Five on Friday

Linking up for Five on Friday this week!

{ONE}

Brian has been in Florida all week at a trade show (it's been a long, wine-filled week for me).  The kids and I went to pick him up this afternoon, and in addition to being excited to see his Daddy, Hudson was also very eager to be his suitcase helper. Excellent timing, because my husband brought home three bags.  In fairness, he did do some Christmas shopping at Downtown Disney!  Ha!

{TWO}

While Brian was gone I got a jump on a the Christmas decorating.  I started with the tree in the Yankee room/Boys room (it's Yankees themed), and then put up the small trees in the kids' rooms.  Reese loves her purple princess tree, and she wanted to use her Sofia amulet as the topper!  

(She's very into purple in case you can't tell)

{THREE}

We are obsessed with Christmas pajamas around here.  We wear them year round, and I bought new pajamas for the kids a few weeks ago.  The girls each have two new sets from Carter's, and the boys each got the set in the middle from there as well.  This doesn't include the fact that I got them all new pajamas featuring our favorite Elf on the Shelf, Parker off of Zulily a few weeks ago, and I've picked up a few at Target. They've all also got pajamas that they still fit in from last year, so they're well stocked in the jammies department!

{FOUR}

So I've seen this great pin about a "Christmas Eve" box on Pinterest, stocked with pajamas and a new movie and hot chocolate for Christmas Eve.  I've decided to turn the Christmas Eve box into an "Elf on the Shelf" arrival box - that way we have the pajamas for the whole season, and popcorn and hot chocolate for going to look at Christmas lights.  Plus, we usually do Christmas Eve with my parents, and we get home a little late for all that on the night before Christmas.  

(okay, I've also had to wrap presents into the wee hours on Christmas Eve the last few years.  Something that WILL NOT happen again this year!)

{FIVE}

 I know, all the posts about Christmas may have fooled you, but I am so excited for Thanksgiving!! With 4 kids, our December calendar fills up, so I have to make sure to plan and decorate ahead, but Thanksgiving is still one of my favorite days!  This year we are going to travel to Richmond to my brother's house to celebrate with my family on Thursday, and we'll be spending Friday with Brian's parents!  I can't wait to spend both days with our families and stuff myself with food - especially my Aunt Michele's pecan pie!  I MAY have to head to the YMCA every day next week!

A Trip to the Park

On Hudson's birthday, we stopped at the park before we met the grandparents for dinner.  When we go to the park (or anywhere) we are typically the largest family around - but not that day!  There was a family there with at least 9 kids (that I counted).  I think I'm feeling pretty good about stopping at 4!

The park is beautiful - it's a lake surrounded by tall trees, and a walking trail, and of course swings and slides for the kids. They had the best time!

This little girl loved her time on the swings!

And Hudson was so independent at the park!  He's getting so big!

The bigger kids loved the swings, but they also enjoyed throwing rocks into the lake...how's that for good old fashioned fun?

The boys hung out picking up leaves and sticks.  Boys.

I'm hoping to head back to the park this weekend...maybe for some Christmas card pictures?

Hudson's Three Year Check Up

Brian, Finley, and I took Hudson for his three year check up with Dr. Jones yesterday.

This little boy was an angel.  Seriously.  Sometimes it's amazing to me how different kids can be just based on their temperament - I'm pretty sure that Dr. Jones told us that we might want to find a way to better prepare Wyatt for his next appointment after his three year check up (yeah, it was that bad).

Hudson walked into the back and did what we asked.  I told Brian that I think that we might finally have the hang of this parenting thing with the third kid.  Hudson makes me feel like an expert. Ha!

He got measured.

And weighed.

And a blood pressure check.

His Stats

Weight: 32.2 pounds - 56th percentile

Height: 37.25 inches - 37th percentile

Blood Pressure: 83/49

I can't believe he's such a big boy!  We had his first parent teacher conference on his birthday, and he's busy at school mastering his shapes and colors, and he does the cutest little sound and hand motion when you ask him what sound an "H" makes. 

He is growing like a weed, which we knew because he has been looking so tall to us lately.  But he's finally above the 10th percentile in height (thank goodness, because I was getting blamed for that big time).

He didn't have any shots that day, so he considered it a successful trip - along with the stickers, of course!

Project 365: Week 44 & Week 45

Tuesday, October 29

I bought Reese this jack-o-lantern shirt at Target and she remembered that Emma had the same one.  She begged me to text Emma's mom and plan a day for them to match.  She was so, so excited to go to school and get her picture taken - and so was Emma!

