A Boy and His Kitty

Now that we don't live in a place where it blizzards all winter, we let the kiddos get two kitties. They live in the chicken house feed room and get to come inside when they're being held. TW's is named Mittens and is the tamest, sweetest, floppiest cat you've ever seen. Miss A could probably dress her up and push her around in the stroller. TW is in love.

Trick-or-Treat, Smell My Feet

The pre-festivity crew at our house, including cousins and neighbors.


The Hittle 4:

Musketeer

Jenga Fett

Miss Mountain Lion

Kit Fisto (Made by Mom, thank you very much)

The WHOLE crew ready to attack the neighborhood:

My sweet nephew

Buddies!

More sweet nephews

Miss A was very excited to be a mountain lion with her "big" cousin.

Hope you're having a good fall! Ours just turned to winter, I think.

My Fav Five

Argh! Portrait time.

I attempt portraits of my own kids about once a year. Why should I pay Sears for the same poses each year, right? After much bribing, threatening, cajoling, frustration at my camera almost to the point of tears (surely no frustration at the kids), and a million funny faces by my sweet and kind-of willing husband, I finally got a few that I like.






Whew! Done until next year? Maybe I should reconsider Sears.....I'm going to go try to re-attach all the hair I pulled out today.

Balloon Festival

The second weekend in September is the annual town balloon festival. Though we can see the balloons that rise over town on Saturday morning from the coziness of our house, this year we forgot to look, so bright and early Sunday morning, we had to drive to the other side of town to see the balloons' "mass ascension" (their term, not mine, but if there was a rapture in Fairfield on Sunday, we wanted to be there). E and I wondered if it was worth it, after staying up too late the night before, but the kids totally loved it. Someday, maybe they can go up in one.

Donuts!

Birthday Girl

Hard to believe she's 3.

Wheels! (and hooves)

Mobility is a wonderful thing and the kids sure have been enjoying theirs.

J just learned to ride his bike with no training wheels a couple of weeks ago. That, along with tying his shoes and going to Kindergarten, has reassured him that he's getting very big.





We're keeping my niece's horse behind the house for a while (until the grass is gone), and TW and Miss A are especially happy with the arrangement.

Everyone likes practicing at a local park with a great sidewalk loop.

It all adds up

What do dirty floors + backed up laundry + covered dining room table + frazzled Mom = ???? Yep, homeschooling again. (Ok, I admit those things are true even when I'm not homeschooling...) We decided to keep the older two at home this year while J goes to Kindergarten. I have a love-hate relationship with homeschooling. I love having them home more and helping them learn and the closeness of it all, as well as the family freedom, but the power struggles, frustrations and increased stress on me are tough. Cuddling while reading = great fun. Dealing with a 4th grader's bad attitude about times tables = not so fun. Definite challenge to my mom skills. Such is life, I guess! Wish us luck and keep me in your prayers! :)

Kindergarten Boy

E: Do you want me to walk you to your class?
J: Nope. Just drop me off.
E: Are you sure? I'll walk you up...
J: Just drop me off..........Bye, Dad!

I didn't cry until I heard about that conversation.

Western Heritage

A few weeks ago we attended our second ever ranch rodeo, put together with much work, sweat and fundraising by my brother and sister-in-law. For those of you who don't know, a ranch rodeo is a rodeo that includes only events with skills that would be useful on a real, working ranch (horse catching, team penning, team branding, team doctoring and wild cow milking--obviously the most useful "real" ranch skill of all?). Teams of 4 or 5 "hands" from area ranches compete for prizes in each timed event and for an overall best-of-rodeo prize. (Sorry Jess and Casey, if that doesn't do it justice). Anyway, we went, had fun, and my brother's team won the grand prize (is that legal?). Woohoo!

The kids got new hats for the occasion. This pic is on the steps from our patio to the yard.

Kids and cousins at the fair.

4/5 of my brother's team. He's the one in the light hat.

Team doctoring.

My sweet sis-n-law working the announcer's booth.

Haven't you always wanted to see Eric in a cowboy hat?