Pumpkin Patch: Then and Now (Way Back When-esday)

I know I haven't played along with Way Back When-esday in a while but the kids field trip last Friday reminded me of taking the girls when they were little.

Look how seriously cute they were (and still are but you know what I mean!!)

Julianna: October 2007 (11 months)



Rachel: October 2007 (11 months)



Alyssa: October 2007 (11 months)





Not to be left out: Kaitlyn (7) and Caleb (3)



This past Friday my dad (mom was sick), Kirk and I accompanied the kids on their fall field trip to Belvedere Plantation in Fredericksburg. While we all had a lot of fun it was seriously cold making it a tad harder to enjoy.



But we managed to find some ways. After the very exciting bus ride (aren't they all?)





We went on a hayride to pick pumpkins









Then it was on to the animals - not so-much petting but some feeding



... which Alyssa really seemed to enjoy!





We were on a tight schedule - moving from one activity to another. After the animals we moved on to the learning aspect of our day. The older kids had harder "lessons" while the little ones had some more playful learning time. The preshool class got to learn about how pumpkins grow. The kids learned about the male and female of the pumpkins (who knew?) - okay, probably you but I didn't :)



Other than Rachel (not sure why) the kids got to pretend to be bees pollinating the pumpkins - I think they really got into it!





Once the kids had their full of learning they were back to playing. Playing included a really awesome rope swing in a barn but since the flash on our camera is broken (Kirk dropped it to tend to Kaitlyn's injury - she's better by the way - got her stitches out last Monday and her wound is healing nicely though she will have a large scar) I was unable to get any pictures of them on the swing that weren't blurry.

After lunch and a little free play we were on our way home and we were exhausted!! Kirk got quite a number of photos of kids sleeping on the bus :) The only one of ours to succumb to sleep was Rachel and I enjoyed every minute of it.



At least that was a little reminder that even though they're older they are still little. I'm trying to enjoy them while I can!

Want to play along?

Twinfatuation

To The Top Of The Washington Monument

We have lived in the DC area for over 13 years but I have never even gotten close to the Washington Monument. But with my parents in town we decided not only to get close to the monument but to take the tour to the top. Despite the rain and cooler weather the kids did well and we had a great time.





Getting close enough to touch...



That is seriously tall!



The monument stands 555 feet tall and the elevator takes you almost to the very top. The view of DC from the highest point in DC:







The girls checking out the view from up top.



After the monument we went to the American History Museum. The kids really loved the hands-on aspect of the museum. Us grown-ups enjoyed the history we saw there. My dad got "lost" in the cars and trains portions for quite a while :)









Because we're not allowed on the Metro with our huge wagon before 7 PM we had to kill some time between the museum closing and getting on the Metro.

The girls were dancing and being goofy:





Kaitlyn and Caleb having fun on the Mall with the Monument (even funnier after we had just been up in it!)





Mom and Dad looking cold but happy in DC!



This is my "done-for-the-day" look. After hours of walking around DC and then killing time I was tired. It was a LOOONG day!!



Apparantly I wasn't the only one who was done! (Side note: she was just playing - my kids don't actually fall asleep in strollers or wagons or the Metro or even cars - grrr...)



Another side note - I started this post days ago and am just now getting around to finishing it! With my parents here we are way too busy to spend time on the computer so this week I'm playing catch-up. More to post later...

Wedding and Updates

Even though we had a major injury on Saturday we still made it Kirk's brother's wedding on Sunday (10/10/10 - cool date right?!). The kids did well despite Kaitlyn being in pain and the other kids wanting to run in random circles and throw themselves on all the furniture in the hotel.

Trying to get the kids all together:



It seems our flash got broken after Kaitlyn got hurt so all of the pictures blurred if someone moved and you can imagine just HOW much 5 kids can move when asked to sit still while dressed up at a wedding with no toys...



The wedding went off beautifully and I'm excited to have a new sister-in-law in the family. Unfortunately the camera kept me from getting any good pictures of anything. Hopefully we'll have it fixed soon.

As for Kaitlyn, she is doing better. Was off the crutches after 3 days and a check with the doctor today confirms her wound is healing and she will get her stitches out on Monday. Still praying for no infection!

Kaitlyn Wanted To Be The Headline

I was teasing her about it but really it isn't that funny. To her it's not funny at all.



Do you see it? That little hook underneath Alyssa?

While the kids were playing on the cannon and trying to take pictures Kaitlyn fell - she fell straight on to that hook.

