Pumpkin patch (one month late)

Well, better late than never. This seems so long ago! I'll state the facts I can remember. My in-laws were in town for M's birthday and we decided to show them some pumpkin fun. The day was cool and breezy but we managed (helped eating lunch in the van and out of the wind). The person holding the kid is me and the kid is M. There were multiple types of slides and I think the kids tried them all several times. By far, the favorite activity was the hay ride. The line was too long to repeat.

The face paint was out and it was up to you to do the painting. New concept for me but we went with it. No close ups to show our talents. The kids are always playing "slug bug" so thought it was cute there was an orange one just waiting to be photographed.

The fall colors here was wonderful!!! Now there are hardly any leaves left at all.

Kids are pictured in front of the prize winning pumpkin. Yes, it is real.

Family shot. I guess I should have been in black or orange but I feel that purple is a Halloween color too. Not much of a post but at least there are cute pics of the kiddos.

85 and counting

My grandfather turned 85 on Nov 2ND. We had a family gathering of his kids, grand kids and great grand kids. There were 19 of us- everyone was present. We all stayed in one cabin in Pigeon Forge, TN. The company and weather were both great! It was a short visit but worth the 8 hr drive. R and me on self timer mode.

Me and my grandfather. He was all decked out for Halloween!

Anakin Skywalker and a glam pirate. The kids got to trick-or-treat in our cabin with different family members behind each door. Great way to go - not too cold and the candy is safe. Plus they had mummy dogs, create your own spider web pizza and hot chocolate with shaped marshmallows. There were also decorations hanging. My family did a wonderful job of celebrating Halloween cabin style.

Don't think we fit all 85 candles.

Group shot. I'm sure I drove them all crazy about taking a group shot but hey it was about 17 yrs ago that we were in the same place at the same time. Too bad I'm not alittle better with self timer but no one else even knew how to work theirs!

I'm slowly catching up. Soon to come- M's birthday and pumpkin patch.

Wrestler Boobs

No pic to go with this post. Just the one in your head. The other morning, A got into bed with us (like they do every weekend morning) and asked R why his boobs were so big. R did have a shirt on. A said "they look like wrestler boobs." He wanted to know if R had been working out and if he was wearing a bra. Where does he come up with these things?!

Billy Goat Trail

Saturday I decided that since the weather was so wonderful , we were going to do something outside. My kids did not want to go but I made them anyway. We went hiking at Great Falls. The trees are beautiful but starting to fade and drop many, many leaves.

Well, we turned onto the first trail we saw without reading the info. The beginning was not too bad but then it got real rocky. The kids LOVED it and were jumping from rock to rock which made my heart skip a few beats. In this pic you can see M jumping.

After we returned and read the flyer, we realized it read "Strenuous. It is a very physically demanding trail. Scrambling over angled rocks, boulders and climbing are required." Good thing we didn't read it first. No wonder people passing us would say "Your kids are doing a great job." The kids would go back today if we let them. It will take R and I a few days to recover!

Looking down onto the Potomac .

We were having a contest to see whom could find the largest leaf. I won! That is my leaf the kids are holding. Looks like we have more hiking in our future.

Gymnastics Fun

M with Justin
M with Joey

I know it has been way too long since the last post and I have lots to update. Today is a quick post about M's exciting gymnastics class last night. She got to hear a talk and question/ answer time with Justin Spring from the Men's Olympic Gymnastics Team. The gym where she does her class is where he started many years ago. Two of his same coaches are at the gym still. The kids were so thrilled that he was there. There were also 2 of the other team members, Jonathon and Joey. They didn't talk much since it was Justin's "home" gym. She did get all three of there signatures. He really inspired all the kids, so looks like we will continue to have lots of money going to the gym. She is currently in a developmental class that is 2 hours once a week- one hour of gymnastics and one hour of conditioning. This class should lead to pre-team which leads to team (those are the one that go to competitions). This for us is no time soon, if ever. We just want her to have fun.

These were the best shots I could get. It was very crowded and no time for individual shots with each guy.

