Punkin' Patch

Nathan's class went to Bishop's Pumpkin Patch last Tuesday and the twins and I tagged along. I attempted this once when they were about 9 months old and Nathan was almost 3. Why I did that, I have no idea. I don't think I was making sound deisions at that stage of life...

But thank goodness we are all past the crazy (well for the most part). The twins have been looking forward to this field trip for a long time, as has Nathan. 

 So while we were waiting for his class to arrive, I let the kids play on this fun little stand near the entrance. Anything that keeps them occupied, right? They were climbing on it, putting their hands all over it and just having the best time. Then a staff member comes walking up slowly to them with a funny look on her face and says "Excuse me..." I was bracing myself for her to tell them they can't play on it. She then puts her finished cigarette butt in a little hole in the top. ACK! ICK! I looked down and then realized that was it's intended purpose. I pulled the kids off of it and we stood somewhere else. FYI these pictures were taken before I knew my kids were playing with a giant ash tray.

On the train ride. Nathan was insistent we all four sit on the same bench. He is really social at school but seemed more content hanging with his sisters and me.

More train fun. Is it just me or does the dad behind me look a little scared to be on the train?

They loved picking their own pumpkins. 

We had lunch and then got ready to pick up some fudge for Daddy on the way out. I told the three of them they could get a little basket for taffy and pick three or four pieces each from the barrels. I wasn't surprised when Nathan and Kate came back with about six pieces. But the real shock was Addison filling the basket three quarters of the way full with multiple types of taffy from just about every barrel. It would have taken me 20 minutes just to put each piece back where it came from. I wasn't about to leave it there and say oops sorry I am the lame mom not watching my kid in a candy store while I drool over fudge. So we came home with 9 dollars worth of taffy. Luckily Emma was in charge of treats for Activity days so we bagged it up and sent it with her.

Happy October!

So this picture is lame and doesn't fully showcase our cute little Halloween entrance over the front door. It looks better at night in person, so feel free to stop by and admire the awesomeness. 

Speaking of awesome, I must include this fun find. It's a t-shirt that I don't think I would actually buy and wear, but I love it just the same.

This last few months have been, well...interesting in challenges I've faced. So I combat that by working out at the gym with a 25 pound pack on my back. Really the challenges are completely unrelated to the fitness but who wouldn't feel awesome....I guess just being awesome*. 

*Please note blog author's assurance of her own awesome-ness is only in effort to combat the thoughts of others who thinks she sucks is less than awesome*

And yes, I know this blog post is reminiscent of those on Facebook who slyly allude to problems and then ignore comments as to explain further. However, being my blog I guess I can be weird if I want:)

 This was my fortune today from Raley's Hot Wok. I laughed. the kids thought it was funny because according to Emma I cry a lot. 

And now for something not so depressing!

Nathan awoke last Friday morning, looked in the fridge and saw beyond our mortal eyes as he stared at the half full milk jug. "This is no milk jug!"he cried.

This was a Bee. But, to become that bee, the lonely jug must be emptied of it's nutritional nectar. It was divided among four cups (which came out of a dishwasher that had not been cleaned) and lined up neatly on the counter. (I put them all in the fridge later to save it)

Nathan found his magic green scissors, a marker and some glorious tape in order to create...

THE BEE

And of course Addison needed her picture taken as well because sometimes you just need a random picture with no story.

Kate found this classic on our last library trip. I loved this book as a kid and read it a ton.

There once was a boy named Pierre who only would say, "I don't care!" Read his story, my friend, for you'll find at the end that a suitable moral lies there. 

Because he gets eaten by a lion. Sorry, SPOILER ALERT.

I still love this book though.

No Title

Some of my blog posts I really can't think of a good title for. This always annoys me just a bit because that is half the fun of posting. But, I need to get these pictures in (and it's probably almost time for another printing of the blog...)

I had thought nap time was long gone for these two. But the last few months (well probably longer than that even) they have been falling asleep almost every day. I'm almost thinking that I could start instituting a regular nap time for them that wasn't in the car or on their beds...hmmm.....

We spent last Friday at the mall with Nana. She brought their birthday/Christmas dresses and the girls convinced me to let them try them on in the car before we left. These dresses will be reappearing in pictures soon for the primary program! I wish I could get video of the twins singing in the back of the car while listening to the CD of music for the program. They belt out every note. 

So this has been Addison a lot lately. Screaming, crying, throwing fits.  I think she's about to make another development breakthrough (I hope at least!) because she is super sensitive lately. That has usually been her pattern. She gets crazy and almost to the point of unmanageable and then BOOM she can crochet a scarf or something crazy like that. We shall see...

