Busch Gardens

This Fall has been crazy, but we were able to have a Family Day at Busch Gardens a few weeks ago. 

These cousins loved riding the Elmo roller coaster together.

Hudson obviously takes his roller coaster riding very seriously.

Hudson hopped on the Clydesdales while Reese enjoyed her first ride on a "real" roller coaster.  My adventure loving girl was so excited to ride the Loch Ness Monster.  Wyatt said that he thinks he'll wait until next year to ride a big coaster.  Yeah.  I don't think that's going to happen.  It doesn't seem to interest him.  Plus, we probably scarred him for life with the whole dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom thing.

Mimi and Baba would like to thank Hudson for cooperating in getting a picture of all of their grandkids.

Reese and I decided to ride Verbolten together.   Again, this girl is brave.  It has a  dark section and the coaster drops out from under you at one point - and she rode it TWICE.  I was only good for one ride, but Aunt Allison rode with her the second time.

She also became a tad obsessed with the Battering Ram.  Like 10 times in a row obsessed.  She and Piper would hop on and off.  I was honestly worried about her tummy, but she was fine!

Colin was nice enough to take a ride on this exciting ride with his little cousin.

And the four older kids finally got to ride the Battering Ram together.

As it inched closer to dark, we got ready to leave.  Hallowscream is fun during the day, but it's definitely not kid friendly at night! 

Finley is 2!!!!

Blogging slacker here.  I guess I decided to take the month of September off?

It hasn't been easy getting into the swing of the beginning of a new school year, a busy sports season, and the fact that the Fall is actually Brian's busy season at work.  I know that seems crazy, but a lot of the "business-y" stuff starts in September, with almost no break from the summer craziness.  It has been overwhelming this year - mostly for him, and a little for me!

Way back at the beginning of September, this sweet girl turned TWO!

Our baby girl is two!  It's so crazy to think that only two years ago she was our tiniest baby, and now she's a walking, talking toddler.  Who we still frequently call "The Baby."  I can't remember how long we called Hudson "The Baby," but I'm pretty sure it stopped when I was pregnant with this girl.  I guess everyone else has had another little brother or sister to take the baby spot, but she's the Grand Finale!

She got to spend her birthday with her favorite person in the world.  It doesn't get much better than that!

We had a late pizza dinner and cake.  Wyatt's baseball coach ran a pretty late practice. I guess he forgot he had an important celebration to attend? Ha!

We opened presents and celebrated this sweet little girl.  She funny, she's loving, she adores her older siblings.  Her relationship with them is a little Sour Patch Kid-dish right now.  First she's sour, then she's sweet.  She'll walk up to Hudson, smack his back, and then give him a big smile and a hug.  And he gives in every time!

Because how can you be mad at this smile?!  It was car cleaning day and I needed to keep her contained.  This worked!

Sweet sisters reading and playing together.

She snatched strawberries out of the grocery bag - and took them to the couch to eat them. Mess. Mess. Mess. Mess. Mess.

Reading surrounded by all the essentials.  And those toes!!!

On our way to Frozen on Ice!

And the outfit she chose for her two year well check up.  Showing her Disney Side. She's fashion forward.  Obviously.

At her two year check up she weighed 29 pounds, 4 ounces, and she's 33 inches tall.  I'm not sure I got the percentiles on that.  Fourth child syndrome!

Two is a fun age.  We're still working on her communication, so there are problems when she wants something and I have no idea what it means, but we're making a consistent effort to talk to her all of the time, just like we did with Wyatt and Reese and Hudson.  Poor girl always gets interrupted by the big kids.  With them at school more, we're reading more books, doing more puzzles, and spending more one on one time.  And I'm loving it.  (I miss the other kids, obviously, I'm just enjoying my last days with a little one, too!).

Happy Birthday, Finley Quinn!  We love you!

First Day!

Another school year is underway.

Every one is two years apart in school, which is kind of awesome. 

This year we have a second grader!

 And a Kindergartner!

 Since they go to a primary school, the second graders are the oldest in the school.  It also means that these two will go to different schools again next year!

 Tuesday was basically the hottest day of the year, but this girl would only wear leggings.  Because she's a fashionista.  After she chose this for her first day of school outfit, there was no changing her mind.  She wouldn't even let me pull her hair back!

 And doesn't this guy look thrilled to head back to school?  Ha!

He's just stuck in his awkward smile phase again.  He was very excited to get to school, and he didn't shed a single tear at drop off.   He was so happy to see his friends!

Now we're back to the time of year where our schedule suddenly fills up.  I was just talking about next week's schedule with Brian - Wyatt has baseball practice twice, two games, soccer practice, a soccer game, and Reese has a tee ball game, too!  It's about to get crazy around here. 

Final Weekend of Summmmmeeeeeer!

The kids and I spent the majority of this weekend trying to soak up the last weekend of summer.  They go back to school on tomorrow (?!), so I wanted to squeeze in some trips that we may not be able to make once school and carpools start.