School Days

School has started and we are all excited!!! M got the teacher she was hoping for and A got the only Kindergarten teacher the school has. First day of school and backpacks are loaded with all the supplies to start the year. A really was excited but he is in that stage of the forced smile. Here is a great shot of his hair. Yes, it is still growing. The last cut was in March before pre-K class pictures and before the desire to look like a Jonas brother. I told him as long as it does not pass M's, we'll let him keep the style he pleases. He is picky about his hair and only likes the way he brushes it. Not long ago, he was brushing it after a bath and when he finished said "now I look good". He is also a fan of hair gel and will apply it independently.
R and the kids right before walking to school. They were glad he was able to walk them on their first day. It is nice to start the school year and know that you are not going to move in 2 months.



I love being able to walk to and from school. M loves everything about school! A's favorite part so far has been riding the bus home and P.E. Here when you are in Kinder, you are allowed to ride the bus one way regardless of the distance your house is from school. We are close so A is the 2nd stop once it leaves schoool. He is probably on the bus 5 minutes or less but loving it anyway. It drops him off at the end of our street which is nice since later each day he has to walk with me to get M at the end of her day. Half day Kinder is a good way to ease me into both kids in school. I have found plenty to do with my time. Monday I help in the copy room the entire time he is in class and Fri I will be in helping out with other school projects. Plus, I am the Membership Committee for PTA and will help with lots of other PTA projects.

Where did August go?

I can't believe August is over! It seemed to fly by. We stayed busy with lots of activities. Most exciting of all was that R was home for 3 of those weeks and still has one more before he leaves for his next trip! The kids and I have all loved having him home. My pics are out of order time wise but didn't want to start over. We have found a new golf and putt putt place not far from our house. The balls have micro-chips in them and can tell you how far you hit the ball. Plus, it is a covered area with individual bays (so the kids aren't in other people's way). R and the kids really enjoy going.
This is our yearly anniversary picture. We usually hold up the number of fingers but since this was number 11 we had to revise the plan. M designed the 11 sign with eleven written in both ones and we are trying to each do 11. So far we have only missed last year since R was in Cuba. We had a "kid-sitter" (A will not let it be referred to as baby sitter) and went to dinner then to Dave and Buster's. We had a great time!
My sister-in-law inspired me with the curtains she did for M's room. Here is my version in the kid's bathroom. All the rooms but 2 have new no sew curtains hanging. They aren't the best but way better than the ones from the late 70's that had been hanging. Besides the curtains, we have rearranged the furniture in almost every room. R wanted to do ours but then it just keep going. So if you have been here already, you'll have to come back to see the new room designs and curtains.

We spent one weekend in Williamsburg. They really enjoyed Busch Gardens.
R and A on the boat that goes back and forth higher and higher. I got to skip this one since M didn't want to ride. A will pretty much ride anything he is tall enough for. The second day, it was too cool to do the water park so we ended up at a Go Kart place. We made a day of putt putt, bumper boats and cars and mini stock cars. For the mini stock cars, you had to be 60 inches to drive and I am 62 but it hurt to stretch far enough to push the gas pedal so R took the kids after that. R had the best time of all but was way to serious about trying to win. He is now wanting to try those race car driving experience places. We got drenched on the water bumper boats and have not laughed that hard in a really long time. After 3 turns, we all looked like we had been standing in a shower.
We spent time "fishing". If you can call it that when they never had a hook or bait. They enjoying casting and reeling back in and this way it is safe and I don't have to worry so much.
M still managed to lose her bobber and weights somehow. This type of fishing works great too because none of us want to handle the fish or eat it.
Here is M admiring her shot. Note we all like to golf in our bare feet.

We also spent a week doing Vacation Bible School. I told the kids I don't know who likes it better, them or me. I taught A's class this year and love to sing and dance to all the songs. Next year, he wants to be like M and not have Mom as a teacher. I guess I'll have the pre-school age again.

I have also started the PTA hours. You can very quickly get very involved. It will keep me busy while the kids are in school and R is on trips. I am excited to help since they do so many great things for the school, staff and kids.

I hope to do a better job of posting over the next few weeks.

"Not the monuments again"

A is always up for company but not so much up for the sight seeing that goes along with visitors. This title is a direct quote from him when he found out our friends from Houston were coming. He was a pretty good sport but opted to stay home with dad once he was back in town (BTW his trip was to Houston). We did let our friends do the White House tour and most of the monuments without us- wanted them to be able to experience the metro themselves.

