Pumpkins!

Andrew really doesn't care about pumpkins this year...to him they are just odd shaped balls for throwing, so our pumpkin/fall related activities this year were geared toward Alexis.

Saturday, the 22nd, we went to the Pumpkin Dive at the Flower Mound CAC.  For those that don't know, they throw a bunch of the smaller pumpkins in the pool (the indoor not outdoor one) and the kids jump in and get them.  The 3-5 yr age group has to have a parent in the pool with them, so Grant was that lucky parent while I took pictures.  Since Pumpkins float, they don't actually have to dive, they just pick one and then they get to go decorate it.  They had a few other activities, but she really wasn't interested in anything other than swimming, so that's all she did.  Andrew threw some bean bags at the board with holes cut out while Alexis decorated her pumpkin and enjoyed a tootsie pop while she swam.  I have to say, I kind of wish I had paid attention while Andrew was eating the Tootsie pop...he's the only person I've ever seen actually, lick it until he got to the Tootsie Roll center!  If only, I had counted the licks I would know the answer to the age-old question.  But Alas, I guess we're stuck believing the owl on the old commercial.  Besides, he also rubbed it on his forehead, hands and shirt and I had plenty to clean up.

Wednesday is my day with just Alexis and since it was suggested when Andrew started having trouble with allergies and breathing early October that we not take him to a pumpkin patch, I decided I would take Alexis.  So we got ice cream since she had her "1/2 birthday" coupon.  She got a sample and decided she wanted the first one she sampled...(we'll have to work on this with her) and enjoyed her first every cup of chocolate peanut butter ice cream.  then we ran an errand, ate lunch and went to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch.  Going on a weekday was great!  We were able to park close, not get trampled or have our feet run over by wagons, and really take a look at all the cut outs.  She did the small hay bale maze, but didn't want to go in the big one because "hay is scratchy".  The train wasn't running while we were there so that was a little bit of a bummer, but she enjoyed running through the pumpkin patch and playing in the "jail" and of course jumping in the bounce houses and bounce slides especially since there was no line and she was able to stay in as long as I could tolerate the sun beating down.  Oh and a note on the pictures below, she chose purple pants to wear with the halloween shirt.

Because she got her pumpkin at the Pumpkin Dive, we picked out one for Andrew and we got 2 of the itty bitty pumpkins as well.  We decided not to get a big pumpkin here for a couple of reasons. 
1. While I'm strong, I didn't feel like lifting one into a wagon, onto the scale or into the car without Grant. (I must say, it was funny watching Alexis try to lift one that she would have needed to double the length of her arms to fit around it.)
2. Let's face it, they're cheaper at the grocery store even if you can't get a monstrous one at the grocery store.

Third Annual trip to the State Fair

We decided to go on a weekday evening (Tuesday the 18th) this year, so we were there for a little less time, but we got to go the day the cool front blew in.  Other than the wind, it was very pleasant.

Alexis napped on the way there...Andrew napped before we left.  We walked through the gates and were met with the strange scent mix wafting through the air of asphalt and confectionary sugar that accompany the Fair.  We didn't have much of an agenda this year except some artery clogging indulgence and a few kiddie shows and rides. 

So we bought a few tickets and headed toward the kids area.  Alexis and Daddy went through the Little Hands on the Farm that she has done each year.  We decided Andrew could start next year.  Then we found Grant's obligatory Fletcher's Corn Dog, Chicken on a stick for the kids and a Fried S'More for me.

After that was the backyard Circus, in which Alexis was a butterfly ballerina again and Andrew wanted to be pushed around in the stroller.

Then we watched the lowering of the flag to the National Anthem and rifle salute.

Andrew is very angry that we turned the stroller away from Big Tex

Onto a few rides...Alexis likes them fast and spinning.  She went on the Texas Tornado which she was barely tall enough for, so the lady let Grant go on it with her for free.  Lucky Grant!  All the little girls in their "pod" wanted him to keep it spinning faster.  Theirs definitely was spun the most and fastest.  I've never seen him lean over after a ride just to regain himself.  Alexis was already grabbing my hand and trying to bounce back into the line.  We made our way to the roller coaster where the cars spun around and I rode it with...no freebie for me this time, but it requires an additional 2 inches so Alexis couldn't have done this one by herself if she wanted to.  This one didn't have a way for me to make it spin faster, it was more roller coaster than spin ride, but she loved the speed.

so excited to be on the first ride!

