Pumpkin Patch Trip!

We finally made it to the pumpkin patch last weekend.  It was hard to find the right day to squeeze it in with sports schedules, but we were so excited to finally be able to choose our pumpkins!

This is Hudson's new pose.  We're going to have to work on that.  He and Finley spent most of the trip picking pumpkins up and then tossing them in our wagon.  They wanted to bring home all of the pumpkins!

 These two were more focused on making sure that the pumpkins were adequate for each member of the family.  Wyatt's had to be the largest, followed by Reese's, then Hudson's, and finally Finley's.

My  cow and farmer!

 Somebody is trying to be like her her big sister with her crazy faces!

She liked being a big girl and walking around the patch.  Even if she did fill the wagon with about 20 different pumpkins!

Ready to drive the tractor....

 But this one might be more trustworthy behind the wheel!

I will have to share all the outtakes from trying to get the four of them to look at the camera at the same time.  The most consistent thing from all 100 pictures was Reese looking at the camera and smiling.  The other three?  Well, that was the problem.  Ha!

And one final shot of this girl in between the mums while we checked out.

I can't believe that October is over!  I'm so ready for November, cooler weather, and Thanksgiving!  We had a blast trick or treating tonight, and our sweet Huddoo turns 4 this Wednesday!

Wyatt Plays Fall Ball, Too

Wyatt is dividing his time between the second grade, whatever TV show he is into right now (Wild Kratts or Jack Hanna), soccer, and two baseball teams.

This picture sums up Wyatt's fall.  We always joke that Brian knows someone everywhere we go because we live in the area that he grew up in, but Wyatt is a close second.  He walks through the baseball complex and I swear that he and Brian get stopped every 10 seconds.  Not only does this kid have a lot of friends, but he seems to have inside jokes with all of them.

Do I pre-treat his baseball pants?  Nope.  Why bother?  They end up ruined by the end of the season anyway!

He was very excited to get a lot of time in at shortstop and first base this fall.  That's not to say that being told he was in Left Center didn't result in glove throwing.  It totally did.  This boy is intense.  And competitive.  And really competitive.

I got to his final game a little late because I had to stop and pick up baseball cards for his team party.  While I was unloading the other three from the car, he came up to bat.  I stayed still because I have a terrible fear of jinxing him (This goes back to my brother's 10 year old All Star game.  I remember being worried that if I moved, I would jinx the pitcher.  I don't know why I thought that!).  He hit the ball to the fence!  It was almost a home run!  But, it's Wyatt, and we're still working on speed!

Does the look on his face clue you in to his competitive tendencies?

He loves to catch, but he didn't get to do it much this fall.  I always love to see my boy behind the plate!  

Reesie Plays Ball!

Reesie decided that she wanted to play tee ball this fall instead of soccer.

Apparently she thinks soccer is "really, really boring" and she thinks baseball is "really, really fun." 

She also really likes slugging the ball.  This girl can hit!

 She got the game ball at her very first game, when she caught a pop up and then threw the ball to first to get the runner out. Double play!!!  I don't know who was happier, her or her daddy.

 Actually, the happiness level was probably equal.

 She really likes playing anywhere in the infield!  She knows where the plays are with each batter, and she really wants to get them out.  She takes tee ball very seriously.  

 And she was able to play with her best friend Emma, which made this season even better.  Brian is going to take the softball world by storm when his tee ball team of four girls gets to softball!

She had so much fun playing tee ball, and I know that she can't wait to play again in the spring.  And she moves up to softball next fall, which she is very excited about!  I'm not sure I'm ready for it, though!

Hudson's Fall Ball Season

Hudson played tee ball at the Y over the summer, and then he went straight to rec league ball. 

He had so. much. fun. 

 He was so excited to be able to play on a "real field."  Real dirt, real bases, real outs.

 He even made an out!  He fielded the ball so well at second base and then tagged it.

 It seems like just yesterday that Wyatt was that tiny playing ball !  So sweet!

 Having a big brother who plays is definitely an advantage.  He knows where to make plays, and he knows how to hit the ball.

 Another great advantage is that a few of his friends from tee ball have older brothers on Wyatt's team.  Brian called them his "Little Dodgers" and they would play baseball together during their big brothers' games!

 They had so much fun playing together.

 He was so proud to finally have his own game ball.  It means he's a real Dodger now!

September Little Things

"Mom, can I get in a few swings before school?"