The company was my BF from high school, her husband and their twin 10 year old daughters. We had a great time! We have gone to their house the past 3 years because for some reason our last location did not have much appeal to them. But to keep the record straight they did make it to CO and NM and now here so I guess we are even. A and the girls at the National Postal Museum. I never even knew such a place existed. They had cute postcards you could print out and mail but the only address I knew off the top of my head was Grandma's and our own (sorry, next time I'll be better prepared) so Grandma got one and we mailed ourselves one and one to the friends that were with us. We also walked around Union Station (right across the street from the museum) and had lunch a very crowded McD's.
Next we headed to Arlington Cemetery. Saw the main things then headed home. We did the Air and Space museum and National Archives. We again had lunch at McD's- can't get away from that place. Washington Monument behind the girls. Get tickets way in advance if you want to go up. The "free" tickets were sold out for over a week in advance (you can order in advance for a fee ).
Ameila Earhart's plane.
The last day we headed to Mt. Vernon to see where the Washington's lived. The girls with George, Martha, Nelly and Washy (the 2 grand kids they raised).

We also did some pool time and playing in the backyard. They were all excited to catch lighting bugs (my kids don't normally get to stay up late enough to see them and I don't think they live in Houston). I also did my first downtown driving here thanks to my (dried out and working) GPS and my BF's co-pilot skills. Houston crew, thanks for great company and fun days . They have also convinced my kids we need to go on a cruise. If we could only find one without saltwater.

More visitors are welcome as we are up the the challenge! Can't promise that you will see R but the kids and myself are very entertaining. However, you may have to do the monuments on your own.

BRI fact 1. Most of the egg rolls sold in the US are made in Houston.
2. There are 412 doors in the White House.

From Sea to Shining Sea

We did travel from coast to coast. That was the longest flying time for the kids. But what a great time we had in CA! I don't think my friend and I stopped talking for more than a few minutes. The rest of them (kids and husbands) had to squeeze in words when we stopped to breathe. We had some fun adventures and some great times just hanging out with each other. This picture was taken at the Aquarium. What cute kids in a clam shell. The weather is much cooler- we wore jackets daily.
We saw many, many sea lions. Mostly they were sleeping and not too many big ones (it was mating season so the mature ones had all taken off). The biggest shock to me was when one died the leave it there (called a "floater"). We saw several of those including one on the beach that S and the kids went to check out. A excitedly reported that it looked like it had been bitten maybe by a shark. We did see the sea lions jumping and playing in the water. We also saw otters and harbor seals.
A liked climbing on the rocks. He thought he looked like a ghost in his outfit. Notice the new crocs. No t-shirts as souvenirs for my kids, they both got new swirled colored crocs. They will get lots of use and will be able to remember our trip when they wear them.
M enjoying the sand. Our friend S took family pics on the beach. The sun was bright and I couldn't keep my eyes open. After I look thru them and find one of me with my eyes open, I'll post it.

M and her friend M showing off their new haircuts and matching PJ's (also had matching M earrings and pink swirled crocs). They went together and sat side by side smiling the entire time. My M had about 7 inches cut. I was worried but she wanted it cut and has loved it.
Our big adventure on the surrey bikes. Who knew that 4 adults and 4 kids could fit on one bike. C (the man in the pic) had the hard job of steering and braking, the rest of us just had to pedal. The kids wanted to keep going but after an hour the adults were ready to call it quits.
A and L(almost 3 yrs) playing on the beach. The water was way cold. We let them get as wet as they wanted one day but not this one. It is alot of sand to clean from a tub after 4 kids have to be cleaned from a beach trip. We spent 4 days on beach and 2 of them they got wet the other 2 they stayed dry. The water is different each day, 2 of the days it was too rough to go into.
Most inportantly A learned he could do the fish hook. You can try it at home. Reach your arm behind your head then using one finger put inside the side of your mouth and pull. I won't name names but someone in our family can't do this move.

