One of my favorite fall traditions is taking the kids to the pumpkin patch every year.  Unfortunately Clay wasn’t able to meet us there this year, but we did get to meet up with the Pilgrim and Davis families for some fun. 

Ethan with the camera

Rachel with the camera

2006

2007

2008

2009

Ethan 2006 vs. Ethan 2009

Last week we were playing outside and I heard screaming coming from the car.  Only Rachel would find the Bumbo, put it in the car, sit in it, buckle the seatbelt and then scream because she couldn’t get out.  I really love this kid.

We celebrated Ethan’s birthday last weekend with a costume party in Nana & Poppa’s backyard and it was a big hit!  Ethan invited several friends and the kids played in the treehouse, did a pin the face on the pumpkin, ate moonpies on a stick, decorated mini pumpkins, had their faces painted, stuffed themselves with hotdogs and chips, and had a great time.  The only bad part was that Rachel had the flu and couldn’t be at the party, which meant my mom also had to miss the party because she graciously offered to keep Rachel at our house.  A few days ago Rachel said, “Mommy, did you have fun at Bubba’s costume party?”  I said yes and she said, “I didn’t because I was sick.  Remember?”  Ethan keeps telling her that she’ll be well for his number 6 party and that seems to distract her.  It’s still hard to believe his 5th birthday has come and gone, but it went out with a bang. 

Batman, the witch (Addi), the witch (Libby), and the warlock (Levi)

The “cake” made by mom and dad

Batman and his square dancing crew

We had a celebrity sighting at the party – Dog and Beth

E having a package delivered via UPS (Uncle Nick is a real UPS man)

So happy to be opening presents

The party people

In a birthday daze

And we finally got to meet our newest nephew – baby Blake!

Well, it happened.  I kept wishing it away and praying it wouldn’t come and hoping it was some confusing dream I would wake up from, but it still happened.  Monday came and went just like any other Monday, but somewhere around 11:45 a.m. it transformed a 4 year old boy into a 5 year old kid.  I have realized in the three days that we’ve had one that  five year olds like to brush their own teeth and wash their own hair and don’t need you to come behind them to double check.  Five year olds can ask for an allowance.  Five year olds can give you a hug and a kiss and sit by your side to watch a show you want to watch when you’re sick.  Five year olds can pick out their own clothes and base those choices on what they think the other kids at school will be wearing that day.  Five year olds can eat entire bowls of vegetable soup without complaint because they say it will make their muscles big and help them to be healthy.  Five year olds really hate being pestered by their little sister and can suddenly yell louder than they ever did as a four year old.  Five year olds can offer their computer fixing skills to a medical office whose computers have crashed.  Five year olds can get very exasperated that their mom does not know how to correctly fix broken Lego ships.  Five year olds can read their own bedtime stories.  Five year olds can do just fine with a high five from their mom at school rather than the hug and kiss needed from a four year old.  Five year olds can fix their own cereal.  Five year olds have a very strong opinion about their hairstyle.  And unfortunately five year olds go to kindergarten…thankfully it’s still 10 months away.  I feel like I’m having to relearn how to be the best mom for this big kid and I think that’s why I was wishing it away.  But deep down inside it’s really fun to have somone to have real conversations with and to bounce ideas off of and to fix dinner with.  And thankfully five year olds still want to be tucked in at night.

Despite my best efforts at scouring Craigslist and eBay, we weren’t able to go to the Aggie game last weekend at the new Cowboys stadium.  However, we were able to finally introduce the kids to the Aggie Band and march-in and what it feels like to be in a sea of maroon.  I had that odd giddy feeling in my stomach as we were driving there.  And all of a sudden I had an urge to search frantically for my ID card or remind myself of when step-off was or to find my parents on the quad while we staked out a spot behind the basses or make sure my denim shirt and floral skirt were ready to go (ah, the memories).  It was so much fun to be there with Cara, Jack & Jo, and then my SIL and nieces and nephew showed up and then we ran into some old college friends and I felt like I should have been in the MSC.  If we had just stopped at Freebirds on our way there instead of McDonald’s it would have been absolutely perfect.

Last week the kids and I stopped by the park on the absolute most beautiful day of the year and ended up spending most of the day there.  We typically just go and play on the playgrounds and swing and then leave.  But last week we explored the back side of the park and had a blast crossing the bridge, climbing on rocks, and the best part – playing on the 1970s exercise equipment.  It was hilarious hearing the kids try to come up with the uses for the different equipment pieces.  There are also some really random statues scattered throughout the park (like a boy laying on the groud using his feet to feed a dog a bottle – a little odd, right?) and that was an adventure by itself.  We made a quick McDonald’s run halfway through because I wasn’t prepared with lunch, and when we got back a boy from Ethan’s soccer team was there with his little sister so that doubled the excitement.  Looking forward to some more beautiful fall days around here.