After this we decided not to wait in line for face painting and made our way to the pig races.  Andrew was freed from the stroller and we went up and down and all around the side of the arena where Alexis and Grant were sitting, but Andrew was tired of being strapped down.  The only problem was, that his attention would turn toward the field when the pigs were running, he would clap and then start making a beeline down the stairs to run onto the field, so after battling him to turn around and go back into the stands after the first two races, he and I left.  That way we were out before the crowd, he got freshened up in a baby station and we then decided to skip the petting zoo and head back to the Mid-Way.  Grant and I split a funnel cake (for dessert?!) and I did the Texas Tornado with Alexis one more time. 

waiting for the pigs to race

She enjoyed seeing everything all lit up and we decided to call it a night.

We only had one person fall mostly on top of Andrew in the stroller from not watching where he (the middle school aged boy) was walking, minimal people watching chuckles on a weekday (at least considering it's a State Fair in the South), but plenty of fun and squeals of laughter.

Like a Ninja, but not

Alexis is, for lack of a better word, loquatious.  She is also not subtle.  However when she wants to be sneaky, she's got it down... like a ninja  It's amazing how the girl who usually leaves the volume knob broken on high and can't control her giggling can still manage to sneak up on people (read: sleeping parents)... like a ninja.

Saturday morning,  instead of walking around to my side of the bed and staring at my eyes from an inch away to try to wake me up via ESP, she climbed up onto the bed and was sitting on top of me holding my hand before I realized that she was there... like a ninja.  The night before she had said she wanted her alarm to wake her up so we had set it for 8 and told her that if she woke up earlier that was fine but to play in her room until it beeped.  Well, she did well at that until she decided to lock her door to make sure Andrew (who by the way was still soundly sleeping in his crib) and Sadie did not get in and she also walked out into the hall to make sure they weren't coming to get her and shut her door, therefore locking herself out... not like a ninja.

So she tiptoed downstairs, into our room and stealthily climbed onto the bed and on top of me... like a ninja... so she could wake us up and have her door unlocked... not like a ninja.

Sunday morning, well before her alarm is set to go off (2 hours before) wee heard her little bare feet (or as she calls them when she doesn't have anything on them, either stinky feet or naked feet) padding loudly across the laminate floor...not like a Ninja  And Grant rolls over and says "is she about to walk in here?" "Yep, she's at the door  now" I reply.  She climbed in our bed between us and was trying to lay quietly and still, but was not tired enough, so she was eventually walked back to her room and told to play quietly until it was time to get up

Though I didn't think either of the kiddos or I were Ninja-like once we got up for real, Grant still managed to sleep through it until I woke him up at the last minute so that he could get ready.  Later in the day, our girl who hates napping, let sleep sneak up on her... like a Ninja.  She wasn't too thrilled when she woke up and realized that she fell asleep during her play time, but after a mild fit, she got over it.

More Babies and more fun

"Baby Violet...but when she grows up will just be Violet" - Alexis
has arrived. Here is Alexis, holding Zoey's new baby sister

playing as princesses after holding Violet

Violet's diaper wreath (diapers, halloween sleeper, giraffe lovey and giraffe shoes)

And we are still awaiting the arrival of Brooklynn but here is her diaper gift:

And below are a few pics of the kiddos just playing around.

taunting Sadie with Animal Cookies

Andrew and Alexis scarecrows that keep falling over in the wind despite the logs to hold them up

watching Rangers

the bucket goes on, the bucket comes off, the bucket goes on...it's like the dangerous version of peek-a-boo because he's usually walking around.

A reason to travel

As mentioned in my previous post, we decided a few months ago that we would take a weekend trip to Memphis to go to a friend's wedding.

Shannon was one of my bridesmaids 8 years ago and though keeping in touch hasn't always been easy, I am blessed to have her in my life.  So when this came up there was no way we would miss it.

We got an invite to the rehearsal dinner and thought travelling the day before would be easier on the kids, so we left early on Friday.  Our plans for a babysitter fell through so I went to the rehearsal dinner without Grant.  I was bummed that Grant couldn't go but glad that I got to spend some time there, meet the groom and converse without someone small tugging on my dress every couple of minutes. 

