Heaton Happenings

The pictures really don't do it justice. You just need to come and experience it yourself. It is so bright and crisp and clean. We still have some work to do in here, like the fluorescent lighting needs to go and we need some crown molding, but I am so very, very pleased with how the cabinets turned out.

We are trying to get Eleanor to stop walking on her tip toes all the time because her heel cords are tightening up, but that is like asking a bird not to fly. So we bought her some cowboy boots for her birthday in the hopes that they will keep our little ballerina's feet planted a little more.
We saw this costume on clearance at Target and Sullivan just had to have it. He doesn't really know who Captain America is, but he doesn't care as long as it is a superhero. This picture below is not an action shot. This was how he posed for me when I asked to take his picture. Oh and he kept telling us, "Look, I Captain Cacerica." Awww, the cuteness!
And one more super good pose.
Little boys are just superheroes in disguise. - Art Moms
 And Penelope couldn't be left out. :)

We had so much fun trick or treating, especially Eleanor. She just couldn't contain her excitement. It was just bubbling out of her in the form of skipping, giggling and impossibly high-pitched squeals of delight. I wish my camera was faster because I tried to get a picture of her running up to me with her face alight with delight but I had to settle for one of her falling at my feet and tugging at my pants because she was so happy.
This was Sullivan's first Halloween that he really knew what was going on and he had soooo much fun. In fact, almost daily he asks if we can go trick or treating again when it is dark outside. I had fun sorting the candy with the kids. It was a good wind down activity and then I could easily remove most of the candy bars to freeze for later after they had gone to bed. We still have way too much candy! I think we will go to less houses next year.

My cute kiddos with an oh-so-excited nephew in the background. (I think he was really having fun, just acting bored. He is 15 after all.)
My Grandpa Cox used to buy us birthday cakes at Albertsons and bring it over and say "I baked it myself." (I so miss his laugh that would come after that statement!) My favorite cake that he would bring was a white layer cake with a raspberry filling between the layers, so I thought I would do that myself. But then I thought, why use store-bought raspberry jam when I can use homemade Nanking Cherry jam. Oh, it was heavenly. My wonderful husband who doesn't eat cake. Ever. Loved it!
I think that Penelope had a wonderful day and she is very happy to be 7.

We didn't even plant these small pumpkins. They were all volunteers from the compost. We were so glad we had them though. We donated pumpkins for Penelope's 1st grade class to paint, and Eleanor's preschool class and still had 40 left over, which we used for a Halloween party that we had at our house. It doesn't look like it but there were over 80 little pumpkins in the wheelbarrow.
We have had such a beautiful fall. Sure, we have had plenty of windy days but overall it has just been gorgeous! Eleanor and Penelope both played soccer this year and we had great weather. Morgan co-coached Eleanor's team and I coached Penelope's. And I have been absolutely terrible about using my camera the past few months so I have no pictures unfortunately. The same is true of our super fun Halloween party. My friend LaDonna was just appalled that I had not taken pictures, so I am making up for it now. :)
 Happy Fall!

Of course, everyone had to try the swim cap on, even Morgan. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of Morgan with it on. That would have been blackmail worthy.

Penelope has been honing her make-up skills. This is her batman mask she created for Eleanor. It took half an hour to get the makeup off but it was lots of fun while it lasted.
We had lots of fun this summer but it has now ended, all too soon, and Penelope is back to school. My big first grader.

Penelope played her first note on the viola yesterday. It took her 2 months to get there but it was so great! She has been working really hard. I need to get a little video of her playing her "D." Such a little thing but still so much fun. Penelope is also in a little group called "Strings 'N Things." They performed "I am a Child of God" at a community Easter concert a couple of Sundays ago and Penelope got to do a little solo. She sang the first verse by herself and I was so impressed that she just stepped up to the mic when it was time and sang just like we had practiced. Strings 'N Things is doing a benefit concert on May 9th. The younger kids, including Penelope, are doing 3 or 4 singing numbers and then we will have a variety of violin/viola pieces and other singing pieces. ( am so excited for my part. I get to sing "Pie Jesu" with the violins.)

Eleanor is just waiting for the day when she can start taking viola too. She brought the ukulele up to me the other day so I could help her put it under her chin like I do for Penelope's viola. She and I are starting to work on pre-school stuff at home and she is looking forward to being in real pre-school next fall.

We moved Sullivan to a big-boy bed about 2 weeks ago and he loves it! I think he sleeps better than he did in his crib. This week is spring break and I am going to try potty training with him this week while I have nothing else going on. Everyone fingers crossed!!
Sullivan's favorite thing right now is being a super hero. He "flies" around the house in his cape that Grandma gave him shooting bad guys and talking about his powers. The other day I was on the floor being his horse. He climbed on and then almost immediately, hopped back off, grabbed his gun and put it in his waistband on his pants. He then swaggered back over to me, cowboy style, hopped back on my back, said "giddy-up" in a low, gravely voice and then jumped back off before I could even move; shooting bad guys. It is so much fun to have a boy.
 Of course, this happens a lot too.
  It must be because he has 2 older sisters that love to dress up.

We used to have green couches in the movie room. They were given to us by another friend who didn't want them anymore. (I'm seeing a pattern here.) I really didn't want to get rid of them because they are good couches, so I decided we could have a really fun (and comfortable) double couch on the other side of the basement by the playroom.
The kids are totally loving this! They have been playing in here and we read books in here. Aaron was thinking that we should have just done this all along. That would be the best movie couch ever! But it is going to stay where it is. The girls even slept in it last night and I told them they could sleep there all of spring break too. So fun!!! (Notice the lack of décor? Yep. I have plans for this wall though that will be happening soon.)
The moral of the story is: Other people's junk + hard work = fun for the whole family