truth be told, these two get along pretty darn good. which is not to say they don't have their moments of kicking and hitting and name calling, but for the most part they keep it pretty sweet. more often than not they are helping each other out, having charming little conversations, and figuring out ways to share their things. 

we happened upon these mailboxes today and thought they were pretty cute, especially that chippy yellow one. i remember for awhile when hudson was small, we kept his shoes in a mailbox on top of his dresser. eventually his shoes got too big to fit well and the mailbox got moved to the playroom instead. seeing these all lined up in a row gives me ideas for the new house. not sure exactly what but we do have a few mailboxes laying around. we'll see. 

it's hard to see in the above photos, but hudson insisted on wearing his snow boots out for a hike today in the warm california sunshine. i'm absolutely sure his feet were terribly sweaty, but he didn't complain. a good thing. 

i've been having so much fun with my pack of kiddos lately. it makes me happy. even happier than a yellow mailbox. 


 
have you heard of the elf-on-the-shelf? this is our first year doing it (in the past having done a more traditional advent) and we are having so much fun! the basic idea is that you've got your little elf, and he keeps watch on you during the day, reporting back to santa while you're sleeping. when he gets back from the north pole, he's got nothing to do because you're sleeping, so he gets up to a little mischief in the house. though i have to say, our elves are more nice than naughty--leading by example, right?

so, meet apples, sparkle and... the name of tucker's elf currently escapes me. lucy named it so it's probably something like doily or buttercup. anyway. so far this talented trio have mixed up a batch of pumpkin doughnut batter (flour everywhere!!!). the following night, each elf stitched up a pair of christmas pajama bottoms (they are messy little tailors, let me tell you). 

last night the elves pulled out all of the train track that we own, and set it up throughout the entire living room. in lucy's words it was "amazing." i simply did not believe my eyes. ;) wow, we have a whole lotta train track... "it goes around the couch!!!" 

the kids have been into bed for hours now, already the elves have done their work for tomorrow. they've papered the top of the dining table, and have sprinkled out a new set of crayon rocks. unfortunately for me they've got paper running all through the house and have made a mess of the tape. sigh. those mischievous little elves! 

seriously though, is there nothing better than the total acceptance that kids have of crazy stories and ideas? i love spinning tales for the kids so this is right up my alley. and i love that it's allowing for a more experience-driven advent rather than gift-y. there are plenty of gifts to come on christmas day, and though i do have a few things tucked away as elf gifts, they are more activity-based (like the crayons) or handmade, (like the pants). 

i hope to share more of our elf-on-the-shelf escapades, so stay tuned!
 
a bit of a detour this morning. cotton candy clouds over the golden gate bridge. two little kids in awe over something so very big. it is, after all, where humphrey swam in so long ago. they love that story. i love autumn days that feel like spring, even though it's technically teasing. (i'll take what i can get before the true cold sets in). my babies against this stunning backdrop had me in good vibes all day. 

happy weekend!
 
this little guy was long overdue for a haircut. he, however, disagreed. i stopped picking that battle long ago. so when he came to me at 7:15 this morning asking for a trim, i whipped out the scissors as fast as i could. didn't even have to bribe him with a lollipop, although he did ask for chips and an orange while i was working. lucy was happy to oblige him of that. 
it's nice to see those pretty green eyes again! i didn't get a "before" shot but trust me, they were hidden under a mess of blonde fringe. i think he's happy with the results as well. "mama! i can SEE when i'm working!" yes, good vision is important for any farmer when he's out tilling his fields at 7:30. don't you think?
*note the farmer's choice on jammies--a vintage infant sleeping gown. it's in sad shape after being a long-time first pick from the pajama drawer, but a favorite nonetheless. every time i pull it from the washer i'm thrilled to see it still intact. so sweet on my little boy, who is getting bigger by the day. three years old on tuesday!!!
 
what appears to be a facelift of sorts for our blog & website is actually a complete move to a new host/website rebuild. i'm hoping that with this more user-friendly site, blogging will be a bit less time consuming, and will rank higher on my "things i'd like to do" list instead of being at the bottom of my "things i don't want to do but should do list." i'm excited! 
we are mostly finished with halloween preparations. hudson opted to be a farmer, which made things quite easy for me. in all honesty, these photos were taken about a month ago on our first trip to the pumpkin patch. you see, hudson dresses himself this way almost every day (except the vintage cowboy shirt, which i stow away for safekeeping). he's a real farmer at heart and you can often find him outside in his boots and hat "working in the fields."

lucy, on the other hand, decided to be a "quiet fairy who delivers easter eggs." though the description was a bit ambiguous, her vision was surprisingly clear. we had lots of fun during a few thrift store adventures picking out pieces to her costume. i have yet to see it all on her together and i am looking forward to wednesday. we are hoping for no rain, though we are not that big on trick or treating. our neighborhood does not have sidewalks so most kids around here seem to go elsewhere. for my non-candy eaters, it seems silly to truck them into a different neighborhood to collect candy that we'll end up throwing away. 

i did, however, LOVE mama natural's "switch witch" idea and have been playing it up with the kids. they're fully excited to hand over any candy they get over the coming days to the sugar-lovin' witch. no idea yet what i'll give them in return, but it will be something small, as hudson's birthday is just around the corner and i'm already brainstorming ideas for the christmas elf. tis the season of stuff, no doubt!