Halloween (updated)

Carina and Natalie were raccoons for Halloween. Laura's parents have been pestered by raccoons stealing their cats' food for years, and Ned has taken up the hobby of shooting the raccoons with an air rifle (it doesn't hurt the raccoons, but it does scare them) when they sneak on to his deck to steal the food. The girls thought it would be funny to dress up as raccoons and show up on Ned and Marilyn's deck.

Once Natalie started getting candy, she really got into the act. She has perfected the angry raccoon snarl. Take a look.

Here is shot of the girls with their haul. (And Natalie giving her trademark Raccoon snarl.)

Both girls have been devouring the candy as fast as we'll let them. Natalie is especially fond of the lollipops; she likes to lick them down to about half their normal size, and then leave them sitting around the house (perhaps she's creating stashes for later consumption?). We've found her half eaten lollipops on the family room floor, the stairs, the master bathroom countertop, etc.

Tiger Mountain

Yesterday we went for a hike on Tiger Mountain, which is a few miles from our home. We walked about three miles on various trails, including the "Swamp Trail" and the "Around the Lake Trail." The girls had a great time, especially running ahead a little ways, hiding behind a tree, and then jumping out and shouting "Boo!" at us when we'd walk by. We passed many deer trails that went off into the woods, which the girls called "tiger trails." Just as we were finishing our hike, and came in sight of the parking lot, Natalie dropped on to her knees, let out a few tears, and said in a disappointed voice "Ohhh, I didn't see any tigers..."

The State Fair

We went to the state fair a couple weeks ago. The girls loved the rides, the animals and the food. We also enjoyed "mutton bustin," which features 3 to 5 year old kids seeing how long they can ride on the backs of sheep, as well as the human cannonball.