We spent Friday morning at Meet the Teacher, and then we went over to my parents' house to hang out with my brother and his fiancee.  And Wyatt and Reese always love when my Dad's childhood best friend comes to town with his three kids.  Reese and Ava made up different jumps all night!

We even had a dog try to join us for the ride home.  Sorry Bella!

On Saturday we went to the Living Museum to see the dinosaur exhibit again.  They definitely like the fossil "dig."

Reese enjoys showing off her "fancy" poses in front of dinosaurs (that's what Wyatt calls it).

And of course he had "creature adventurer" poses in front of the dinos, too!  I've gotten my money's worth out of this safari vest that we found on clearance at Target.  He wears it anytime he knows he's going to see animals.

Wyatt walked around the museum telling Finley the names of all of the animals (they practiced "fish" and "turtle" over and over again).  She loves her big brother!

After the Living Museum, I stopped and got lunch for the kids and let them watch a movie in the car (it's usually a special treat for long trips) while we waited for my phone screen to get fixed.  It's been cracked since our trip to see the big duck in May (although it's been dropped and cracked twice since then at baseball games), and I had a Groupon that was about to expire. 

Sunday morning the middles and I went to the waterpark while the bookends went to Mimi and Baba's.  We had lots of fun sliding and playing.  Hudson passed out on  the ride home!

And then we ended up doing a child swap - Reese stayed at Mimi and Baba's with Wyatt while FQB, Hudson and I ran to Target.  They looked adorable holding hands in the cart!

And this morning they asked for one more zoo trip.  Obviously, I said no.

Not.  They ran all over the zoo, but we finished before it got too hot!  Reese stopped to model her Rafiki pose.  "Correction.  I know your father."

And we stopped to see the tortoise.  Apparently the first documentation they have about the large one is from 1930?  But it could be older!

And now I will be spending the rest of the day getting backpacks ready and organizing schedules. And picking out clothes for the week because I am not fighting that battle every day this week with Reese. Or Wyatt.  How does school start tomorrow?!?!

Going Back

It's the final weekend of summer break!

We've been trying to squeeze in a few final fun outings, but we've also had baseball and some school related functions this week!

Hudson had Open House on Tuesday night.

For the first time in three years, we only have one kid going to preschool.  We only had one class to visit.  When Wyatt and Reese were still only going a few days a week, they went on opposite schedules, so I've been headed to the school every day for three years, too.  This year I'll only be making that drive three days a week!

After we met his teachers (the same fabulous team who taught Reese when she was four), we took him out for ice cream.

Last night I had to prep all of the school supplies for our Kindergartner and Second grader.  Yes.  Two Thirty-One Large Utility totes to get all the supplies to school.  So much stuff!

Wyatt's desk was all set up for him.  It was all official and big kid-looking.  With a planner. I didn't get any pictures of him because I was helping him distribute supplies and talking to his teacher, but I think he's in for a fun year in second grade!

After we got Wyatt situated, we brought him back home and picked up this Kindergarten cutie.  She went to her classroom, met her teacher, and then begged to go to the library!  She wanted to browse all the different sections and books.  She is very excited that the Kindergarten classes get to go to the library every week!

We visited the PTA table, the Spirit wear table, and finally headed back home. And I will be spending the weekend filling out mountains of paperwork!

And then on Tuesday I'm sending half of these kids off to school!

Reese's Sixth Birthday

I have never met a kid who gets as excited about their birthday as Reese does.  She actually made a video for me planning out her day in advance so that I would know what she wanted to do.  This included her menu for the day so I could shop.  Not even kidding.

Brian stopped at Party City for Frozen decorations, and I found a banner in our birthday supply box.  She loves to see decorations out "just for her."

 She also has the BEST reactions to gifts. She doesn't say anything until every piece of paper is off of the package (even if she can see what it is). Then she gets really excited, and runs and hugs the gift giver.

 Wearing pajama pants with nightgowns is her new thing.  And they don't match.

She loved the Palace Pet collection that Wyatt chose for her!

 Reese wrote thank you notes for her gifts the night BEFORE her birthday.  Even Finley is shocked by her prompt acknowledgment of gifts.

 Derek and Sophie were hanging out with Mimi for the day, so Reese suggested that we move her "pizza lunch" to Mimi's so she could share lunch and cupcakes with them.

 Finley was a big fan of that idea!  She loves a cupcake!

 Reese had tee ball practice, and then we went to her requested dinner at the "place with peanuts and mac and cheese," known to most people as Texas Roadhouse.  Then we had cake and ice cream!

 She walked around all day shouting, "I can't believe it's my BIRTHDAY!  I'm six!"

Happy Birthday, Reesie!  We love you so much!

As Daddy said,

Six years ago I had no idea what to do with a little girl. 

Six years later, I don't know what I would do without her. My Reesie is quite simply the most well rounded person I have ever met. Smart, funny, beautiful, loving and caring - great words that don't even begin to do her justice. My world is a better place because of her.

Happy 6th Birthday Reese!!