Hudson had a case of the "sneezes" one morning, and said he played by himself at school because he didn't want all of his friends to get his sneezes.  This was only the beginning of a fun weekend that sent Brian away to Phoenix for work.  The first weekend that the park was closed since May, and he ended up across the country!

I wouldn't want to fall asleep reading a book about Vipers, but Wyatt seems to think it's okay.

Taking pictures of his batting stance for Daddy!

Another picture to let Daddy know how many goals he scored at soccer!

After his "sneezes" on Friday afternoon, Hudson got worse.  Our Sunday included a visit the Pediatrician for another Nebulizer treatment and another steroid.  Poor guy.  He's now on a daily inhaler, which we're hoping will prevent future problems.

He was feeling much better on Monday, so he was ready for Hat Day at school.  And no ensemble is complete without an Everything is Awesome shirt!

The Bookends reading together.

Oh goodness.  Homework was a HUGE struggle for this guy for the first few weeks of school.  He felt like the school day was long enough and he wanted nothing to do with working after he got home.  We finally found a new system that makes it easier.  He gets a sticker for every day that he does his homework without complaining, and then he gets a slush on Fridays if he has a sticker every day that week.  It has gotten so. much. easier. to get homework done!

Brian and I went to see Brad Paisley. After a tee ball game, we ended up getting there just before he went on stage.  We noticed that there was a small stage set up about 12 feet away from us.  He ended up on the stage in the middle of the show!  So awesome!

I found this on my phone after our day at Busch Gardens.  Colin and Hudson took at selfie!

Sometimes, a girl just has to take BP before a game.  Even if she's still in her dress!

He'd just gotten an out at home plate!

Perfect shirt for Wyatt!

Reesie ended her first month of school on the Principal's Proud Wall!  

(most of Finley's little moments from September can be found here).

August Little Things

Just catching up with a few of August's little moments.

The Living Museum had a dinosaur exhibit, and we went to check it out a few times.  They've added an interactive play area, and Reese was very serious about her X-ray viewing.

A fun zoo trip with their cousins.  Yankees shirts are a requirement when these two get together.  The orangutan seemed to enjoy visiting with them.  Ha!

Finley got to hop up on the rhino for the first time.  Hudson wasn't with us at the zoo for the cousin get together.  He had a TERRIBLE night the night before coughing, and Brian and I called the pediatrician for a sick visit.  He was given a nebulizer treatment, a steroid shot, 2 different types of inhalers, and an oral steroid.  I felt so bad for him.  But I was grateful that Brian was able to take him to the doctor because I knew Wyatt and Reese would be disappointed if they missed a visit with Derek and Sophie.

Hudson, on the other hand, was NOT happy about missing the zoo trip.  He was feeling much better the following day, so I took them back.  As you can see, he was thrilled about being on the rhino.

It was one of the few occasions when we were able to actually SEE the tiger.  This guy is not out very often.  He's usually secluded somewhere out of our view.

We stopped at Doumar's for lunch afterwards because we were starving.  And because, why not?

My mom took the kids back to school shopping for a few necessities, and then took us to lunch a Red Robin.

Wyatt likes all animals, but he really loves dogs.  He spent most days in August asking me if I could take him to Mimi and Baba's house to hang out with Sassy.  When we got together with the cousins, he spent some time with Cocoa.  I don't think we're going to be able to hold off on getting this boy another dog for too much longer.

The ice cream man was driving around the country roads by Mimi and Baba's - so we had to get these kids some ice cream!

I took these crazy caged animals to the zoo...again.

We got drenched at Busch Gardens.  It started POURING while we were taking a train ride around the park.  I wish I had the video of Hudson drinking rain water that was falling off of the roof of the train station.  I'm pretty sure he convinced a young couple next to us to never have kids.  This trip (and the state of my van afterwards), required a major car clean!

Finley was able to sneak over the gate, and she decided to have a story time in Wyatt's room.  He says she's his favorite sibling because she's sweet and she never fights with him.  Ha!

Seriously making good use of our zoo passes.

Reesie and Daddy after Meet the Teacher.  

I promised her a picture with this mermaid all summer, and we finally made it over on our last visit.  She loves all of the mermaids throughout the city.  Her favorite is the one that is painted like a Hershey Kiss at the mall!

And that's a wrap on August!  Hopefully I get September up in a more timely fashion!