Not pictured: 1. Our trip to Gillroy Gardens- an amusement park. 2. My whale watching trip with S (men and kids stayed home) where we saw 4 kinds of dolphins and some whales and got to go to the top deck with the captain because his wife is S's dental hygenist. 3. The fire pit which the adults sat around (the nights we were not playing Wii) and listened to C play some awesome guitar. 4. The several parks we played at 5. L's birthday party with the HUGE jumpy castle 6. The night R and I went to dinner and a movie ALONE.

Thanks to our friends who were great hosts!!!!!!!!!! You guys ROCK! Maybe it will be our coast next time. 2/101

Bathroom Reader Time: #1 Baby Seals are called Weaners (Hope R never lets A know that one!!!). #2 . The Pacific Ocean is 36,198 feet (about 6.85 mi) at its deepest point.

Fun with Grandma

My mom was here for several days last week. It was a short visit but we managed fit in lots. The first day she was here was A's real birthday so she got to be here for the family celebration. That same day she also got to see both kids do swim team practice and M do gymnastics. Here are the kids in their swim team suits. They are loving being part of the team. They know how to do freestyle, back stroke, breast stroke and now butterfly. They are currently trying to teach R all the strokes but it may take many lessons for him to catch up with them. Monday night the only meet we were going to be in town for was cancelled due to bad weather so maybe a meet next year. At their level, they participate in developmental meets in which you are swimming to beat your best time not the other swimmers. The older kids do the competitive meets in which the 2 teams are competing for points.
Friday night was M's dance recital. She did a jazz dance and looked so cute! Here is Grandma and M in her recital outfit. That morning we also had swim team then stayed at the pool 3 more hours! They just can't get enough of the water.
Sat we managed to get out to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. Here are the kids on the back lawn with the Potomac River behind them. Their favorite part was a man showing them how they cut down the wheat then he gave them some of the seeds to grow their own wheat at home. I'm hoping they will forget about us trying to grow our own. I am not known for my green thumb.
Here is a pic A took of himself. R was trying to get his pic in front of one of the big trees. A did manage to get a tree in the back ground. I think he might have a future in photography.
Last but not least, R made it home. Here is a pic from his last trip. He will get to travel with us to CA for vacation on Monday. We will be gone 2 weeks so more once we are back.

BRI facts
1. During the French and Indian War, four bullets ripped through George Washington's coat and two horses were shot out from under him.
2. Barbie (the doll) has a last name: Roberts. Ken's last name is Carson.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day! There may only be one but it is not a Jeep it is you R. Wishing you were home to celebrate the day. We'll have to celebrate on Wed. Hurry home!

Happy Father's Day to all the other dads out there too. Have a wonderful day.

Shiver Me Timbers!

Well I survived (barely) A's 5th birthday party. It was not the best idea to give 7 four and five year old boys plastic swords to play with inside. It was too hot to really be outside much. (M was not allowed to have recess that day based on the heat index). So for 2 hours we played inside. They always do things way faster than I plan. The treasure hunt to find the pirate gear was a big hit. So was my cake. I think it turned out pretty good. It is better than my attempt at Shrek last year. Some of the pirates that attended the party. Not too cooperative about getting all 7 in one picture.

The cake with the cannons (candles) lit. Look carefully at the back side. Yes, while on the treasure hunt our ship was attacked by another pirate ship. We are assuming anyway because they were already gone when we returned. I guess the rolos (gold) were too much weight and the ship gave way. The boys didn't seem to mind and it still tasted good. A thought it was an awesome party. Next year we might be somewhere besides home. We have had up to 14 girls for M's parties and never quite so crazy. Maybe it was because R wasn't there to help keep me calm. Whatever the case it is a good thing birthdays just come along once a year.

Didn't post last night because the power went out AGAIN. This time for just 3 hours but right at bedtime so it was tough getting to sleep without the power.

Calgon Take Me Away

What a week. Not even a a picture to go with this post. It all started on Wed when we had some bad weather which led to our power going out at 3pm. It was crazy trying to get M from school at 3:40. The storm had passed us about 3:30 but the schools were not releasing the kids unless a parent signed them out at that point. The school was a mad house with frantic parents and scared kids. Didn't get into bed that night til about 9. Our usual time is 8 and some of you that know me, know that bedtime is not a time I like. But with no night light and no music, falling asleep was tough. No power the next day either. Getting hot in the house and didn't want pantry food again for dinner so we stopped by Wendy's after soccer practice. We had to stand in line 25 minutes to get our food (guess all the non power people had the same idea). Slept in the basement that night. The power did return at 2:27 am Fri and with it came some loud peeps (not sure what it was still). Well, they woke me and A up and trying to get him back to sleep was a 2 hour process.

