"Not Tight!"

 This outfit had none of my influence on it!

My daughter was proud to pick out a "boy shirt" from her closet.

Thank you Auntie Lori!  :-)

 Gabby is my optimist, my singer, my giggler.

Tonight she made me laugh outloud.

I tucked her in and said, "sleep tight!"

She said, "I can't sleep tight...not tight."

So literal too.

 Family Outing for this beautiful fall weekend?

 The pumpkin patch!

Equipped with a corn pit, bouncy pumpkin, corn maze, 

animals to feed, and pumpkins that needed pickin'!

 Oh yeah, and a cute tractor and wagon made out of all wood!

 And family time!

Too much fun!

The Kids have been playing well together;

playing more than fighting, that is.  :-)

Last week I was getting ready for school.

The kids were making so much noise...

I had to get some of it on video.

Is it true?  The more the mess, the more the fun?

I have to let it be...most days!

A couple precious moments...

Spaghetti night:

Look like fun?

At what point do we stop feeding ourselves with our fists,

stop smearing our faces like it's a work of art?

Gabby has always been quite dainty and clean...

compared to others her age.

But something gets into her when she eats spaghetti!

This may be hard to see or hear, but I had to capture it...

She's "reading."

I LOVE that she does this:

she pages through books and makes up her own story.

At one point she even sings,

"Cinderella, Kiss your fella, fella, fella"

3...going on 13, I swear!  I see it everyday!  yikes!

Are we ready for 1st Grade?

 I love to see my boy happy...I love to feed his passions...even if it is icky...

He spent nearly ALL day yesterday playing with is frogs and toads...

one appropriately named "Toady"

Nanny...first time touching a toad EVER!

 Notice the dirt?  he sure doesn't!

 Gabby helps...but sure doesn't touch!

We woke up in time to get a first day photo with Dad...

Owen still in jammies but wanted to show his smile!

Can you see it?

Once we were dressed...

back to "Toady"

"See his big belly, Mom?"

Gabby sure loves her brother!

"Mom! Take a picture of him in the air!"

Nope.  Didn't get it, and "Toady" landed on his back.

Silly Kids!

I was trying to get the big first-grader by himself, 

but Gabby just had to jump in!

What a pose!

To the bus stop!

I drove Owen everyday last year.

I "accidentally" found out that Owen could ride the bus this year.

No fee and I could choose the stop!

I was worried but proud.  No fears. No tears.

He even told me, "You can leave now."

I said, "Nope!  Not until you are on that bus!"

We coached him about how first graders sit toward the front.

We said, second or third seat...he obeyed!

We were not sad watching it pull away...

But even happier to see it pull up in the afternoon--

one of his best friends was in the seat next to him!

He's not alone after all!

Gabby and Me waiting for the afternoon bus!

First thing he said when he got off the bus:

"First grade is better than Kindergarten!"

Well...except that recess was (seemed?) shorter!

Tomorrow is another day...

Summer coming to an end?

 So I d reamed of snakes, catepillars, bugs, 

and all sorts of creepy-crawley things last night.

Why?

The last two nights I have watched Owen,

up to his knees in muck,

searching for and chasing...

 anything that moves!

Friday I picked up him and his friend for an adventure together!

 What would be disgusting to many,

doesn't bother Owen...

 Gabby is not so sure!

Once again, Gabby and I were the ones to almost step on a snake last night.

Owen ran over and tried to catch it...

but it was fast!

He nearly cried when it slithered and shot into the water!

 Owen was so excited to show his friend all his favorite places

It was a disappointment to not find anything at the dam...

well, anything creepy and crawly!  

 Gabby is not into bugs, but she can find a place to dance

or walk on the "balance beam" anywhere.

She finds a log that has a bounce to it and calls it a trampoline too!

 It's the tree with eyes!

 The beaver island!

 Bug containers in hand,

but nothing to find!...

Oh well,

always a new adventure tomorrow...

or today!