The Pumpkin Patch

About a week before Halloween we went to a local church pumpkin patch. The girls enjoyed walking around all the pumpkins. Heidi & Rachel decided to fill up a wheel barrow with as many pumpkins as they could. I think they wanted to get them all, but in the end they each got one little one and we bought a large one to carve.This pumpkin patch added some fun to searching for the perfect pumpkin - they had a purple glittery pumpkin that was hidden in the pumpkin patch. If you found it, you got a treat! Heidi found it...and then Emma found it.They each got to pick out a baked good as their treat.

A couple days before Halloween we finally carved our jack-o-lantern. Heidi asked day after day when we were going to do it. She wasn't interested in getting her hands gooey, but she intently watched as Jason and I carved it up. She was proud of the finished product.Jack and our three little pumpkins.

School Projects

Heidi's class has a "Superstar" each week. It's a great way for the kids to get to know each other better and for the kids to introduce themselves. Basically they put together a poster about themselves - things they like to eat, pictures of friends and family, favorite animals, etc. Heidi's Superstar week was the week of her birthday. She enjoyed picking out what to put on the poster and gluing everything on.She also liked putting on extra decorations - glitter foam flowers and princess stickers. Here's Superstar Heidi with her poster.The same week Heidi had her poster, Emma had a project due - to decorate a pumpkin to look like the main character in a fictional book. She picked Curious George. Yes - this is a mommy done project, and Emma was sure to tell her teachers that. Apparently when she took it out of her backpack, her teacher commented on it and Emma said, "yes, it's Curious George - my mommy did it." :-) (Sorry, I'm not going to let her loose with a glue gun.) So here's Curious Pumpkin George.

Heidi's Birthday

Heidi's birthday was October 24 (yes, I'm a month behind on my blog). When I asked her what she wanted to do for her party, she said she wanted to play games. She had in mind board games. However, I was not interested in tackling board games with 10-15 four and five year olds (sometimes it's hard enough with just one). So, the idea turned in to a carnival in our back yard.

Thankfully it was a gorgeous day and everyone seemed to have a good time. Fourteen of Heidi's friends came to the party. When they arrived they were given a bag with their name on it that had 10 tickets in it. They were to use these tickets to play the different games. Once they played the game, they picked a prize and put it in their bag - this became their goody bag. It seemed to work pretty well.We had a ring toss, stuffed animal basketball, hopscotch, bean bag toss, and our carnival ride was our Little Tikes "roller coaster." Here are some friends doing the bean bag toss.Grammy was gracious enough to come and paint faces.We did a "cupcake walk" with no cupcakes, just candy.And our trampoline and swing set were enjoyed by everyone too.The last planned activity was a pinata. Heidi took the first few cuts at it.
After 8 or so friends had tried, the baseball player (straight from a game and still in his uniform) got his chance.Michael beheaded the pinata and everyone came scrambling for the candy.Finally it was time for cake and ice cream. Heidi requested a Cinderella cake again this year. This time I decided to go the easy way out - just stick figurines on top. :-)
It was a really fun party but I have to admit, I was COMPLETELY exhausted when it was all over with. Heidi really enjoyed all the games but most of all she enjoyed spending a couple hours playing with so many of her friends.

The evening of her actual birthday, we took her to her favorite dessert place - Pinkberry.
One tired birthday girl...
The Cinderella balloon she is holding in the car is what we tied to the mailbox the day of her party. She carried this balloon around with her for over a week - in and out of the car; she'd take it outside and play with it (she tied it to an empty wrapping paper tube so it wouldn't fly away).

So now she is 5 years old!!! She is growing up fast. We love you Heidi!!!

Heidi Haircut & Soccer

Heidi has such fine hair I have never figured out what to do with it exactly. It seemed like it was always in her face - falling out of whatever "hair restraining device" we were using that day. So I decided the week before her birthday to go get it cut. She's had several hair cuts before, but they've mostly just been trims. This was a hair CUT! The stylist said the shorter it was, the heavier it would look. I couldn't go super short, but it's right at her chin and looks super cute! She likes it too! :-)She has wrapped up her Fall soccer season. She had a great time playing and learning and wants to play again in the Spring, so we'll plan on that. Here she is throwing the ball in during their last game of the season.After the last game of the season, each team is given a pizza party and each player receives a trophy. Heidi was very excited to receive her first trophy. :-)
Come back in the Spring for more soccer pictures and to see what her team name is! Might be hard to beat "Pinkalicious!"

Emma's Birthday

We had Emma's birthday party at Champion Kids (same place Heidi's was last year). She is currently enrolled in a social skills class there and really enjoys playing there. She particularly likes the large inflatable slide and the foam pit.Rachel enjoys the foam pit too!Heidi prefers the (monkey) bars.We invited the girls from Emma's class at school plus a few other friends. Everyone seemed to have a good time and Emma really enjoyed her party.
She is not much of a cake person, so I made ice cream pies instead.
She got to sit in the birthday chair at the head of the table in the party room. She said she was trying to be a queen, but she didn't have a crown. Then at the end of the party, they deflated the chair and she said she couldn't be a queen anymore because her throne fell over. :-)Friends!
Blowing out her candle. Looks like she may have had some help. ;-)
She had such a good time at her party. There were a total of 17 kids there - which seemed like a lot, but she did really well and I think she enjoyed every minute. It was really fun to see her interacting with so many friends. Hard to believe she's already 8 years old! So thankful for all God is doing in her life. We love you Emma!!!

Rachel's 2 Year Photo Shoot

Sears Portrait Studio did another great job. I was sweating by the time we were done because Rachel was less than cooperative. So I was jumping her in the air and swinging her around and then placing her for the next picture. But they got some really great pictures!This just explodes with Rachel's personality.And my favorite!I love this effect!

Fall Festivals

Heidi's school Fall Festival was on October 1. She was talking about it for days - asking if it was the next day? the day after that? the day after that? It finally did arrive and she very much enjoyed it. She is still not interested in any of the inflatables, but there were lots of other things to do. Each class participates in running a booth - everything from a variety of inflatables, to face painting, treasure hunt, fishing, cupcake walk, animal bowling, pony rides, etc. There is something for everyone. She was particularly looking forward to a pony ride. We stood in line for the better part of 30 minutes, but they enjoyed watching the ponies.It was finally their turn. Emma and Heidi went first. Emma is in the green jacket waving and Heidi is behind her.Heidi really enjoyed it.
Next it was Rachel's turn - and this was her very first pony ride. I think she liked it!
Heidi had fun painting a pumpkin - which now sits on our kitchen table.They all had fun on a train ride around the parking lot.And Rachel was particularly fond of the lollipops that were handed out as prizes at the various booths.
It was a fun day for everyone and a successful fundraiser for the preschool.

Emma's Fall Festival was 3 weeks later on a Friday evening. It had a carnival theme, so lots of carnival related games, various inflatables, cotton candy, etc. Heidi took to the carnival games of trying to knock things over by throwing bean bags.Emma tried the inflated climbing wall - a little difficult when the steps aren't firm.
Emma (first) and Rachel (third) went down the inflatable slide.
We ended our time there with cotton candy. Emma and Heidi have had it before and like it.
However, this was Rachel's first experience with cotton candy. She took her first bite off the top and immediately spit it out. Is cotton candy an acquired taste/texture? She didn't eat much of it. Her face here seems to indicate what she thought of it.
It was another fun time had by all.