So YEAH, we have power. Boo, I forget to dress M in mismatched clothes for mismatch day. She had a big meltdown on the way to school. Plus, I have to go thru the fridge/freezer and throw away about $150 worth of questionable food. I had just done a commissary trip on Sun so lucky it was only that much. So Fri night I decide we should watch a movie and have some calm indoor time. We watch A's pick of Hook with Robin Williams. Bad decision again on my part. I didn't start the movie til 6:25 but hey most movies are about 90 minutes, right? WRONG! At 8:46 the movie ended (had to watch it all because the kids were kind-of scared and I wanted them to see the happy ending). So now for the 3rd night in a row, they are in bed at 9. About 10 minutes after they are in bed the thunder and lightening start. So yet another delay. Sat was already crazy schedule wise but dance practice ran 35 minutes late, getting us to church late, meaning no pizza left. The kids wanted to stay anyway. Therefore, at 8 pm we get home and finally have dinner and yes, once again in bed at 9.

Yeah, today they sleep til 0730. No problems all day long. I am determined to get them in bed by 8. I left the room at 7:58. But 5 minutes later A is downstairs saying he might throw-up. Did I not throw away enough food? Will we all start to puke? He goes into the bathroom and I look at the computer clock. It says 8:22- how did this happen? Oh yes, I set their clocks back 15 minutes when the power returned hoping they would sleep til it said 7 meaning really 7:15. Well, it never worked and I never set them on the right time so tonight when I thought I was doing so great, I was still 15 minutes late.

So here is to a better week. And to remembering to fix those darn clocks. I am doing A's birthday party on Tues. School ends on Fri so this week proves to be busy too. But at least I am running on full power. It is now 9 on the computer clock and A seems to be fine. I think just some allergy coughing. Hope to have some party pics up later this week.

On the Road Again

The kids sitting in R's "bell box". I don't know where the name came from but that is what it is called. Basically it is a big hard silver suitcase that they fill with food to snack on while they travel. I'm not sure if the kids wanted the snacks or thought they might sneak away with dad.

He did leave yesterday after lunch and will return on 17 Jun. We were sad to see him leave so quickly (after just returning 58 hours earlier ) but he did end up making everyone happy by working some magic to be home for A's birthday, M's dance recital and able to go on our family vacation at the beginning of July. What a man! I think he is getting tired of packing suitcases also. I'm sure he will have plenty of time to relax on vacation. Ha ha! He'll do well to get any sleep with 4 kids ages 3-7 and 2 women who haven't seen each other in a year (we did a great job of non-ending conversations even when we did see each other daily). In fact, one of our kids once got in trouble for interrupting. When told they need to wait til we stop talking then ask their question, the child said but y'all never quit talking. I can't wait- fun friends and beautiful scenery.
The rest of us have been keeping busy while R is traveling. His is a picture of A with his best friend at pre-school. This was the end of the year picnic (Wild West theme). Don't see nearly as many cowboy hats here as we did in OK. A has this last week then he is finished until Kindergarten. Unfortunately, his friend will be attending a different school than A. He has met several kids from soccer that will be in his class so he is really looking forward to the fall.

Here is M all "bedazzled" thanks to Mawmaw. The best part is you can reuse them so there is no end in sight. M did my hair for a soccer game one day. You can imagine how jealous all the other moms were, especially those with only boys. Just remember not to let your child do their own hair before a soccer game because you have to remove them and that can take a few minutes. SO anyone looking for a new hair style/look head on over and M will hook you up for free. Be sure to book in advance because her schedule is filling up quickly (not with clients but with other activities). She has 2 more weeks of school then she'll be a 2ND grader.

This weekend continued our Sat of 2 soccer games and a birthday party. Next weekend we add a dance recital practice and a church event all without a second adult. I must be crazy! I always say that the weekends are the longest when R is out of town but no more because time flies when you are having fun! And how can cake every weekend not be fun?