Favorite past pumpkins

pumpkins

We took the kids to pick out pumpkins.

I think we'll grow our own next year.

Naissa decided to *paint* Isaac's pumpkin

with Zack's face paint

and the brush that goes with the hair clippers

Here are daddy's glasses

Naissa's reflection

NAISSA

REFLECTING on the SCRATCHES she made on my CAR

with a STICK

Jade on Tenor

Jade is playing tenor drums this year.

She got to play with the high school at one of the football games.

First Grade to the Fair

Jim, Isaac and I got to go to the Fair with Naissa's first grade class. We spent some time playing in the stinky farm animal area. I can't remember if we went to the fair last year or if it's been two years since we last went, but there were new things to see and smell this time. A musical section - very cool! They even had a "Super Dooper Pooper Scooper Station" where kids could use pooper scoopers to pick up fake poop! Not sure that made the top 10 list with these kids but Hey...it made us laugh!

The girls tried milking the fake cow and came out giggling.
The girls and Betsy the Cow (the boys had already moved on to the next station)
Isaac in the play area....before we lost him.

Naissa panning for gold.

Naissa after the lady said there was NO GOLD and that they were just panning for rocks!

Naissa with some friends.

The girls at the top of the Tree Fort.

As the girls walked away from Smokey they asked

"How's he gonna tell us about fire if he can't talk?"
good question.

Zack and Football

Zack has been looking forward to playing sports at school

since he was in first grade.

You can't play football, basketball,

baseball etc...until 5th grade.

#55

We pulled Naissa out of school so she could

*CHEER*

for her brother and the rest of the team.

(She was just thrilled)

Zack got to *verse*
(that's what the kids call it - not just mine)
a few of his friends this season.
One of them was Ryan.

Way to go Zack!

Football is my least favorite sport for kids to play in school.

(Except for wrestling but thankfully Zack didn't want to wrestle)

Zack has come home just beat up from this sport.

Headaches, goose eggs, black eye, muscle aches,

scratched lip from some guys dirty fingernail

(and yes I know it was dirty,these kids are 10-12,

they don't wash their hands)

One day Zack came home and laid down

saying his head hurt.

Being the sympathetic mom that I am

I told him to get up and take something for it

so he could get his homework done.

It wasn't until after dinner that Zack told us

he had been put up against the biggest kid on the team.

(Zack = under 70lbs and Big Kid = 124lbs+)

Zack caught the ball, coach blew the whistle

and the Big Kid still tackled him.....

cracking Zack's helmet and popping his neck!

OMG!!! Why is he still playing?!!

IDK?!

Another game the ambulance was called out TWICE!

Only one more game left

then I can switch my worrying gears to

Basketball!

Aren't there less injuries in basketball?

Aniah and Tiahna's Birthday at the Tea House

Naissa and Kaylin enjoying lemonade and tea

at the Tea House for Aniah and Tiahna's birthdays.

Shaleena bought the girls princess dresses,

tiaras and jewelry to wear.

Naissa and Kaylin
Aniah, Tiahna, Kaylin and Naissa

Silly Princesses

Who woulda thought a plate of cucumbers, salad,

hard dry bread and chicken sandwiches

with the crusts cut off

would cost $16.50!?!

I'm guessing it was the edible flower!

The girls had a great time.

They got to drink fancy tea

and eat little PB&J, PB&H, Cream Cheese & Jelly

and Egg sandwiches all with the crust cut off.

Then they were brought little wiener wraps

and cup cakes!

All dressed up and treated like

Princesses!

Natalie Grant - I Will Not Be Moved - Official Music Video

One of many reasons "Boys Will Be Boys" is Crap

Today was yet another reason, in my book,

as to why the excuse that boys will be boys is just crap.

An excuse to hurt other people...like women blaming

EVERYTHING on hormones.

Yes, boys do stupid things and

hormones can aid in making a woman crazy (ha!)

but to play everything off as such is pure

C-R-A-P.

I think pride and big egos are why boys

do many stupid things.

Boys need to be tough, or at least appear as though they are.

If that means hurting another boy to make them feel

like the man they aren't,

then that's exactly what they do.

It is not easy to be on the losing team,

or to get beaten by your opponent,

but to do so with a good attitude far surpasses

any winner who has a bad attitude.

Just because you got knocked down in a scrimmage

and had to dust your pride and

big talking off the seat of your pants,

doesn't give you the right to seek revenge

on the guy who was just doing

what he was supposed to in the game.

To use an object, such as a football helmet

to inflict pain on another,

especially when they don't have time

to defend themselves,

is just LOW.

It's a good thing some boys can admit

when they've made a bad decision

and say sorry when they are wrong.

It's a good thing that some boys

can forgive as quickly as things happen.

Too bad this mom doesn't process that quickly.

The Zoo

We went to the Zoo a couple of weeks ago with some friends.

I think it's been over a year since we've gone.

It was our first time seeing the Sting Ray Bay,

the black footed cat (only weighs 2 lbs!),

the grass where the hippo used to be,

a camel and a couple of cranes where the bison used to be

and a couple of other little changes.

My all time favorite has always been the tigers.

This one below had been smelling around a plant

and came up with that "cat pee high".

If you have a cat at home you probably know

what I'm talking about.

Pumpkin Farter Picture