Getting ready to Trick or Treat.  Cutest cupcake and butterfly you will ever see!

 Eating the goods

 Handing out candy with daddy

 Grandma was actually the official candy hander outer while Chris and I took the girls around the neighborhood.

Anxiously awaiting the cookies- love Lena in the background with her nose pressed to the oven door.

We had so much fun with Maddie and Lena on Halloween this year.  Trick or Treating was on Thursday night, which is a little strange, but thank goodness it was!  The girls were ready to go!  They have been talking about their costumes for almost a month.  We rehearsed what they would do and what they would say (knock on the door, say "trick or treat," get a piece of candy, say "thank you").  I took a video of the last rehearsal, but I can't get it on the blog.  We came home with a pumpkin full of candy that M and L have already forgot about.  Then they sat outside with dad for a little while and passed our candy to the last few trick or treaters.

Grandma Parmentar came for trick or treating and stayed for a couple days.  She made cookies with the girls and let them help stir and decorate.  Each girl put every piece of candy on one cookie, and then they ate the rest.  They were so excited to see the final product that they stood with their faces pressed against the oven door. 

 I was holding both girls and trying to stick my head in the hole, too.  They are so heavy!

 Ouch!

 petting the tiger

 tickling the tiger

 roaring like a tiger (or whining, I can't remember)

Chris had Monday off work, and the temperature was summer like.  So, we packed up and made another trip to the zoo.  This was our first time without the wagon.  M and L listened pretty well and stayed close to us.  They were more interested in climbing on the statues than seeing any animals.  I love the picture of Lena giggling with her hand to her mouth.  She had been tickling the statue of the tiger, and she thought it was really funny. We had one quick biting incident (as documented in the second photo), but beyond that we had two well behaved two year olds.  We unfortunately seem to capture these poor behaviors on camera quite often, but I typically choose not to post those pictures.  I want everyone to think my children are angels.  One day M and L will look back at this blog, and I want them to know that they really were a handful.  They will need to know for when they have children of their own. 

Side note:  The world record setting 24-foot-long boa constrictor we saw Monday passed away last night from a tumor.

We really do look alike, don't we?

Chris is gone for a long four days this week/weekend, so the girls and I have had loads of time to ourselves.  Last weekend, my precious Lena was gone.  I don't know where she went, but some sort of evil child took her place.  She was in full terrible two force.  She went in time out after time out, but she didn't care.  She was completely disobedient, mean to her sister, and doing things that were unsafe.  We had a solid three day stretch where Chris and I almost lost our minds.  But now- thank goodness since I am on my own- my little sweetheart is back.  The tough thing about twins is that they always copy each other.  Maddie was starting to pull some stunts that she had seen Lena performing, but we seem to have settled back down this week.  

I know it seems crazy, but I am already trying to get a jump start on Christmas shopping.  Yesterday and today M, L, and I have been perusing the toy isles.  They love this!  They now ask, "Please, mommy, please!!" for everything.  They don't get upset when they don't get it...yet.  We just keep moving on and looking at other things.  Lena tells me, "Mommy, I need it!"  Who knows where she heard this!?!

All in all, we have had a great time this week.  This afternoon we just laid low and played at the house.  The pictures are of the girls playing with their version of paper dolls.  I remember having those when I was younger.  They actually were paper, and they had little tabs you would fold behind the doll to keep her outfit in place.  M and L were showing me different emotions while I was taking their picture.

Saturday night our friends/neighbors had an Octoberfest party.  The guys wore German hats, but somehow Chris' looked like more of a pimp hat.  The kids ate pizza, and there was some serious German food for the adults.  I can't remember the German names, but there was rabbit, fried veal, potato salad, and chocolate cake.  Lots of German beer, too.  We have the best group of neighbors on our little cul de sac that you could ask for!