Happy here:



Now she's not so happy. I had met Kirk and the kids for lunch because Kirk's dad was in town and I was at our moms of multiples consginmentsale. I was on my way back when Kirk called to tell me that Kaitlyn had fallen and that he had already called 9-1-1.

An ambulance ride and a LOT of tears later Kaitlyn and I made it to the ER. The wound was quite wide and deep - certainly worse than any of our kids had. I considered pictures but that would have been a little gross :) Plus, Kirk left the camera behind so no hospital photos either.

Kaitlyn is a beautiful and sweet girl but she does not take pain well. So getting her numb enough for stitches took a LONG time but she finally got 6 stitches - could have had more but they left the wound open slightly to air out and keep it from getting infected.

We are all so relieved and grateful to God that it wasn't worse than it was. While she's in a lot of pain and will be on crutches for a few days the hook could have gone in a lot farther than it did or it could have gone in higher than it did and hit her artery or a nerve.

It's going to take her a little while to fully recover and she'll have a pretty nasty scar but she'll eventually be okay.

Your prayers for her are appreciated. One trip was bad enough - I do NOT want to see this wound infected!!

Kaitlyn is now #2 to get stiches (Julianna being the first) but Kaitlyn certainly had the more serious injury and will have the bigger scar. Don't worry, we've instructed Caleb that he's not allowed to compete!!

Right now though I'm not sure Kaitlyn is sadder that she got hurt or that she lost her favorite shorts in the process - besides the hole the hook made and the blood the paramedics had to cut her shorts off.

At least she has some new fancy scrubs to show off:

Consignment Sale Time!!

I have been SOOO busy for the past month getting items in my house sorted, cleaned, hung and tagged for consignment sales because in the next week I have 3 of them!!

Just wanted to share them with you in case you are in the Northern Virginia area and wish to do some shopping :)

The first sale is THIS Saturday at the Fairgrounds:

PWMOMC Fall 2010 Clothing & Toy Sale With Household Goods
Saturday, October 9, 2010
8am-1pm
Prince William County Fairgrounds (click here for directions)
10624 Dumfries Road - Manassas, VA

FREE ADMISSION

Sale will feature:
Fall & Winter Baby and Toddler Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
(Also some Adult clothing)
Holiday Outfits
Baby/Toddler Equipment
Toys & Games
Books, DVD/VHS movies
Maternity Clothes
Household Items
& More!!!

ALSO,
Vendor Sale & Bake Sale

Come and shop for your family’s and friends’ needs!
A portion of the sales support Prince William County Mothers of Multiples Club, a non-profit organization, and its community projects to benefit area mothers,
children, and families.

www.pwmomc.org for more information


CLASSY KIDS CONSIGNMENT

Your one stop shop for

SAVING, QUALITY and SELECTION!

Next Sale Dates:

Oct. 13-17, 2010

Prince William County Fairgrounds

10624 Dumfries Rd. Manassas, VA 20112



The last sale I'm invovled in is next weekend:

Don’t miss it!!

MOPS
(Mothers of Preschoolers)
Fall Toy and Clothing
Consignment Sale!!!

Baby’s and children’s clothes, toys and equipment

Saturday
October 16, 2010

8:00 am – 1:00pm

(1/2 price sale at 11:30!)

Rt. 29 in Gainesville at Church of the Word next to McDonald’s


It's time to stock up on your kids fall/winter wardrobe as well as to shop early for Christmas so get out there and spend a little to save a LOT!!

Three Little Kittens Have Lost Their Mittens

Three little kittens, they lost their mittens,


And they began to cry,

Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear


That we have lost our mittens.

What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!


Then you shall have no pie.

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

You shall have no pie.


The three little kittens, they found their mittens,


And they began to cry,

Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,


Our mittens we have found.

Put on your mittens, you silly kittens,


And you shall have some pie.

Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,

Oh, let us have some pie.


The three little kittens, put on their mittens,


And soon ate up the pie;

Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear


That we have soiled our mittens

What! Soiled your mittens, you naughty kittens!


Then they began to sigh,

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

They began to sigh.


The three little kittens, they washed their mittens,


And hung them out to dry;

Oh! mother dear, do you not hear


That we have washed our mittens?

What! Washed your mittens, then you’re such good kittens.


But I smell a rat close by

Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.

We smell a rat close by.

Today was nursery rhyme day at school. The girls were thrilled to be kittens and had a great time showing off their costumes at school. Their teacher was Mother Goose and the kids were able to choose what rhyme character they would be. We, of course, had to go with a trio theme!

Next year maybe it will be the Three Blind Mice :)