Haybarn Fun!

Every chance they get, the kiddos head to Daddy's new haybarn. There is a big pile of gravel and a stack of round bales that they like to climb, plus since it's not actually in the yard, I think they feel more independent over there. Here are a few shots of them playing.

Trick or Treat?

KatieLynn chose to be Jesse Cowgirl from Toy Story early this summer, so it only made sense that Dean be Woody Cowboy (also from the movie Toy Story). I made the chaps and vest, and we painted KatieLynn's hair red. We went trick-or-treating with cousin Emma (the leopardess) and her neighbors, and got TONS of candy. My plan was to let them eat as much as they wanted Halloween night, and hoped they'd be sick of candy after that, but Darren nixed my idea, and made them stop.

Birthday Boy turns 4!

Dean turned 4 this month! He has been anticipating this for at least a couple of months, and I don't think he was disappointed. For the last year or so, he has been into logging. Darren started watching a show called Swamp Loggers on Discovery Channel, and Dean loved it! What he asked me to put on his cake is a 'tracked feller buncher'. For you that don't know about logging, this is a trackhoe (gets stuck less in the swamp) with a feller buncher on the end of its arm. A feller buncher has a large blade, and makes the tree fall (or fell in a bunch!). Anyway, he has very excited when he saw it! and also excited to eat it!!

On Dean's actual birthday, he opened a couple of presents, and then we were on our way to the doctor's office after taking KatieLynn to school. He bravely got 5 shots! Then we met Fisher and Tate for playtime at a great park (where I got no pictures) but did get one at Double Dave's where we got some yummy pepperoni rolls!

Then after naptime, we picked up Darren from the barn and KatieLynn from school, and then went to Chuck E Cheese for an hour of fun! Afterward we went home for dinner and chocolate chip cookies with ice cream.

Yummy!

On Thursday, I took brownies and ice cream for Dean's preschool class. He enjoyed us singing to him!

Waller Co. Fair

The kids participated in the pedal tractor pull at the Waller County Fair. There was about 30 kids, ages 3-9. KatieLynn got 1st place of all the girls, and Dean got 2nd place of all the boys. Dean was disappointed because he didn't get 1st. I tried to explain that the boy that got 1st was 9 years old, and finally told Dean that he did get 1st for the 3 year old group. He was then satisfied. :)

Eating snocones while the tractor pull was setting up.

Elegant Luncheon

KatieLynn's kindergarten class had a special meal called Elegant E Luncheon. It had several purposes, including the meaning of the word 'elegant' and learning/practicing their best table manners, plus they had lots of fun dressing up, and leaving school early!!

1st Days of School

KatieLynn is a pro attending Kindergarten, going on 3 1/2 weeks now. Dean just finished his first week at preschool Tues/Thurs. They have both been concerned about what I would do when they were both at school, but I assured them I had plenty of things to keep me busy! KatieLynn was so excited about finally starting Kindergarten. She was ready for me to drop her off in car rider line! We had met her teacher a couple of nights before, so she was completely at ease in the classroom on her first day. Another comfort was having a friend in her class, that she met this summer at the pool. (It gave me comfort, too!)

It only took a minute or so for her to get settled in, and forget I was there. I wasn't emotional, until I kissed her good-bye, and then I did have to blink my watery eyes a little! But I knew I had to be strong, because Dean was with me, and ready to go on a Mommy-Son adventure! When I picked KatieLynn up after school, she was brimming with excitement telling about her day! It's been a great experience, and she is learning lots!Dean has missed KatieLynn, but harvest has kept him sidetracked. Nearly every day we (and sometimes just Dean) would go ride with Daddy in the Peterbilts as they harvested corn. Our harvest was over by midweek last week, and I think Dean was the only one sad about it. But we kept busy with a playdate, and then he was able to start his own school this week. He's attending the same Christian preschool that KatieLynn did last year. On his first morning, KatieLynn filled him full of info she thought he needed. He too, was anxious to get dropped off in the car rider line that morning. I of course, walked him in, but had to chase him into his classroom to get a good-bye kiss! Bye-Bye Mother! I will have a great day! ...and he did! When I picked him up, about half of his class was gone or leaving, and he said, "Why did you come so early? I wanted to stay longer. Next time I want to be the last kid picked up." It was a good sign that he enjoyed his day at school!

Do you know want to know what I did all by myself? On Tuesday, I ran errands, and then met Becky and Stephany at Olive Garden for lunch. On Thursday, I cleaned the house and then ate lunch with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. It was nice!! Hopefully next week, I can get some of my other projects completed.

Galveston Trip

Last week we went on a Friedel family getaway, minus the Friedel men. Gigi (my mother-in-law) treated my kids and I, plus my sister-in-law and her 2 kids to a night in Galveston. We had lots of fun, and the kids could not get enough of the beach!

