And so she did...while I prayed that maybe October would be a hospital-free month for the Giesekes.

Peanuuuut, Peanut Butter...

...and apples! Zoe's favorite snack as of late!