our halloween

Our day started with fits over a costume before preschool. The simplest, most comfortable costume ever, and yet there was still a big fit.  Even though he's been SOOOO excited about his costume all week.

I tried to convince him it was okay that the jersey was a little big, that's how football players fit their pads underneath.  It would have been fun to add pads or muscles under his shirt, but there is absolutely no way he would have gone for that.

It dawned on me this morning that we had major issues last year when it was time to put a costume on too.  I don't want to force him into a costume.  And I tried hard to keep his pretty simple.  But I knew once he got to school he'd be fine.  And he'd feel much better about being in a costume, than being the only one not in one.

We finally got it on, I distracted him and we got to school.  But the helmet had to stay at home.

He's our play-it-safe child. And I definitely need to remember this in future years as we plan costumes.

 

It was so fun to watch our little Collin Klein (K-State quarterback), sing a few songs at their fall party.

 

 

And then he transformed into Optimus Klein for the night.

In case you're not a K-State fan and need a little explanation...

K-State's quarterback, Collin Klein,  has been referred to a lot this season as "Optimus Klein" - part Optimus Prime (a Transformer) and part quarterback.  Because he's really good and is the top runner for the Heisman right now.  Or "Kleisman" as they say.

Mason loves K-State football, and Collin Klein, so we thought this was a fun costume for him.

We had everything but the mask.  And I didn't want to buy a $30 Optimus Prime costume just for the mask.  So we found one for $10 on Amazon, plus free shipping, thanks to my sis, and it got here just in time!

 

Taylor wanted to be a butterfly, although she was mistaken as a bumble bee many times. 

And our little guy sported the same cow costume that Mason wore when he was 8 months.

 

 

He wasn't a big fan of the grass.  But he was a big fan of his cow bell necklace that he got to ring all night long.  Who knew the wedding favor from this summer would be such a fun prop.

 

Guess who is walking!?!? 

 

 

It's a little bit crazy to see our baby standing like his big brother and sister.  He's not walking all over the place yet, but he's taking lots of steps.  YAY!!

 

We did more trick or treating this year than we have before.  We did our normal stops to see good neighbor friends and family, and then Trunk or Treat at our church.  

 

We hadn't planned to do anything else, but when we headed home, we decided to let the kids do some  REAL "trick or treating" in our neighborhood.  Daddy let us off and drove along beside us. This was the first time they really got to knock on doors and get candy (2 or 3 years ago we did it but they don't remember it)  I couldn't believe how much they loved it.  It was me who wanted to keep doing another house, and another, just because they were having so much fun.

 

 And our sweet little cow snoozed away in the car.

 

Happy candy eating  hiding!!

how I roll

Mom says my brother and sister didn't push too many boundaries.

They never had to lock up cupboards or worry too much about closing every door to every room in the house.

They weren't interested in ripping into new things and taking bites out of things you're not suppossed to eat.

She also says they rode in grocery carts like you're suppossed to.

But I say, none of that sounds any fun at all.

 

It's way more fun to ride like this.

Even the belts don't stop me.

 



 

So mom and dad pretty much just let me ride the way I want to now.

But sometimes I push it a little too far and get stuck in strange spots.

 



 I pretty much just know how to roll.

My brother and sister just didn't know how to have any fun.

I think I need to teach them a few things.

Taylor's Ice Cream Shop Party

This theme was so much fun!  Our friends/neighbors are going into the ice cream catering business so this is where we got the idea for an ice cream shop party.  They were so kind to let us borrow the machine!

 

We had a mishap with the ice cream cone cupcakes.  My sister (yay! she was here from Cincinnati!) helped me make them all the night before, so they'd be ready to frost before the party.  But the next day they were so soggy and falling over.  So just a few hours before the party we had to redo all of them.  This left us running around like crazy until minutes before guests started showing up.

Which also meant I didn't have much time to take pictures.  I just grabbed my camera and took as many quick shots as I could, seconds before the party began.  So between me rushing to snap them, not having my good lens on, and another reminder of how I want to paint my red walls so badly -  I didn't get very good pictures.

 

The perfect ice cream machine for our birthday girl....

 

And I finally got to use the ice cream kit idea from Pinterest that I've had pinned for a long time. 

 We sent all the cousins and friends home with a kit to share with their siblings.  I had high hopes of making a cute tag, but I ran out of time.

 

 

I struggle with knowing how to mix friends and family for birthday parties.  Our house just seems to get way too full.  And I haven't wanted to do 2 different parties, although it may come to that.  But the ice cream machine was a fun theme to have some of Taylor's friends join us for.

 

 

It was such a beautiful fall day.  Good thing, because I didn't have any activities planned for the kids.  So I was glad they just enjoyed themselves outside.