Alexis has been very excited about going to see someone get married for a little over a week now.  She has been to two other weddings, but doesn't remember them.  So the next day, we explained that she wasn't allowed to go to the wedding unless she napped.  So even in all her excitement she napped and was quite well-behaved for her.  She talked about getting to go to a wedding almost every spare minute.  And when we got there, as the wedding party was starting to come down the aisle she was asking when we would see Shannon.  When Shannon appeared, dressed like the princess Alexis expected, she stared in awe and was thrilled when Shannon looked over and smiled at her.  Alexis' face was filled with happiness as she covered her mouth in excitement.  She whispered a few questions to me during the ceremony but was very well-behaved. 
Then she was glad to learn there was a big party after.  During this time, she informed people when they were holding their wine glasses "wrong" because of how she had seen people hold the glasses between their fingers on a tv show, she reall really wanted a cupcake and I was lucky to steer her away from the cake table.

We had hoped to get a pic of all of us dressed up, but that just didn't work out

Shannon and Nick were very sweet and patient to listen as Alexis tried to talk their ears off after she told me that she was just going to tell them that they were beautiful and handsome.

picture that Alexis took of the Bride and Groom

Her "favoritest things about the wedding were blowing bubbles while they (the bride and groom) were dancing and the cupcake"

Alexis and the flower girls blowing bubbles

It was a beautiful, classy and fun wedding with a hint of magic.  I was honored to be a guest and so happy to see sweet Shannon begin her new chapter with Nick.

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Robbins!

Oh and I really wish that I had made Grant get his own cupcake and not shared mine.  Those were great!

Goin' to Graceland...kind of

Over the summer we decided that we would make the trek back to Memphis for my friend, Shannon's wedding. (Next Post)  I have made the drive back and forth between DFW and Memphis several times as Grant lived in Irving while I was still in my senior year at Rhodes, it's not a bad drive...but it is different with 3 additional people in the car.  OK, scratch that driving through Arkansas is boring and I can't believe I have done it so many times.

Despite the issues that leaving on Friday presented, we decided to do that anyway in order to give the kids time to stretch their legs and so we could take part in some other Memphis area things.

We set out at about 5:20 a.m. (later than I had planned but the extra sleep was nice).
Stopped at Denny's just outside Texarkana for the slowest service ever and some time to walk around.

Next stop was a McDonald's to play...not happy to learn that McDonald's in Arkansas do not have changing tables (Seriously?!? it's McDonald's!)
Then on to Memphis.  We stopped at Rhodes and got the kids some Rhodes gear from the bookstore and then headed over to our hotel in Collierville.

By this point my allergies were totally being ridiculous, so when I got back from the rehearsal dinner later that evening, Grant went to a 24-hour Walgreen's to get me some stronger medicine.

Saturday, Alexis woke up before the rest of us and though I was able to convince her to sit and color, she wanted me to check her progress about every minute so I did not sleep any more.  We got up and got ready to head to the Ornamental Metal Museum http://www.metalmuseum.org/.  The Memphis travel site I had looked at said “For families with high-energy kids, this is an absolute must-see experience. For families without high-energy kids, check it out anyway. There’s nothing like it anywhere else.”  However, my kids were not interested and had much more fun running around at the park across the street, but oh well.

with the big metal flower

ringing the bell...he was startled by the bigger bell

After this we went to the Fire Museum http://www.firemuseum.com/.  The kids were pretty worn out from the day before, so we decided not to stay but a couple of minutes on the promise that Alexis would nap when we got back.

Alexis and some other kid

After Naptime Alexis and I went to meet my friend Megan while Grant took Andrew for a stroll and late lunch.  During this time Alexis continued coloring the picture that we had to give to the Bride.

And later the wedding. (as noted earlier the wedding will be mentioned in my next post)

Andrew having fun with the AC and curtains and Alexis coloring...this was how they spent a lot of time in the room when not throwing pillows.

The next day, we were going to walk around the historic Collierville Town Square but being Sunday most places were closed, so we decided to head to Graceland and go ahead and leave town. (with a stop at Memphis Pizza Cafe on the way)

Andrew was asleep by the time we got to Graceland and we thought it best to take advantage of this, so we pulled up next to it and took a picture. And then left Memphis.

leaving Memphis

The drive home was uneventful as we were reminded it was Sunday again when we stopped at Chick-fil-A to play...only to get back in the car and drive a while longer so the kids could run around at a rest stop.  Andrew threw a tantrum when we wouldn't let him steal another child's soccer ball.  And after one more stop at Cracker Barrell in Texarkana we were home in time to get a good night's sleep and have a pajama day at home on Monday.