Halloween Food

We are hosting the family for Halloween again this year. So, in an effort to get the kids to eat something before heading out and gorging on sugar, we're trying to get some interesting Halloween food ideas.

Here are some things I have come across . . . (Note: if you have a weak stomache, you may want to by-pass this post!)

First up is an appetizer of alien tentacles.

And monster eye balls.

Okay, not so bad, you say?

How about moving on to the main dishes of fleshworm? Complete with oozing guts?

Mice in blood?

Rat on a stick??

And finish things off with some delightful desserts . . .

Thorax cake (7 different cakes and toppings).

Gelatin heart . . . that oozes blood when you cut into the artery.

Not sure any of these will end up on our menu. But, if you want them on your plate, check out this_site.

Sleepless

At 3:30 am. At 4:00 am.

At 2 pm.

2:05 pm.

2:07 pm.

Last night was rough. Between Liv crying . . . and playing . . . and eating (really??) and Avery falling out of bed and finding her way into ours . . . and Guillermo barking at the cyotes roaming through our neighbourhood . . . few people got any sleep in our house.

Little Liv

Little Liv.

Such a bright light in a day of crazy kids. (Today was a PA day, fyi.)

But as she was feeding cereal to her little lamb, I couldn't help but smile and be thankful for my sweet little kids. Or at the very least, for being reminded how sweet they can be (as wild screams and thumps were heard above for most of the day.)

Cousins

Since I am SO behind on blogging these days . . . here is a snipet of what we did this summer!

We had my brother and his family come out to visit.

It was really fun to see them all (it had been over two years since they last visited) and it was neat to see Eve and Avery get along so famously.

Here are a couple of pictures I snapped of them trading secrets and having an afternoon slumber party!

Avery

Taking some pictures yesterday in our backyard.

Granted, the setting wasn't ideal, but the light looked nice, and it had been a while since I took some photos!

Also, trying out some new editing techniques . . . what do you think?

Reading Buddy

All my kids have been into reading. However, none have been quite as excited to hear the word, "book" as Liv is.

She can hardly contain herself and runs to grab one and hops into her reading chair. Often, Guillermo comes in to hear as well.

Lake Fairy

Timeless Family Photos

Well, it's that time of year that as photographers we are busy racking our brains and the web for inspiring new ideas for family photos.

Family photos can be stressful enough, hoping that everyone is in good spirits and that they will smile. It's a pity that clothing choices can add more strain to the already stressed parent. How do make sure that everyone is coordinated without being too matchy? Clothing that has enough interest without being busy or distracting for the real subjects. Trendy but not so much that the photo soon becomes dated? It is a delicate balance that gets further complicated by the addition of more and more family members.

Fear not.

I came across some inspiration for some family photos . . . in case any of you are stuck trying to find a coordinating wardrobe for your next photo. This photographer seemed to have avoided it all and made sure that clothing did not distract--or date--this family photo. Just an idea, for those of you who feel constricted in cotton! ;)

I can't wait to try this out in a session. Any volunteers? (Serioulsy, just kidding!)