Halloween 2016: Matching Pink Kitties

Even while Cressey was still in utero, Helen Grace was noodling on Halloween costume ideas for her and Cressey. She has since gone through several renditions, but a few weeks ago, she saw a pink kitty costume online that she fell in love with. (She initially was drawn to a glittery tutu that came with it, but then cast it aside because it was too itchy. Personally, I was thrilled that my house was saved that glitter tornado!) Then, I was able to track down the baby version that matched it. A win for the Toohig girls! (For the record, Cressey balked a little at my attempts to put on her kitty cat hood, but when I really made an effort to put it on her on Halloween, she didn’t fuss at all once it was on and secured.)

Halloween fell on a Monday this year, and it was upon us before we knew it. Where did October go???? We decided to squeeze in Zoo Boo on the Sunday night before Halloween. It was PACKED and a little on the warm side (I told you I could predict the weather by the warmth of the costumes we pick out), so we zoomed through the highlights in about an hour and a half. Grandma and the Browns came with us for their first Zoo Boo experiences! Cressey and Ryan got too hot and then hungry about halfway through, so Emily and I stripped them down and gave them a bottle while the big kids forged ahead. Around 7:00 though, Cressey was just MAD to be out on the town at that late hour, so after some tough negotiations, I finally jiggled her enough that she fell asleep in my arms. She woke up as we neared the car, but overall, she did alright for her first Zoo Boo!

On Monday, Halloween, HG was insistent that Cressey come to school for her party in the afternoon. It was right during nap time, but between all the girls fawning all over her and Mrs. Barker and other parents carrying her around, she enjoyed it. The big girls played Halloween pictionary, painted 901 rocks, and enjoyed a cupcake.

We ran home after school for a quick nap for Cressey, to make some treats for the Garibaldis’ party that night (mummy hotdogs and corn dip), and to get costumes ready. Granddaddy joined us to help with candy duty since Spiffer was out of town taking care of my uncle. By 4:45, HG was dressed and sitting on the porch, waiting for trick or treaters. Our neighbors with two little boys stopped by to trick or treat, and then we walked down the street to see some other friends. HG trick or treated in that cove, and then we were ready to head to the Garibaldis for trick or treating with her school buddies. The kiddos played at their house for a little bit, and then the huge pack of us set off to trick or treat in their neighborhood. We made it up and down one street before Cressey started to unravel. Around 7:00 when we told HG that it might be time to leave, we expected a fight, but she was just fine to go home, take a bath, get in bed, and eat some candy with her milk. Done!

We dressed the baby in the back of the car in the zoo parking lot.

Ready to tackle the zoo

HG loves the fortune teller

PASSED OUT

Our finished ‘ghost’ pumpkin

On Halloween afternoon, Cressey woke up happily from her nap to go to sister’s school party.

Cress causes quite a stir at SAA.

Mrs. Barker carried her around for at least half the party.

Waiting on trick or treaters

Mummy hotdogs

Blue was ready too.

“But Mamaaaaa, I *caught* her!”

Stick a fork in her- she’s D-O-N-E!

Toohig Tidbits: Late October

Sometimes the only way to get a pic of big sis is to say you are going to take a pic of little sis to send to grandparents.

This little princess often pops her little wrist out as she is being carried around. So cute!

When we stopped by the nursery to pick up pumpkins, we found a litter of KITTENS!!!!

HG had her second fall off a horse (Flurry) on October 3rd when Ms. Susan was teaching. He turned to go back to the gate as he was approaching a canter, and HG just bounced and slid off. I screamed, but she rolled well and hopped back up. She didn’t fuss a bit about getting back on, and afterward, she wanted to clean up her fingernail that had a teeny bit of blood. After she did that, she immediately wanted to go to the car where she fell apart for a minute. She soon calmed down and only mentioned it when she needed a little extra tv time, books at night, etc. When we saw Ms. Jody the next week, she made sure to make a big deal about HG’s courage and gave her a brown ribbon. HG graciously shared it with Cressey, who promptly put it in her mouth.

Wearing big sister’s anchor outfit

Her first time in the top seat of a grocery cart (I think). She loved it, and it took us probably an hour to get through Target with all the people stopping us to pinch her cheeks and her flirting with them.