Wednesday, October 30

Singing during her pumpkin patch parade.

Thursday, October 31

All dressed up for Halloween.  She obviously had no clue what that was all about, but she sure looked adorable!

Friday, November 1

My idea of a wild and crazy Friday night - reading this stack of Christmas catalogs and magazines while watching Shark Tank.  I'm officially old.

...and this is an alternate for Friday.  This news was definitely more exciting than my Friday night - The Captain is back!

Saturday, November 2

Just a couple of sisters hanging out on a Saturday.

Sunday, November 3

Smiles from FQB before bedtime.  I love this smile!

Monday, November 4

I was folding laundry, and when I came back into the living room they were cuddled together watching Daniel Tiger.  They are easily the two best "friends" in my house.  They all love each other and (usually) play nicely, but the middles get along so well!

Tuesday, November 5

The boys loved hanging out by the lake on Hudson's birthday.  Huddoo really enjoyed the leaves and throwing rocks!

Wednesday, November 6

My boys (including Brian) have all been obsessed with lining up their Star Wars figures at some point in their lives.  It always cracks me up to walk in and find his Star Wars guys lined up in a row!

Thursday, November 7

Hudson didn't have school on his birthday, so we sent cupcakes on Thursday.  I asked him if his friends sang to him and he said, "Yes!  They sang pee pee pee pee to Hudson."  He's going through a bit of a potty mouth phase right now.  Ugh.

Friday, November 8

Reader number 9 for Reesie!  Can we talk for a second about her obsession with Frozen?  The movie isn't even out yet, and she already has a shirt and wants to wear her hair like Anna.  

Saturday, November 9

Brian and I went on a "date night" Saturday to see Thor 2 and catch an Admirals game.  It's always so nice to come home to my sweet sleeping babies!

Sunday, November 10

Our kids rarely sit at the kitchen counter (the spacing is kind of awkward, and stools just scream "hey baby, pull me down on your head" to me), but occasionally they pull the tall chairs from the kitchen table over to what they call the "high counter."  They seriously love having their meals switched up a bit.

Monday, November 11

Wyatt's first school project was due today, and we finished it up yesterday.  Behold, a timeline of his life.  All 6 years.  Ha!

Happy Birthday (Party), Hudson!!!!

Yesterday was Hudson's birthday party.  I tried to keep this one low key...and I succeeded in a big way.

I didn't go overboard on the decorations, we ordered pizzas and had store bought cupcakes.  I filled a pinata with candy and put a pin the tail on the donkey game up on the wall...and we didn't use either. 

 Writing on this chalkboard was about all the real effort I put in (besides cleaning the house)!

 The kids ran around my backyard for almost the entire party, and then came inside for cupcakes.  It was a gorgeous day for playing outside, and they all took full advantage!

This guy loved blowing out his candle and eating his cupcake!

 After cupcakes we opened some presents, and then his friends left.  Their cousins stayed for a little bit longer, and did they ever love getting in some extra cousin time running around our (completely dark) backyard some more!

Hudson spent the rest of the night with his Daddy,

 and showing his brother his new toys!

We're so thankful that so many people came out to celebrate Huddoo's birthday!!! Happy third birthday, Hudson!!!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago (maybe the weekend before Halloween?).

The kids had been begging us to take them, but because of soccer and baseball and everything else, we hadn't had time.

They were so excited to finally pick out their own pumpkins!

 When we finally got Reesie to perk up and smile, Hudson still wasn't having anything to do with it.

 And then Finley wasn't interested.

 When you give a girl her sister, she'll probably smile a bit more.

 I love how other moms always offer to take pictures of my family in exchange for a picture of theirs.  It's like mom code.

And I love having a picture of this (rather large) family of mine!

 We put Finley down in the middle of the pumpkins and she loved it.  She loves getting to join in with the big kids!

 She wouldn't keep shoes on to save her life.  Fortunately that changed this week.  There is nothing more frustrating than getting halfway across Target, the grocery store, the pumpkin patch, etc., and realizing your baby dropped her shoe somewhere, and then having to backtrack!

But look at that smile!  She loved it!

 We were able to get a few more pictures before the kids started to revolt!

Such a fun fall day with these four kiddos!

Real Life

So my next post will be about our trip to the pumpkin patch, but I thought these pictures of real life with four kids were too real life not to share.

First - "Hey everybody, look at Mommy and smile!"

Apparently if you aren't the baby or the person holding the baby, that means you look down at the ground and pout.

 And - are Finley and Wyatt making the same grumpy face here?