Backing It Up

In case you missed it...Halloween was two months ago.  I am going to try to get better at this blogging thing because I love being able to look back on the bigger kids when they were little - and I have become a massive slacker lately.  But I suppose Instagram and Facebook are easier places to share life events now!

Now that Finley is in preschool, she finally gets to be a part of the school programs.  It rained for her first Pumpkin Patch Parade, making it more of a Pumpkin Patch in Pre-K.  But she practiced her songs and rocked her "Witch's Brew."

We went to hang out with Doc McStuffins in her class party for a little bit.  She loves a party!

As always, Reese has her own Halloween style.  Orange and black sparkles everywhere!

Hudson's Pre-K class is full of Pumpkin Patch Parade pros.  My person favorite was the "one little, two little, three little witches, flying on their brooms and jumping over ditches," complete with Hudson's really great little leaps.  He was smooth!

We had two Disney Junior "stars" and two Star Wars characters for Halloween.  Hudson was a great Miles from Tomorrowland.  Once his birthday came the next week, he was able to complete the costume with a blast board and a comquest.  He was VERY excited!

Reese's softball team played their final game on Halloween, so they dressed up in costumes. She was a softball playing vampire, but couldn't keep the teeth in. These girls were undefeated all season!  Reesie hit her stride at the plate and found that she really enjoys catching. She can't wait to get back on the field! 

We were able to Trick or Treat with Colin and Piper this year because he had a late baseball game nearby.  These six had a lot of fun running from house to house - even though Finley doesn't look impressed!

And to ease the pain of Halloween being over, we left on our 2015 Disney Vacation the next morning!

Trick or Treat!

Another Halloween has come and gone!

The anticipation of trick or treating resulted in some very early wake up calls last week.  Wyatt was awake at 4AM on Thursday and Friday!  He is crazy!

We had pizza with our neighbors before we headed out to get some candy!

 Star Wars was obviously the popular choice with the older boys.  Between the Clone Wars and the new Rebels show and the new movie coming out next year, I predict that Wyatt will be a Star Wars character forever.

 Mulan and Ariel were clearly excited to go trick or treating.

 Captain America was happy to get a refreshing cup of lemonade at a neighbor's house.

 We are speeding up!  The neighborhood is now complete, and they finished the whole neighborhood in an hour!

Now that Halloween is over, we're busy making our Thanksgiving plans!  We've already started some Christmas shopping, and decorating will start soon (I don't like to be rushed!).  Only 3 weeks until our elf Parker comes back!

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!

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!

Reese's Pumpkin Patch Parade

Princess Sofia was so excited for her parade last week.  She takes her performances very seriously (she's already walking around the house practicing her shuffles for her Christmas dance recital next month!).

She cracks me up because she has the next 5 Halloween costumes planned.  She was Tinkerbell last year, and next year she wants to be Cinderella - and she wants the exact same costume one of her friends wore this year.

 Reese and Emma are BFF's.  "Emma" is basically every other word out of Reese's mouth.  Every day she gets in the car after school and I ask what she did that day and she says, "Mom!  What do you think I did?  I played super heroes with Emma and Griffin!"

 We went back to her class for a few minutes during her party.  Hudson didn't mind - he got some party food and didn't want to leave!

We still haven't settled 100% on where she will be going to kindergarten next year. Wyatt stayed at the preschool for K, but we've kind of fallen in love with the public school. Also - swinging another year of 5 day tuition seems insane.  BUT!  If she doesn't go back to preschool I could end up dropping Reese and Wyatt off at 7:35, dropping Hudson off at 8:30, picking Reese up at 10:50, picking Hudson up at 11:40, and picking Wyatt up at 2:20 (that sounds insane, and I wish Kindergarten was a full day...so we'll see). This could be her last parade!  They get so big, so fast!  

Hudson's Pumpkin Patch Parade

I drop Hudson off at school twice a week, but it still seems crazy to me that he's actually in school now.  Sometimes I feel bad for the littler kids as they get older and nothing is really "new" for them.  But Hudson is the first member of our family to have an actual Pumpkin Patch Parade in three year old class!  Reese had a small party in her class, and Wyatt's class didn't have something for parents.

But Hudson, I mean, Jake, got to sing and have a parade.  Score one for my third born!

 Oh my goodness, watching this little guy sing "Witch's Brew" was so fun.  He was adorable singing "Oooooooh, oooooooh, my witch's brew!"

 And of course, "What's it gonna do to you? BOO!"

 After his little performance, he got his parade on.

I didn't know what to expect from this little guy.  When I ask him about his day at school he gives me one word answers.  He can't tell me the name of anyone other than "Fletcher, Moira, and Tessa." But he has lots of fun at school, and he had a blast at his party,

 And apparently he pays attention to the parades at Disney World because he was handing out high five's like he was Woody on Main Street.

 Seriously - a party where we just had one tag-a-long baby and the partier?  That almost never happens!

 I'm so glad that Brian's schedule is flexible enough for him to come to things like this! He usually heads straight to work afterwards, but it means the world to these kiddos that their Daddy is there to see them sing!