Emma won a gift certificate to Simple Pleasures, a local restaurant here in Lincoln. The problem is that they are only open from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday. So, what else could I do but pull her out of school during her lunch time:) They have great food and kids eat for $1-2 each, depending on what they order. Seriously that is the correct price and it includes a drink. 

I think it's funny to see pictures of Emma and I together. It only shows how much she doesn't look like me at all. Although she does give me a good excuse to get some serious blond highlights and go to a tanning booth...just so I can look more like her of course.

The Little Things in Everyday Life

 Our days are pretty boring. Really our day doesn't get going until the afternoon when the three older kids come home. With just the twins and I, we have it pretty easy. The girls love to take pictures of themselves to send to people. The one above is them asking Daddy if they can please eat his candy fruit slices. Of course he said yes, because a picture message makes it hard to resist those little faces.

The picture below was sent to Grandma to say Hi while we were in the pick up line at school waiting for Nathan.

So making lunches for three kids every day is no fun. I don't think it was meant to be a fun activity, but there is so much pressure! They need something they like that will also fill them up but that won't taste bad sitting in a lunch box for a few hours... Lunch has always been my least favorite meal to make and having to do t at 7:30 in the morning just may kill me by the time all five are in school.

 Last week was National Talk Like a Pirate Day. Basically, this just means we got free doughnuts sending Nathan in dressed as a pirate. Best after school snack ever!

Run Orams, Run

Bailey's Cross Country season has begun! He has been looking forward to this the most with starting a new school year.  He had his first meet last week and ran the mile in 9 minutes.

 Ready to go! He has to wait a while to race because they do so many heats and start with 4th grade and work up, alternating boys and girls. I know he wanted to see how fast he was. He pushed himself extra hard and did really well.

At the end with his ribbon. 

Cross Country is supposed to be for grades 4 and up. But, Emma has been BEGGING to be able to do it too. Bailey's coach told her she could do it as long as she was able to keep up.

She was so excited the day of her first meet (yesterday)

 She jumped in the car after school when I picked her up "Coach gave me a shirt!!!"

 She has to run with 4th grade girls and just pretend that is what grade she is in.

The three other 4th grade girls on her team.

And she smoked all three of them! They were 2 minutes behind her. She did her first meet in 10:48.  This girl pushed herself so hard, especially since she has only been to one practice before this meet. She loved it! 

Her first ribbon.

 It was so cute to watch Bailey give her some tips as she got ready to race.  He even wanted to wait at the finish line for her. Only 3 more years and Nathan can run too:)

Lock n'Load

Ben took Bailey with him to the Elder's Quorum activity this last Saturday. I have to admit I was a little nervous to send my baby off in a car with a gun strapped to his hip....

 He felt so cool. I'm glad he got to go with Ben to do something fun. He always goes with him for service projects or to help move people. If anyone deserves a little fun it is this kid:)

 Like father, like son

The rifle is as big as he is!

Below is the only picture I took at our ward dinner. There was face painting and bobbing for apples and all sorts of fun stuff for the kids. Nathan looked like he was wearing black eyeliner for two days after this, but he loved it while it lasted.

Better Things Ahead

I have not taken many pictures recently and this gives me little reason to blog. With the kids back in school and Emma starting Hip Hop, Bailey beginning cross country and me enjoying two kid life I know there will be lots more pictures soon. But until then, this post will have to do with what little I have.

 I cannot completely explain how much Nathan LOVES school. He is ready to go, with lunch packed every morning by 7:20. He cries when I won't let him do all his homework the second he gets it. He asks every day if there is school tomorrow and on the weekends when can he go back to school. He asks us how to spell everything. The above picture actually says "fire station." This is his first field trip and he can't wait.

One of the few pictures I had on my camera. The kids thought it would be funny to make Bandit a princess. I won't go into Bandit's health problems in detail, but we are officially on the tail end of this guy's time.  We realized that him coming here has probably aggravated his hip problems but we know he is much happier here than he was with the last family. Their kids had outgrown him and here he is bombarded with children just wanting to sit next to him, run with him and play with him. I guess if you gotta go, this is the way to. Who wants to die moping around doing nothing, right? 

So my only pictures are of Nathan and the dog...

But there are a lot of things coming and I am really grateful I have kept this blog up and had it printed for over 3 years now. The kids love looking at the older blog books and I know they will love it even more when they are older and will understand my humor better.