Kelsey - 1 Halloween - 0

The score should actually be K -2, Halloween costume -0. This year these adorable kids were supposed to be Pebbles and Bam Bam. What better b/g twin costume idea for them, considering they look nothing alike so why dress them alike?

Well I found Drew's costume at a resale shop for $4. So I thought I would just buy some animal print/cheetah fleece and make a simple dress out of it for Kelsey's ensemble. Sunday afternoon I couldn't wait to put her in it! She had her brown leggings and white onesie on and it was screaming for the dress. I slipped it over her head and the tears started flowing! I didn't think it was the dress at first...she is getting her last teeth, painful eye teeth. So I thought she was just going to cry it out for a minute and be fine. I turned around and she was pulling at the collar of the dress. The material wasn't even touching her skin but she needed that dress OFF! ASAP! I thought the drive up to my mom's would calm her down, especially after a long nap...nope! She lost it again. And even if she walked by the dress she would take it and throw it on the floor. She has never dissed clothing before; I haven't ever had problems dressing her. So we called it a fail and decided not to torture her anymore with her Halloween costume.

(Last year, I wasn't even sure if  we would trick-or-treat so I didn't try too hard at their costumes. They were both some form of hand-me-downs and I wasn't quite sure what size they would even be in last fall. Well, Kelsey's was about 1 size too small and so we couldn't even really put her all the way in it! So yeah, 2 fail costumes in a row. Maybe Halloween isn't her thing...)

Loving it up! He had NO PROBLEM leaving his costume on.

Surprisingly she let us put the "bone" in her hair.

Sorry it's so fuzzy, but it's the only picture I have of them together!

Maybe wearing mom's shoes with a pumpkin shirt is as dressed up as
she's gonna get for Halloween.



 

Some Happies

Just the kids being kids. It's so chilly today, I don't know how much Halloween-ing we are going to do this weekend. But we will dress them up so I hope to have pictures for you later!

I can't get over her hair! It's getting so long!

"Hello?"

Oh yes, everything has become a telephone!



 

Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

I know not everyone "knows" my cousin but I am assuming you can all sympathize with her situation. Stacie has lost the love of her life, the father to her kids, her other half. There is a memorial fund website that I'm going to share, to help with her children's futures. If any of you are willing/able to donate, any little bit helps. Thank You So Much.

Tom Roloff Memorial

"Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show

You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on"

So Much Sadness

My cousin Stacie's husband died early Friday morning. He had been sick for about 2 weeks without really knowing what was wrong. Suddenly he took a turn for the worse and was transferred to Madison. He is gone too soon and has left behind a very young family - Stacie is only a year older than me and their children are 2 and 7 months.

Stacie and her sister Stef were my "first" friends; we only lived about a half mile from each other, her mom babysat me for a couple years, we went to the same schools on the same bus, spent a lot of summers together. My heart breaks hard for her and Tom's family. There is nothing that can be said to make this better; I know she is receiving lots of support from family and friends.

Hug your loved ones a little tighter; you just never know...




Obituary For: Thomas Brian Roloff | Twohig Funeral Homes

Silly-ness



Here Drew is holding a Brewer gnome...unfortunately soon after this photo, he dropped
said gnome and it lost its feet!




We've re-arranged the living room furniture and now the sofa table is more accessible
to the kids. So they sit in this decorative bowl like a toy.




Driving his cars.





In the past couple weeks Drew has become obsessed with his eyelashes. He will
stop what he's doing and start touching them or take your finger and put it up to his eye
to touch them.



All Dogs Go To Heaven

Hope that's not too cliche for this somber/sensitive post. Craig's faithful dog Marty, of 13 years, has gone to that big dog park in the sky. Marty has been apart of alot of people's lives. He started out with a bunch of college roommates and ended up with a couple of babies - the beginning is the same as the end; up all night, food on the floor, noisy kids:). We knew his time was short 6 months ago when he stopped eating for 2 days and couldn't make it up the stairs. It's been a slow realization that he probably wasn't going to make to the winter. Then he started growing these obscure tumors. Since then Marty's lost his spunk, he doesn't bark when a "stranger" comes into the house - which was his thing (as anyone who knows him!).

We were nervous about Marty interacting with the babies...he can be territorial over Craig/us. You would think he was protective of Craig and not me but it got to a point where Marty would pick me over Craig - probably because he could sense I wasn't *really* a dog person and tried very hard to win me over. Back in the day, I would work a 12 hour night shift, drive to Craig's place, and Marty and I would sleep - after the fact that Marty JUST slept 8 hours with Craig! Anyway, I digress, Marty was actually very gentle with Kelsey and Drew. He allowed the kids to crawl on him, over him, around him, play with his food.

He has given us some great years and our lives will not be the same. He has left pawprints on our hearts. I know he's in a better place with some "new" paws/legs, chasing tennis balls in a wide-open field.

(These are some younger pictures of him and I can't believe how "heavy" he looks compared to recent).

"All dogs go to heaven because, unlike people, dogs are naturally good and loyal and kind." (Whippet Angel, All Dogs Go To Heaven - ca. 1989)

Marshmallow Kids

We didn't do much this week except try to enjoy the last 70 degree days before Mother Nature threw a wicked 50 degree curve ball. She was all, "What? You like warm fall days? Well, here - wake to some frost and have a blustery little weekend." The kids went a little stir-crazy at the sitters yesterday because they have become accustomed to playing outside.every.day.no questions asked. Even this morning we thought we'd get them out while we raked up more leaves (we already have a gigantic pile of leaves in the street and half of our trees still have their leaves!). It was so cold but when I asked if they wanted to go inside or when I held the door open for them, they just turned and ran the other way. We acquired some fleece one-piece snow suit like outfits and so I thought that might keep them warm over their clothes. What I didn't know is how silly they would look or how they would move like the Stay Puff Marshmallow man!

Kelsey had to be held while dad blew the leaves,