 

 

 

And of course we always love that some of the cousins are always there to help celebrate too!

You can obviously tell it was K-State game day, I couldn't get the birthday girl to wear anything else.

 

 

They were kind of eating up the camera being in front of them, so I just went with it.

 

 

And the day was even more special because Cousin Alice was with us!! 

 

 

Thanks to all our friends and family for helping us celebrate our favorite 6 year old!

 

 

A few links:

Ice cream bowls: TomKat Studio

Paper straws:  I can't find the hot pink ones anymore, but here's the brand that I got.  Why can't they create these same cute straws in plastic!!!!  Paper straws are just kind of weird.  But I love them anyway.

Chevron party plates and napkins: Oriental Trading

Birthday Banner: made by the fabulous Heather at CM handmade

Ice Cream Kit Party Favor: idea from Pinterest , the link led me to Tip Junkie but never found the ice cream kits

party sneak peak {taylor's ice cream shop}

 

Taylor turned 6 on Saturday and we celebrated with her own little ice cream shop party!

It was such a fun theme for a party - thanks to our friends who hooked us up with a self-serve ice cream machine!

 

 

Here's just a small peak.  I hope I can get to the rest of the pictures soon.

 

I have a love-hate relationship with Photoshop Elements - it's taking me forever to learn it.  I still have so much to learn.  But everytime I try to create something I do better than the last time.  It takes me a long time sometimes, but I suprisingly whipped up this invitation in no time.

Good thing, since I usually get invitations out at the very last minute.

 

 

 More to come soon.

the pumpkin patch

Before our weekend gets crazy with family and a birthday celebration, I'll catch up on some pictures.

 

We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend. 

 

And that is that.

Gavin {10 months}

And so another month has passed.

 Gavin seemed to really have grown up this month. Maybe I've said that other months, but this month he really changed a lot.

 

 

And YAY for a better photo session!  We didn't get great smiles, but we didn't have tears either.

Dave was great help this time. (I started warning him a few days before hand what day we'd be doing the pictures, to give him time to prepare).  I was glad for some warmer temperatures one day so we could be outside.  I'm not sure we'll be able to do it outside this month or next.

 

 

I had no intentions of getting our lovely 70's style house in the background.  But I did.  Sometimes there is just too much to think about when trying to snap as fast as I can before the baby decides to relocate.  Oh well.

 

At 10 months you said your first word.  At Bluegrass, as you reached for your daddy, you said "Dada" as clear as could be!  We were both so excited.  Of course your daddy was much more excited than I was.  But you haven't said anything since.

You are definitely jabbering a lot, but just no words yet.

But you do still love to use your voice to scream.  I laugh now at all the people who said you were such a quiet baby.  You were.  You cried such a soft cry.  But you are making up for it now.  When you're happy and when you're mad, you just SCREAM.  And it still really hurts our ears.

 



 

This month you decided you were completely done with baby food.  So big people food it is.

And you are finally starting to get good at that sippy cup. 

 

I think you are going to be my "climb on everything, open every cupboard door you aren't supposed to child"  I'm sure someone would maybe think it's not fair that I haven't had one of those babies yet. Our other two children hardly even required much baby-proofing. So I'm glad you feel like you can fulfill that role.  It is pretty common that someone is fishing something out of your mouth every 10 minutes.  Even when I think there s nothing for you to find.

Dirt, string, marbles, Lego's, leaves, and even a dead fly that I swatted and never found, you found it, and chewed on it for who knows how long.

 

You seriously are all over the place.  And I have a whole other post coming on all that.

 

You love the dog and you love balls.  If we lay on the floor and give you access to "wrestle" with us, you are all over that.

 

 

At 10 months you clapped for the first time and are walking with your push toy all over the place.

 



 You continue to be a rock star sleeper. So good that I can even put you down for nap in the strange church nursery and after you fuss for a few minutes you lay down and go to sleep. Your brother and sister would never have even considered that. That makes mommy's morning-a-week at church so much easier! And leaves you so much happier.

 

You are beginning the stage of getting super upset when Mommy leaves the room, or hands you off to someone else.  You've needed to be held a lot more lately and you don't want me to leave you.  There are times I need your brother or sister to take you to your room to play or hold you (you know, like times I need to go to the bathroom or shove food in my mouth), and you don't appreciate their willingness to help AT ALL. 

 But when Daddy's home, it seems to be a different story.  You get so excited to see your Daddy walk in from work and you crawl as fast as your little hands and knees can move to get to him. It's so sweet to watch him scoop you up.  And then you get very mad when he puts you down so he can shower.  You are definitely becoming a Daddy's boy.

 (And then he decided he was done with pictures)

 

 

 Happy 10 months little guy! 

You're our little SUNSHINE, and we love you so much!