So, its been awhile. I guess I need to catch up on what happened this past fall. But since its February I doubt I can remember all the good things that happened so I will stick with the major things instead.
First up was the Great Wolf Lodge water park in early October. We had so much fun! The kids talked non-stop about it before and after for weeks. Actually, Darcy and Mason keep talking about it and asking when we are going again. Drew was just tall enough to get to go on all the slides, Mason was just short enough to miss the best one, the Tornado. He can't wait to grow an inch so he too can ride the 2 thrill slides. By the time we get back there he will probably have grown another 6 inches, but I don't tell him that. Its a great water park with fun stuff for kids no matter what size. We went with Samantha's and Alloa's families so we all had a great time!
I love Fall. The weather is awesome, kids are back in the school groove, football is on 5 days a week, Halloween starts off the holiday season, ahhhh, Fall. We made our annual trip to the Sauvie Island Pumpkin Patch to find the perfect, or I should say 6 perfect, pumpkins to take home and carve. It was a beautiful day with beautiful, huge pumpkins. We had a great time with Aunt Sammy and Ruqayyah who got to join us for the fun.
We each had out own pumpkin, Bree's wasn't carved since it was so small, Daddy carved Darcy's, and the rest of us did our own. I'm not sure why picture time always turns in to a horrible ordeal but it was obviously a terrifying event for Darcy and Bree. I am told some day they will grow out of it and we will end up with pictures of 4 smiling kids. I will believe that when I see it!
This Halloween we had Iron Man, a duckie, a monkey, and a spider queen/witch. We ended up with tons of candy around for weeks until I finally tossed the rest after the kids went to bed one night. They never missed it. I love Halloween. It is probably my favorite holiday because it kicks off all the holiday celebrations and it makes my kids so happy. That is, until their little legs are so tired from walking the entire neighborhood because mom is having so much fun trick-or-treating. I'm so glad my kids put up with me.
The school year started off a bit rocky for Drew. She has a very large class that was pretty much out of control for the first few weeks. She actually broke down into tears one morning when I told the kids to get in the car for school. I spoke with the teacher, we changed her seating arraingement and kids started to settle down eventually. She now loves it and is back on track, loving learning. I am so glad it just took a minor fix and she was OK. I don't know how we will ever make it through if she has a bad year one of these years.
Mason loves kindergarten. He is learning to read and is constantly asking us to give him words to spell, or spelling words out of the blue for us, which are usually spelled incorrectly but hey, at least he is trying! I love to see him so excited about learing. I didn't know he had it in him but he does have the makings of a scholar. I'm very proud of him, especially when his teacher and adult aides tell me what a nice boy he is and always gets his work done. Hmmmmm, are we talking about MY Mason? I'm glad to know he has some self control while he is away from home because it is definitely scarce when he is at home! I sure love that little guy though!
Drew, Darcy, and Bree. My girls! Growing up I never imagined I would have kids. Let alone 3 girls! If anything, I thought I would be best at raising boys but I will honestly say at this point I am glad we have three girls and one boy. Nothing against Mason of course but he is all the boy I need! I have beautiful, nice, fun, loving girls. Girls I have big dreams for. Well, I have big little girl dreams. I haven't gotten to the big big girl dreams yet, I am trying to enjoy the stage we are in. My dreams for my girls are simple, they take ballet, piano lessons, and play as many sports as I can get them into. So far those dreams haven't exactly come true. Drew refused to even attempt ballet, she took t-ball for 2 years and called it quits, and we don't have a piano so there have been no piano lessons as of yet. Well all this is about to change! Next fall I am signing Darcy up for ballet. I think she will do it and have fun with it. She is always shaking her booty at home and she is a lover of music so I'm pretty sure she will do well there. I took ballet for 9 years and loved it so I am hoping at least one of my girls will follow in my footsteps and love it too. Right now I'm counting on Darcy to do that for me! Yes! One dream fulfilled!
Dream 2 was realized last November when Drew signed up for basketball, with a little cajoling from me of course. The first game I wanted to cry. For her and for me. She had never touched a ball, they didn't have any practices before hand, and she had no idea what she was doing out there. She was trying her best to be invisible and my heart was breaking. I could tell she was having an awful time and of course I thought she would want to quit and that would be the end of my basketball dream for at least one daughter. I played basketball, volleyball, and softball in high school. Sports were, and still are, my life. I am still crossing my fingers that my kids will love them as much as I do, but I am prepared to be the biggest sports fan in my house if necessary. I just want them to try different things and see if they can love it on their own, and have fun in the process, as Paul always reminds me. I think Drew eventually did. After some team practices, and some Drew requested practices at home in the garage, she really got the hang of it and started to enjoy it. She was awesome at defense, she made a couple of baskets during games, had some steals, a few fast-breaks, great passes, etc. I had fun watching her grow from wanting to be invisible to willingly getting into the middle of the action and chasing after balls and rebounding. I am so proud of her! I think she came away with a respect and if not love, a liking for the game. She wants to play again next year so I am a happy mommy!
Bree a girl with boundless potential. She is all about acting older than she is and she can't wait to be a big kid. I see her as a force to be reckoned with in whatever she chooses to undertake. She is full of spitfire but she is the cutest little Breezy I know! I can't wait to see which one, or 3 of my dreams she will accomplish, along with dreams of her own of course. If she happens to have the dream of being a cheerleader, as much as I will want to disown her, I will support her in it. But please don't test me on that one girls! As my girls grow I will come up with new hopes and dreams of course. I hope I can be the type of parents that has dreams but doesn't push them too hard on their kids and respects their choices and supports them in THEIR dreams. Time will tell but I think I can do it! If not, its something they can discuss with their shrink in 20 years.
