Halloween

Porter was a robber 

Liesl ended up going as a Halloween Princess 

the sign said "please don't knock, thank you" so the kids rang the door bell

Baby John

Porter and the mustache

Liesl the Fairy

This is the third and final post in the Liesl's Halloween Costume Saga.  

Liesl and I went to the fabric store where she found some adult size butterfly wings and decided she wanted to be a butterfly fairy.  I didn't get any photos of her with the wings on because they kind of just flop and after a few minutes she is over them.  

the girl can't resist a puddle 

later on at a party she turned in to a fairy cat

Liesl the Bat

For some reason Liesl ends up with multiple Halloween costumes every year.  Costume number one was my old witch costume .  The bat is costume number two, inspired by her good friend Lila who is also a bat this year.  I just finished costume number three this evening, it is a butterfly fairy thing.  Not sure what she will wear on the big night, we will see.

Baby Boy

My sister's new baby boy was born this morning at home just 20 min after Liesl and I got there!

pictures from my trip

all photos in this post were taken with my dad's old minolta

a book and coffee in Portland 

on the train, happy to meet up with Jason in Seattle

our bed at the Ace

Seattle Public Library - see jason?

Disney California Adventure Ticket Giveaway*

And the winner is commenter number...

Congratulations Marie!  Email me at urbanhousewifeblog at gmail.com so I can get them to you ASAP!

The folks at Disney gave me two 1-day passes to Disney California Adventure to check out their new nighttime party elecTRONica.

• Buildings in Hollywood Pictures Backlot will be mapped with “TRON: Legacy” images. Light cycles will zoom across the building facades, while other dynamic images from the film fill the street.
• Before entering the studio area, guests will pass under the iconic Recognizer, the vigilant sentry on the lookout for unclassified “Programs” in the digital world of “TRON: Legacy.” With smoke and lights emanating from it, this ever-watchful vehicle seems to hover above the ground as it scans those who pass below.
• At the center of the party is a DJ platform, complete with a laser beam beckoning guests of all ages to the fun. Here, professional DJs will keep the energy going with electronic party music while dancers costumed as “Sirens" and “Programs” from the movie rock out at locations throughout the party.
• Also appearing on the Backlot Stage adjoining the dance floor will be Laserman, a performer who does amazing tricks to music with impressive lasers and light.
• Near the dance floor, guests will find a re-creation of Flynn’s Video Arcade, a key location in the adventure of “TRON: Legacy.” At Flynn’s, gamers will shoot for the highest scores as they enjoy classic 1980s arcade games. Outside the Arcade, guests will be able to play the unreleased “TRON: Evolution” video games for popular home consoles, and take part in a nightly tournament. The new video games, which feature the iconic light cycles and light discs in stories that bridge the gap between the two TRON films, will be released on December 7.
• Guests will get an extended glimpse of the upcoming film at “TRON: Legacy, Exclusive 3D Sneak Peek” (presented in the venue which, by day, houses Muppet*Vision 3D). The 3D preview has special effects exclusive to this theater.
• Guests will be able to purchase food from a specially-themed food truck, along with glowing alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at the End of Line Club, inspired by an iconic new location in the world of “TRON: Legacy.”

This sounds like a lot of fun but, we are so busy we just can't find a free weekend to get up there to visit.   The tickets are valid through November 8, 2010.  If you would like a chance to win these tickets just leave a comment.  If you want more than one chance to win, blog about it and leave me another comment letting me know you did with a link.  I will use random.org to select the winner on Tuesday Oct. 19th at 8PM.

Mickey's Halloween Party

Once again the kind folks at Disney gave us the opportunity to check out their Halloween celebrations.  This year it was moved to Disneyland from Disney California Adventure.  Here are some of the fun activities we got to experience at the new Mickey's Halloween Party.

• Trick or Treating in the ultimate Disney neighborhood, with even more treats along “Mickey’s Hide-and-Go-Treat Trails”
• New dance parties – at Tomorrowland Terrace and the French Market
• The “Halloween Screams” fireworks spectacular, hosted by “Master of Scare-omonies”
  Jack Skellington (presented exclusively for guests of Mickey’s Halloween Party)

• New surprises in “Mickey’s Costume Party” cavalcade, performed twice nightly
• Character photo locations featuring Mickey and his pals, princesses and other favorites
• The opportunity to arrive three hours before the party starts to play in Disneyland

The kids wanted to go trick-or-treating right away but, I wanted to check out the Haunted Mansion first.  We got into the elevator, the first part of the ride, and Porter started freaking out and crying so, Jason had to take him out.  Liesl and I stayed and it was so fun to see how they decorated it.  I had heard about it before and was really happy to be able to check it out for myself.  

the entrance to the Haunted Mansion

Porter with his light up spinning toy

the firework display was set to music from all of the Disney villians

During the fireworks Porter turned to me and said "fireworks are not good for the environment, look at all that smoke"  I just said you're right Porter but, they are beautiful to watch.  We had a really fun time ridding on the rides and dancing to the music.  

Liesl was looking at a glass Cinderella carriage 

DISCLAIMER: I was comped Mickey's Halloween Party tickets for me and my family.  These are my opinions and I received no monetary compensation for writing this review.

Tre

catching up

I spent two days in Portland last week visiting my old roommate and her beautiful daughter.  The last time I saw her I was pregnant with Liesl so, it had been a while.  It was really nice to visit and just hang out with out taking care of my own kids too.  Here are a few photos of Adelaide.