Happy Halloween!

After changing her costume from Wolf to Beagle to Police Dog to Eagle Handler, Willa finally settled on Fox. As for Witch Jia, when people asked whether she was good or bad, she learned she gets extra candy if she emphatically says, "Bad!"

Strindberg and Banh Mi

Joe and I had a fun date night: Banh mi at Lu's and Strindberg's Miss Julie at the American Swedish Institute! The show was "intimate theater" in the way Strindberg envisioned it. It was just a few dozen people and we were right on stage with the actors! It was fantastic. They even had a Strindberg dress-up area!

Fire-Breathing Gerbils

Jia's soccer team (the Fire-Breathing Gerbils) had an award ceremony tonight. Jia's coaches talked about how she's always smiling and how she lobbies hard to play defense!

Jia received this award, and she was commended on her fearlessness and resolve when facing players twice her size. I love her coaches (and their clip art)!

Lots o' leaves

Leaf piles are one of the many reasons why fall is my favorite season.

Half-Haunted Halloween

We attended the Half-Haunted Halloween event at Wood Lake Nature Center. Willa dressed as an Eagle Handler! Jia was a witch.

 Jia is checking out the car she made.

Making a bug catcher!

National Eagle Center

We had an absolutely fabulous time at the National Eagle Center today with cousin Han and our friends Susie and Katie. We learned so much about eagles and saw a terrific show (the kids' favorite part was when the eagle pooped right in front of us)! We also enjoyed the gorgeous fall colors and the Sept Ober Fest displays!

Harvest Hoedown

Tonight was Jia's favorite event at her favorite place: the Harvest Hoedown at Gale Woods Farm. We jumped on hay bales, fed animals, made apple cider and s'mores, and most importantly, did lots of dancing! Jia said, "Mama, I love tonight even more than Christmas or my birthday!"

Fall Fun

We had a good time with friends at the Family Fun Walk for the girls' school.

We enjoyed seeing Aunt Sandy as well!

 

 

Willa decided on a new way to play ping pong:

And Jia chose the flute as her instrument for band!

Fort Snelling State Park

We visited Fort Snelling State Park on a cold and dreary day...and we ended up having a great hike! It included hiding in trees, finding shells and skipping stones on the mighty Mississippi!

 We brought our friend and neighbor, Katarina, along with us.

What's up with the pigs?

I thought I'd do an update on our guinea pigs as I finally finished painting their sign. We adore these sweet, funny creatures! We built them a snazzy new cage, a tunnel/bunk bed, a fleece forest, an outdoor pen, and the girls have grand plans for outfits (we'll see...). Our dog STILL doesn't realize they live here, but as you can see from the pictures, our cat sure does!