It's Autumn Time!

Over the past month we have had fun doing a lot of 'Autumn' activities.  I have very few pictures.  I have been too tired and Mike too busy to remember the camera or bother with pictures.  The one time we brought it, the battery went dead in 2 minutes!

Early in the month we went to Carter's Mountain.  We picked apples, ate hot, fresh apple cider donuts, and played on the mountain.  The kids love it.  Mike loves the pizza we always get at Christian's Pizza.

 

Calvin went to the pumpkin patch for his first field trip.  I went with him.  There is nothing like chaperoning a bunch of kindergarten kids to make you appreciate your own children!  Calvin has his moments at home (lots of them) but he was so well behaved on the trip and he always gets a smiley face from his teacher on his daily behavior report.  He is a good boy!  We got to ride out to the patch to pick out pumpkins, get a donut, and eat our packed lunch.  He had a great time.  Unfortunately his pumpkin was rotten.  It was dark brown inside and half full of liquid.  Very gross!

We went to our local pumpkin patch as a family.  We played in the hay maze, the hay pile, went on a hay ride and ran into some friends from the community that the kids played with.  It was lots of fun!  That night we carved one of our pumpkins before it got dark.  We'll finish the other one and get some pictures!

The kids have been raking leaves.  Their Dad has been teaching them how.  The first batch they raked they had to bag up and throw away.  However, the second batch they were able to play in and had a great time!.  I'm sure we have lots more coming!  After fall is over and they have raked all the leaves their Dad is going to pay them.  They are very excited!

Just In Case...

What does a three year need at Church?  Madeline packed her purse for church and I let her take it into Sacrament Meeting.  I couldn't resist a peek at what she thought she might need....

 

It made me smile to see what was inside.  At the top is her purse.  The first thing I pulled out was her notebook and a little box of crayons.  How practical - she may need a notebook at church.  The glittery diamond ring may be necessary if she had an accessory emergency!  However, her Dad's magnet business card for his Home Show and those red ballet slippers made me laugh...and then her plastic rose, of course!  She ALWAYS has something in her purse, pockets, or up her shirt.  It may be a toy, or flashlight, a tool or vacuum cleaner attachment,  perhaps chewed gum she isn't suppose to have and is either hiding from me or saving for later, she usually has something of her sister's that is off limits like lip gloss or jewelry.  Once it was a pair of sunglasses she stole from a store (and later returned).  I check her stash more often now!   She is our sneaky packrat!

The Not So Terrible Twos (yet)

 Lilah turned 2 on Thursday!  Even though she had just watched Anna Elise's birthday a few days before she didn't really seem to know what 'birthday' meant.  We talked about her birthday a lot and she just looked at me blankly.  However, when I brought the cupcakes out to the table after dinner and we all started singing to her she knew exactly what to do.  The candles were both blown out before we could finish the song.  Then when we moved into the living room she tore into her presents - so she figured it all out pretty quick!

Lilah is my most independent child.  She is constantly saying "I do it".  For months she has been able to dress herself from head to toe and she does every morning and night!  She puts her clothes on and if they aren't right side out and forward, she takes them off and does it again.  She puts her shoes and socks on too.  She washes her own hands with a stool in the bathroom, just like the other kids.  She climbs into the car, gets into her carseat, gets her straps on and buckles the top strap - all on her own - or else!  It takes her forever - but it's not faster to do it for her because then I have to fight a screaming, flailing toddler!  She carries her own stuff, wants to walk without holding anyone's hand (which I do fight her on in busy parking lots) tries unsuccessfully to cut her own food, and everything else!  For being 'two'  she really is pretty good.  Her temper tantrums are short lived and only occur when she isn't allowed to try or do something for herself.  She gets along well with her siblings, holds her own, and is such a big girl!  She was on her way to being potty trained and had gone in the potty several times when my morning sickness took over everyone's lives and that was abruptly halted - maybe this winter...In the meantime she will continue to try to talk me into letting her change her own diaper (she has been unsuccessful so far, that is one thing I won't let her do).

Anna Elise Turns 7!

 Anna Elise turned 7 years old today!  We celebrated yesterday with presents, lunch at McDonalds (her pick) and Cupcakes!  She had a good day.   Mike took the three oldest kids to Lowes for 'Build and Grow' and they had a good time. Lilah stayed home to help mom make frosting! 

Second Time's a Charm

We are pregnant again!  This one seems to be going much better then the previous one.  I am 10 weeks on Monday.  There is only 1 baby, the baby is measuring right on the dates, and it has a strong heartbeat.  I am sick as usual, but this time it isn't quite so bad in the morning and I am on Zofran in the afternoon/evening and it is a bit more bearable.  I am still exhausted and I still have that horrible saliva problem that I always get, but overall I am doing ok.  I look like I am atleast 4 months pregnant, nothing fits, and I'm eating like crazy, but I'll worry about all that later!
We told the kids this week.  Anna Elise cried and stormed out of the room.  She says we don't need anymore girls!  She knows if it's a girl she loses her room and she LOVES having her own room. She calmed down and it isn't quite so upset.  Calvin was very excited and BEGGED me to have a boy.  He doesn't seem to get it when I tell him I'm not the one that picks the gender.  Madeline told me she has a baby girl in her tummy.  Her name is Penny and her next name is Bow and her other name is Rose.  Next she will have a boy baby and name him Mountain Lion.  Lilah just looked confused - she pulled up my shirt and checked out my belly button for a while.
I am busy trying to figure out what car seat(s) to buy that will fit in my car.  We really don't want to buy a new car, but we haven't figure out how to fit 5 car seats in the one we've got.  I've haven't given up yet!
We can't wait for May!