Are you registered to vote?

Are you registered to vote? No? Maybe? Not sure? Voter registration in the state of Colorado ends this coming Monday Oct 6th, and many other states are closing in on their deadlines as well. Here is a great site to check on your registration, get registered and find out about early or mail in voting options. If you live in Colorado, everyone is being strongly encouraged to do early or mail in voting. The ballot this year is a monster, and voting lines will be long. I know the prospect of standing in line for hours with a two year old is not a pleasant one for me, so I will be mailing in a ballot.

Go make sure that you are registered and ready to vote in this critical election year.

https://www.voteforchange.com

It's party time

I love throwing birthday parties, especially kid parties. My girls' birthdays are both in the next few weeks and we are definitely in party planning mode around here. Sarah's first few birthday parties were rather obscene spectacles of goofy parent over indulgence. (Here I will absolve Pete from any part in them, it was completely all my doing! Thank you for dealing with me Pete!)

For example for Sarah's second birthday we rented out a playground and got a bouncy obstacle course. We had a craft station where kids each received a coloring book that I had made to feature Sarah and my Elmo theme. We had enough food to feed about 100 people ( there we 50 of us) and I made 6 dozen chocolate chip cookies with the number 2 and the letter "s" on them.

In the last three years, I have definitely calmed down a lot. I want our girls to have very special birthdays, but we no longer have 50+ people there to celebrate them.

So what are we doing this year?

Both girls are inviting just 5 friends and their cousins. Sarah (turning 6) is having a pj party. The kids are going to play 3-4 PJ or sleeping theme games. One is a Princess in the Pea challenge. Each team will get 5 blankets, half the cushions from our couch and 4 pillows. They will have to race the other team in making the tallest bed that one of their teammates can lay on without the bed falling down. The girls are also going to paint pillowcases (these will be their favors) and make their own pizzas for dinner.

Emily (turning 3) is having a Dora pumpkin party (its Halloween time). The kids are going to wear their costumes and play traditional games like bobbing for apples as well as some Dora theme games like "pin the pumpkin Dora." They are also going to have a Dora challenge where the kids will follow Dora's map to find the birthday cake. Emily (who is dressing up as Dora) will have a back pack filled with three things to help the kids on their mission. I haven't quite figured out what the obstacles will be - maybe a fake lake to "swim" across or a mountain (aka the stairs) to climb. If you have any ideas please share them with me!

It is so fun to be planning these parties with the kids. They both have been very involved in every decision this year, agonizing over pink vs purple plates and which games to play. I think planning the parties and working together to get everything ready has really let them know that it is indeed their special day that is coming up. I'll let you know how the parties turn out.

My favorite things about Fall

Fall has definitely arrived in Denver. The leaves are amazing shades of red, orange and yellow. The sky is a clear backdrop of stunning blue and the mornings are crisp and cool. Emily and I walk Sarah to school each day. We have been watching certain trees' progressions into Fall. The first tree we spotted with yellow leaves is almost bare now, and the maples have burst into brilliant reds.
I don't remember loving Fall this much as a child. Maybe it was because I saw it each year and took it for granted. After having lived for 11 years in Miami as an adult, I now long for and savor each Fall. I know I drive Pete nuts as we drive around town. I am constantly pointing out trees of various colors, leaves falling, blooming mums and pumpkins adorning people's front steps. (Recently I pointed out a brown leafed tree, and Pete informed me that it has been dead all summer).
Anyway, I love it! I decorated our house a few weeks ago with Fall wreaths, yellow mums and pumpkins. There are two scarecrows sitting on my front swing whom Sarah has named Rose and Bushy. The kitchen has gone into Fall mode as well. I have started making those comfort foods that our whole family loves like beef stroganoff, chili and cornbread and roasted turkey. Yum!
With all the things there are to love about Fall - here are 5 of my favorites. What would your 5 favorites be?
1. Einstein Bagels pumpkin muffin and pumpkin bagel
2. Walking on crunchy fallen leaves
3. Pulling out my favorite sweaters
4. Hot apple cider
5. Harvest festivals