Fall-ified porch (HG and I have different opinions on where these pumpkins should go, so we keep rearranging behind each other’s backs.)

One of our neighbors ‘boo-ed’ us (they left us a Halloween treat on our doorstep), so we passed along the random act of kindness. HG and I put together a bucket of festive stuff, and she picked a house and ran up to leave it on the porch.

Like her sister, she loves this bucket of noisy toys. I think she probably likes to pull stuff out of it more than actually play with the stuff inside it.

HG saw this pumpkin design using painter’s tape, so we had to give it a try.

“Look at me!!”

First time in pants, socks, and a fleece. She was not too sure about it.

A little milky in carpool line

This weird cat (Momo)

And this one too (Blue)

First time in mass at St. Louis. She was soon back in the cry room with Daddy while her sister played with all of her SAA friends.

Grown up Halloween party at the Garibaldis

Ole Miss land shark and bag man (Our costumes didn’t help us beat LSU that night. Booo.)

This post seems to be heavy strange cat activity.

Kroger-ing with Daddy. He was obviously a chick magnet.

More carpool selfies

Wearing sister’s pumpkin dress

Even the Zipadee-Zip is getting a little snug these days, but she sleeps well so we aren’t messing with it!

Getting ready to go to the nursery for the first time at moms’ group at Hope Pres. She and I went to one regular meeting after the kick off, and she slept for a hot minute and then was awake and wanted to do everything but sit there and be still. I eventually had to leave early. Not fun. So it was time to try the nursery.

We’ve *finally* arrived and are ready! After we dropped HG off at school, I put her down for a nap and tried to wake her up a little early three times. She yelled at me every time and rolled back over. I finally got her to wake up at 10, gave her a quick bottle, changed her diaper, and ran out the door. As we walked into the nursery around 10:30 (an hour late), a baby was crying, and her lip started quivering and then she started bawling. I was able to calm her down though, and she easily went to the ladies in the baby room. We sat her down on the floor, she got to playing, and I snuck out the door. When I came back an hour later, she was LOSING IT. Apparently, another baby got upset, which made her upset. And she was so tired, and the lady was holding her tight. Recipe for disaster. I was surprisingly calm (not like I was with HG), scooped her up, held her to me all the way to the car, and she eventually calmed down and lost the blotchiness. She was soon snoozing in the backseat- a much needed rest!

HG’s most recent masterpiece

A pre-bed time Daddy snuggle

And a pre-school snuggle with sister

Seafood Junction with Bubba on a Thursday night because HG was out of school for parent-teacher conferences on Friday the 28th

And the FIRST TIME HG attempted to change a diaper!!!!

Bedtime story

Sometimes Cressey freaks out while I’m putting HG to bed, and sometimes she just needs her mama. So John sat with HG while I ran to C’s room. I came back to find Momo and HG snoozing and John giving me a smirk.

Rachel spent the day with us on that Friday.

And that night, we met some of her buddies up at school to see SAA’s production of High School Musical. It was so cute, and the girls were just wild about all the big kids.

With TROY!!!!!

And she soon collapsed into Mama’s bed with Blue

Early morning sister convos. This has become C’s spot. She can see all her people in the den and kitchen, watch the tv, and play with all of her noisy toys.

She scoots up her bed while she sleeps, and since she was snuggling her face up to the cushion, I felt like I needed to take it out. But now she can watch the door from this spot. I have to put her down for a nap at the very bottom of the bed, but she will ALWAYS be up at the top watching for me when I go in to get her up. She has started even sleeping on her side in this position from time to time. Much more wiggly in her bed- and changing table- these days!

No matter how big she gets, she still likes to hold my finger while she has her milky.

Nibbling on her first piece of bread crust

While I went to a baby shower on a Sunday afternoon, John and Cressey went down to OB to pick up HG from Grandma’s and met for a family dinner.

And while I was at the shower, I got this picture from John. She was pretty ready to carve that pumpkin!

Luckily, they waited for me! Some things never change. She was super interested in helping but wouldn’t touch the guts with a ten-foot pole.