Happy Halloween!

October was over in an instant.  And we put a giant exclamation point on the month with our Halloween night.  The weather was quite unusual with severe storms  threatening the entire trick or treat but, no fear, they held off long enough to collect plenty of candy.

Simone did an m&m theme with her friends this year.  She was the  yellow -- her favorite color.

 We also had a small Halloween dinner and celebration for the hungry trick or treat gang.

Complete with Monster Mash donuts from Sugar Shack.

The girls completed their evening by sorting their candy hauls and then  trading amongst themselves for their favorites  They covered the entire family room floor with their sweets!

And now, we've hit November -- right on the brink of the holiday season.  Yep, we're already gearing up, but also trying to savor the moments we're in.  We took a visit into DC for brunch last Sunday and then stopped by the new Reach at the Kennedy Center to check out the portrait display.

All of the portraits of injured military veterans were painted by former President Bush .  A tribute for Veteran's Day. 

The girl also took some time to explore The Reach.  They were pretty excited to prance around the giant dance studio that they had all to themselves. 

We also got a bit of a piano performance.  They pulled a small crowd to watch/listen.  Fun!

And last but not least, we enjoyed Simone's 7th grade Talent Show this past week.  She sang a medley duet of songs from the musical Annie.

The girls after the performance.

And another shot out for sushi after the show.

AWESOME Autumn!

I confess, I've been pretty horrible about keeping the blog current this season.  Seems like the older Simone gets, the more busy we are with all kinds of stuff -- school, chorus, theater, friends -- and the less down time I have to post.  But the temperatures have changed, the leaves have turned, and fall is in full swing.  We've been making the most of this glorious time of year right here in northern Virginia.

We made a visit to Cox Farm Festival with some friends. It's been a few years since we went to this event, but it was awesome to see Simone enjoying it nearly as much as she did when she was younger.

The long slide-- just like when she was a toddler.

We also had a great day at the annual Waterford Fair.  It was our first time at this event and we were impressed. We'll definitely be back next year.

 Simone tried her hand at making a painted silk scarf at the fair.

Wonderful autumn day!

We spent one Sunday afternoon in October at home throwing a fancy fall tea party.  So yummy and relaxing.

Another Sunday we went to check out the Loudoun International Festival.  Sad to say this event was a disappointment.  The crowd was robust but the vendors just didn't make a strong showing. So...

... we left quickly and made our own festival at the Delirium Cafe in Leesburg.  Poutine and a tasting flight of their season beers.  Much better!

We also spent a day at some Virginia wineries in October.  Perfect day out without the kids!

Even though we prefer wine, Bear Chase Brewery was a very pleasant surprise.  Great atmosphere!


Such amazing colors this time of year.  VA foliage never disappoints.

Visited Middleburg last Saturday and had a great brunch at Side Saddle Cafe.  So fresh and yummy! Also picked up some wonderful fresh meats from their butchery.

And every road leads us right back home when we're finished having fun.  It's such a great time of year to explore and enjoy everything our area has to offer.

Let's Catch Up!!

It's been quite a while since I posted, but it's not for lack of exciting things to share.  We had a wonderful finish to our summer and the school year has been off to a racing start. Pretty much every weekend of August and September has brought us some sort of memorable event. It's hard to believe that Simone is already half way through her first quarter of SEVENTH GRADE.

So here's a quick summary...

After a little recuperation from our Irish adventures, Simone had a fabulous trip to Disney with her cousins in August.  We visited all four Disney parks, and Simone and Seleste were inseparable all week long!

 It was melting hot, but all of the parks were great fun.  We hit all of our favorite rides, and  we also finally got to see the new Avatar land and rides.

And the fun didn't stop there.  Seleste flew back to VA with us and spent the rest of the week as Simone's cousin-sister.  Here they are at the pool one evening.

We also had our annual Watermine day in August, but shockingly, I didn't get a single photo.

And then just like that -- summer was over.  7th Grade was upon us.  Here's a shot of Simone on her first day.

Next, we had a terrific visit from some college friends in late August and took a hike down to the river.  

 We marched steadily through September with Labor Day weekend, a play at the Woolly Mammoth Theater in DC, and ... are you ready for this!?!

SIMONE TURNED TWELVE YEARS OLD!!!

Today we celebrated her 12th birthday.  She had one of her friends sleep over last night and woke up to red velvet pancakes for breakfast in the gazebo (per her request).  By lunch time the rest of the gang arrived for pizza, wings and cake.  And then off to Exit Plan for an escape room game.

The party theme was matched to the title of the escape room -- A Matter of Time.

 Finally, the girls made a stop at local store for a sweet treat.  As I type, Simone is slipping back into a regular Sunday night routine, studying for her French test with a bowl of mac and cheese.  LOL!

And there you have it, all caught up.