Punkins in the Pumpkins

Livi's preschool set up a trip to the local pumpkin patch.  We have an honest-to-goodness pumpkin patch IN town!!! (I put the exclamations in to make it seem more exciting, and less hicksville than it actually is). 

Livi's first time EVER on a school bus.

Yes, this really is in town (ok...on the edge, but still in town)

The kids could pick out ANY pumpkins they wanted.  Any at all.  Big, giant, tall, expensive pumpkins that would save their parents so much money it's insane, so they naturally wanted...

the littlest ones they could find.

Most of the whole group.

When the big kids got home and found out that Livi got to go to the pumpkin patch they naturally took it well, if by well you mean were so outraged at the injustice of life that they somehow whined and complained until I gave up and promised we would go as a family that Saturday.

Luckily Saturday was much warmer:

Yes, it snowed today, but less than a week ago Ethan was wearing shorts.

Ella thought we needed a picture of me and Eric.  Since it wasn't horrible and I'm almost never in pictures, I decided to add it.

Eric loved this pumpkin/gourd/mushroom hybrid and decided we NEEDED it at home.

The only bad thing about this patch is there are a TON of stickers, which meant that one member of our family...

was relegated to doggy jail in the car.

The fruits of our labors, which was surprisingly cheap.  Yee Ha Nebraska!

Pro-cras-ti-naaaaaaaaa-tion (sung like Carley Simons "Anticipation.")

Well.  Deep breath.  I can survive this week.  Maybe...

Oh well, to take my mind off of it all here is something completely different:

Tonks REALLY, REALLY likes freshly washed clothing.  Maybe it is because it is warm, maybe it is the smell, whatever it is laundry time has turned into:

Where's Tonks???

She IS a great dog, but she does have a very bad habit; she takes everything she can get her paws onto outside.  This was the latest pile Eric collected before mowing the lawn.  I think she likes it that I have to wash them all making... more yummy smelling laundry!!!

Livi's latest picture from preschool.  I didn't know being in a furnace was such a pleasant experience for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!  I know they weren't hurt at all, but man, they look like they are ready to toast marshmallows and sing campfire songs!

To preface this next picture I had a melt down tonight.  Not a panic attach, thank goodness, but a good old fashioned melt down.  Mostly I am sad that I am not going to be anywhere close to having a costume for Halloween, plus my super crazy week combined with not enough sleep for a week.  Basically I needed a cookie.  Badly.  So I made some, because that, my friends, is how I roll.  Not enough time to do what you need to?  Procrastinate and make cookies.  Not just any cookies, time consuming sugar cookies!  Not just any sugar cookies, super awesome sugar cookies:

For me I made Doctor Who cookie cutters (because that is also how I roll) so I could make Doctor Who cookies.  The TARDIS needs some work on the decorating end, but the Daleks turned out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

I made ninjas for the kids because I needed more sugar cookie ninjas in my life.

Turns out I made ninjas for Eric too.  He had a little too much fun with his cookies:

Hi Yah!

I'm Not Sure I'm Getting My Moneys Worth...

Olivia started preschool at the YMCA last month, and honestly I am a little skeptical.  Not only is the class size WAY to big, but this is a conversation I had with Livi last week:

To preface, they do Bible stories every week. I thought they had talked about Noah, but it really was Moses, which almost makes it sadder.

Me: What did you talk about today? Was it Noah?
Livi: Yes
Me: Did you talk about the ark?
Livi: What are you talking about? (unfortunately she really does say that too me, and with a lovely bit of sass)
Me: Noah...he built an ark...put all the animals on it.  We've talked about it in Home Evening.  The ark... a boat???
Livi: No Mommy, it wasn't an ark, it was a pirate ship.
Me: What...Huh??? Noah wasn't a pirate.
Livi: YES!!! He was pirate and he went and got things.  We wouldn't be here, but he had a pirate ship.
Me:???

Later I went through her bag and found this:

I guess Christopher Columbus' boat does look a little like a pirate ship.

Also we have what can only call the prayer of allegiance:

Randomness, or My September in Pictures

Cadbury made this just for me, I am sure.  A HALLOWEEN CREME EGG!!!

At scouts we played Hymn Book Limbo.  The boys LOVED it! We got down to 4 hymnals.  The trick: Don't forget about your heels.

Livi eating an Olive Garden bread stick for the first time.

The pure cuteness exuded from Tonks is pretty much the only thing keeping me sane.

Super Bailey.  Ethan found this card at Menards that looks exactly like James and Jes' dog in her alternate life.

Livi and Carter on Police Day.

We put up our Halloween decorations and our new thing this year was our graveyard.  Note to self that Styrofoam tombstones don't stand up to Scottsbluff 55 mph wind.  I guess I should change my burial plans now...

Technically not September, but Ella and Maddi wanted their own picture up on a blog (like Ethan and Caleb).  They worked on this cute picture of two princesses under a rainbow for over 30 minutes! Good job girls, it is GREAT!

I Like To Go To The Y...M...C...A... Everybody now!!

Caleb, Ethan's best friend, had a birthday last month.  For his party he decided to do something a little different (all parties here seem to be at either the bowling alley or skating rink because nothing says Happy Birthday like "disinfected" yet still smelly foot ware).  They reserved the climbing wall and party room at our YMCA and it was a ton of fun.

Ethan didn't want to do the big wall, but he did try out the smaller "cave" that they could free climb.

Livi got to go to so she could hang out with her two favorite guys!

Eric, helping McKay dunk, and I helped with the little ones in return for yummy pizza and cupcakes. Best deal ever!

(It DID worry me a little that the "trained" worker, who wouldn't let any parents near the ropes, was barely taller than my 7 year older.  Maybe he is a hobbit.  A well trained, fully certified and insured climbing instructor hobbit that just happens to look like a 12 year old)  Ella had to show up a little late because of dance, but my fearless girl didn't let me down.  Still wearing her dance clothes, she geared up....

...and conquered the wall!

Our big group having way too much fun eating pizza (too many 10 year olds in one room=lots of gas jokes).