conscientious objectors

i don't think ONE decent picture is too much to ask for having made her costume on demand. but as it was, i think this is the best i'm going to get. no staging or smoothing or plumping of the cupcake was allowed.

Liv, who lives to dress up every other day of the year, barely consented to wear anything like a costume. her stand was ironic, yes, and unexpected, but sort of awesome in that way.

miss scarlet, in the broom closet, with the candy

by the time Bim got back with the camera, they'd already stashed the goods. so much for my sweet hiding spot.

not sure if Liv is meant to be the foil here, to distract us from the candy eating, or if Ally is planning to use her as a human shield. i suspect a conspiracy.

ally's "aunt"

bit holes into her lower lip this morning. but seems to be doing just fine, if a little swollen.

friendship girls

Ally sets the scene. Liv plays along. for the most part, harmony and giggling. running, spinning and jumping. lots of pretend and lots of little copying bigger.

we're campout girls

we're sparkle girls

we're emergency girls

we're superhero girls

and my favorite, when they come out of the bedroom with their handbags and hats on:

Ally nods toward Liv. that's my aunt. we have to go shopping.

interior domestique

so....i've been doing some painting around the house.

paint is a nice way to indulge this need for change without spending much money. my generous landlord gave me the O.K., so here's what i did:

in the girls' room i used Dutch Boy's "winter retreat." everyone knows that the name of a paint color is at least as important as the actual color. Ally wanted purple and when paired with purple accents this very pale color takes on an almost lavender hue. it actually looks more lavendar in the pictures than it does in reality.

the ottoman above was orange when i bought it for $15 at a garage sale. i covered it with Heather Ross's rapunzel fabric from her far, far away line, and made some coordinating bolster pillows for the girls. some of my favorite things in the house are below: bunny! and the music box, from an estate sale, that plays three beatles tunes {yesterday, let it be, and hey, jude}. finally, the child-sized wardrobe that holds their dress-ups.

i chose light colors: (1) because i wanted them to be easily painted over when we move; and (2) because i wanted the rooms to stay bright. the new accent color in the living room is DB "Key Largo," a cheerful French blue. i painted the opposite wall into the kitchen a neutral sand color.

the "new to us" couches were a craigslist score. i've been waiting and watching for quite a while, hoping not to have to buy new furniture. i think these have many years of life left in them, so it was a happy find.

my favorite "new" room is our bedroom, in DB "modern classic." a big part of the reason it's my favorite room is that piece of art on the left, by annie gedicks. i spend a lot of time staring at it. Ally calls it the rain cloud.

and that's the tour. i have plans for a few more things to hang on the wall {right now the "headboard" is a gallery for some of Ally's art}, but i wanted to post the paint pics before...what? before i change it again.

{just kidding}

with all the cider inside her

a pumpkin patch shouldn't be hot. but if it must be hot, it shouldn't be far. but if it must be hot AND far, then it should probably be the one we visited yesterday. Halloween, you may begin.

{riley farm in yucaipa: same as last year}

halloweening with hannah

check out the sprinkles. i told them i've had those same halloween sprinkles for going on 8 years, but they didn't seem to care.

i scraped them off later, but not before Ally got {more than} a mouthful. note the black teeth.

the queen's favor

ally likes mommy kisses, not daddy kisses.
she likes daddy laughs but not mommy laughs.
dad has to get the cereal.
mom has to pour the drinks of water.

on any given day it's easy to tell which way the wind is blowing. today i sat in the living room and looked up from my book once in a while just to enjoy the voices coming from the other room:

dad dad dad dad. dad? dad dad. dad. dad? dad dad dad dad dad dad dad dad dad dad? daaaad! dad. dad.

he he he.

molding the young minds

the pediatrician {who heard it from the AAP}, says not to let the home fries watch any television until they are 2 years old. thereafter, limit them to 15 minutes a day.

the mama says, good idea. bahahahahahahahahahah!!!

does the pediatrician have any suggestions regarding how one might get one's children to speak in a british accent without kipper? or glorious gibberish without pingu? or make up songs about a pupa spontaneously without the wonderpets? or learn to narrate everything in song without the backyardigans? i ask you.

this morning when i was dressing ally, she noticed i had chosen striped underpants, striped tights and a striped shirt. "i'm all striped up! i'm disappearing in stripes!"

she suffered it until it was time to go to the library, at which time she requested that i change her back into herself. today, that meant plaid. "oh, i love squares! now i'm me again!"