The kids love when Daddy reads to them in the hammock. I love it too. It's nice when they're occupied and I get a break in the evening.

I bought face paint for our Halloween Party!!! No one used it at the party- but Scarlet and Brighton have been having the time of their life using it! I let Scarlet paint my face and I can think of no fonder memory! I seriously loved it so much. 

Scarlet and Marius have a sweet bond. Scarlet sings to him and talks to him and he just smiles and wiggles his body. It is the sweetest!

Marius, by far, is the easiest baby we've ever had. He is a dream. He's almost NEVER fussy- and I mean never. He's just happy and content all the time and we all love him so much. The kids are absolutely OBSESSED with him. Scarlet is always telling me how much she loves him and Brighton can hardly contain himself when he sees Marius. He just comes running to him screaming, "MARIUS!!!!" He seriously LOVES him. I can almost never put him on the ground because of the fear of Brighton. Everytime I leave the room when Brighton is there, I almost always regret it. I'll leave Marius on the mat and come back and he's a foot OFF the mat. Hmm . . . Even when I'm IN the room! I'll be putting the dishes away and he's in the bouncer and I look over and Brighton is about to poke something in his eye or is hugging him from behind and literally strangling him! It's so difficult. Marius is 4 months old. The last week he has been going 12+ hours without a feed at night and only eating every four hours during the day- 4 feeds total. I've been waiting for this to happen. It just makes life easier. We put him down by 8pm and he usually sleeps 'til 5am and wakes again at 6am. Someday he will sleep all the way through. I just don't know when.

He is ALWAYS sucking and chewing on his hands. I mean ALWAYS. It is really cute and keeps him really wet and slobbery.

I threw a Halloween Party today!!! 12 kids came and all their parents and a few nannies. I decorated the door-

and the house-

Scarlet dressed up as Elsa, from Frozen and Brighton was Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I put on ears and a tail, painted my face and said I was a wolf.

This guy is soooo cute.

The kids and I made and frosted cookies together. They loved it.

I made playdough for party favors.

We did a Jack o Lantern craft!

Pin the Nose on the Jack o Lantern-

I didn't get a picture of the bean bag toss. I made a big Jack o Lantern with holes for eyes, nose, etc and the kids tossed bean bags through them for candy. It was the BEST!!! They LOVED it. I also had a playdough station with Halloween cookie cutters and it got a lot of play too. It was a complete success! I don't know when I've been less stressed about hosting a big playdate or party. It was so much fun! I planned it really well, where I made the cookies and froze them, 3 weeks prior. I made the crafts and games weeks earlier. I just did it all one by one, and really paced myself so that when the week came, everything was finished. I had the WORST TIME trying to make playdough. I kept messing it up and I was losing my mind. I seriously wasted POUNDS and POUNDS of flour and RAN OUT OF ORANGE FOOD COLORING!!! So they playdough and frosting was green! Bummer. Would've been so cute if it was orange. Oh well. But I FINALLY mastered it, just the night before. Thank goodness. It's an amazing recipe and really easy. I was so excited about the give away, but no one seemed to care. Playdough here SUCKS, so I really thought it was a nice gift! Better than candy, which I HATE taking home. Oh well, atleast I figured out how to make it and now my kids and I can enjoy it. By the end I was so exhausted I thought, I don't wanna have a Christmas Party. But now that time has passed- I will. Everyone had such a good time! The kids LOVED IT! Scarlet was really upset when it ended and didn't want anyone to leave. I was so glad, because she usually gets so tense in crowded playdates. Before the party we rehearsed all the games and had her practice. It wasn't planned, it just sort of happened and I think it REALLY helped her feel more comfortable and less shy about doing the games in front of others. It was great! The kids are getting more and more comfortable now, and it's been a major problem in the past. 

When I look at the whole thing, I'm quite amazed it all happened! It all looked so nice and came together so smoothly. If it weren't for the playdough fiasco, I'd say it went perfectly! There were so many things, I wasn't sure would work out- like the decorations, and then I just figured it out the day before and it looked so great! Normally I really stink at that stuff and it all looked so good! I was so excited! And the kids loved it. I'm still in awe at the whole thing. I think I'm still not over the difference I feel in no longer being pregnant. It wore me down so much, and lasted so long- I forgot  it wasn't normal. It was so hard, just to get out of the house last year. I'm like Superwoman, now, compared to last year.

I really wanted to do a party for the kids, because it's not a Holiday here. If they didn't get it here, they wouldn't get it anywhere and I think it's important! Everyone seemed to really have a good time, which felt good. They Mom's were taking pictures of their kids doing everything and that made me just feel really good. It's weird, here, without church. I'm never serving anyone. No one asks you for anything here, because they pay people to do EVERYTHING. It doesn't matter if you're sick, because your cook still makes your dinner, your housekeep still cleans your laundry and your nannie still takes care of your kids. So it's weird. I guess this is the one way I can think of serving someone outside of our family.

Well, I'm exhausted.