KatieLynn and Dean would run into the ocean, jumping over the waves, and then right back to the beach running away from the waves.KatieLynn found lots of seashells

Dean loves digging in all the sand KatieLynn & Emma

The kids dig after we eat lunch.Ice cream! Believe it or not, Dean likes the cone more than the ice cream!

KatieLynn didn't need any help finishing hers.

Bike Riders

There's not a day goes by that the kids don't ride their bikes. They love riding bikes! In front of our garage is a big spot of concrete that they make circles on, and the rest of our driveway is gravel rocks. Dean can drive on the gravel with no problem, but KatieLynn is much more cautious, after taking the training wheels off. We try to go to a nearby park at least once a week; it has a huge area they can ride, as well as a great playground!

Waco Family Getaway

Last weekend, our little family of four headed to Waco for a weekend getaway. We went to the zoo, swam at the hotel, ate blizzards from Dairy Queen, took a great nap all together, and played at a playground. It was nothing exciting, but since we were away from home, Darren couldn't work, so he HAD to spend time with us.. just good family fun. :)Look at the rattlesnake!!

Growing

Darren and the kids harvest our garden sweet corn. Dean loved plucking and shucking, and then passed it off for someone else to desilk (he'd tell me to pull all the hair off). KatieLynn was great at shucking and pulling off the silk. And she couldn't wait to cook and eat some! Dean was excited and tried some of the corn, but didn't care for it still. KatieLynn ate some, but her other bottom middle tooth is loose, and it bothered her tooth when she ate it. I cut the corn off the cob for her, but I guess eating it on the cob is more fun, as she didn't eat much this time.KatieLynn has passed another milestone in her young life. We took the training wheels off her bike, and she's riding like a champ! She's quite excited and proud of herself. Dean also wanted his training wheels off, but after two days, I put them back on. He was too busy looking behind him, checking the tires and making skid marks. He was upset, but I told him if he wants we'll take them off when he turns 4.

Monkeys in the swing!

First Lost Tooth!

Well, here's another example of my oldest baby growing up! :) :( About a month ago, KatieLynn had something strange in the back on her mouth... turned out to be two new bottom molars! I couldn't believe my eyes; my baby girl is not supposed to be getting any more teeth until she's a 'big' girl! So I guess it should have been no surprise to me that she would lose a tooth, but it was... That stuff shouldn't happen until she's in school, but the reality is she'll be in kindergarten in 2 1/2 months, again :) :(.For weeks, KatieLynn has been asking about when she'll lose a tooth and meet the tooth fairy. One of her friends, has a first grade sister, and recently has been sharing all the tooth losing scoop with their pre-school class. Then the last week of school, one of KatieLynn's close friends lost her first tooth, so that made her even more anxious to lose her own. Every few days I would check her mouth because she would think one was loose, but they were always very tight. Then Saturday night, she was eating some little gummies for dessert, and suddenly started crying. I thought maybe she bit her tongue, but as soon as she opened her mouth, I could see some blood and that her front bottom tooth was quite loose. She was a little traumatized, and said she shouldn't have wished to lose a tooth, because it was not fun! and she didn't want to have any more loose teeth! I assured her it wouldn't hurt like that the next morning. It was better on Sunday morning, but she was sticking to a liquid diet, as chewing even in the back bothered her. After church, both kids had gotten a starburst at Sunday School, so I told them they could eat them. After one bite, KatieLynn sadly said she couldn't even enjoy that, and gave it to me. Then in an excited voice said, 'Hey, my tooth fell out!" Dean is very serious about painting his picture!

Pre-School Graduation

This week my big girl, KatieLynn, graduated from pre-school! I know it sounds silly, come on, graduation from pre-school? But KatieLynn was proud, so we were too! They sang some great songs, and then walked across the stage and accepted their diploma (or telescope as KatieLynn called it). She has been going Tuesday and Thursday to pre-school for the last year, and this past Tuesday was her last day. She had a great day (as always) and said she was ready for kindergarten on Thursday. :) I don't think it has fully sunk in that pre-school is over for her, and she has a whole summer before kindergarten! We will have to keep busy (and wet) the next few months. Katie is also making herself more independent. She told me that I need to buy more dresses that she can put on all by herself (aka, nothing that zips or ties in the back). And just this week has decided that she is okay being called KATIE instead of KatieLynn. Since she was 2 years old, she has requested to be called KatieLynn (which I love!). Then last summer, she told me she only wanted to write her name as Katie. I informed her that would be fine, but people would be calling her Katie instead of KatieLynn. That wasn't acceptable to her, so she has written KatieLynn all year, but has now decided that it's okay if people call her Katie, if that means she only has to write 5 letters instead of 9!

Dean enjoyed playing with Bebe's i-phone during the program!

My sweet boy is such a stinker these days when it comes to picture taking! But he did want to know why Bebe (my mother) didn't have more pictures of him on her phone.