Lil' Pumpkins

(For some reason the little song "Peter Peter pumpkin eater" keeps coming to mind here... strange, I know!)

Happy Fall Everyone! Hope yours is as beautiful as ours is!

3 year old Under Construction

The little guy around our house had a big birthday recently. We celebrated CONSTRUCTION style and it was awesome. 

 

When they arrived the kids entered our HARD HAT AREA and got to decorate a construction hat.

They deposited their gifts 

 Then they had a few choices for activities. They could hang out in the construction zone where there was DEMOLITION IN PROGRESS.

or work on BLUEPRINTS (from Alex Architecture)

 

And one of the huge hits was HAMMER TIME. (I couldn't resist) The kids really loved that one.

After they played for a little while we moved on to BARRICADE BOWLING where they used a wrecking ball. (Those "wrecking" balls were the take home gift with a label that said "Thanks for coming! We had a ball.")

And they took a turn with the WRECKING BALL

They also got to have a turn to WATCH FOR FALLING ROCKS

which also doubled as our photo booth.  (Zack's face cracks me up every time I look at this picture!)

Just a few of our friends. (I'm going to send these pictures out with the thank you cards)

Then we blew out candles and ate some crazy food!

 

It was a great party and I think everyone had fun. 

 I know this little guy sure did!!

Happy Birthday big man. Sure love you! Can't believe you are three!!

Qui-Gon do

I'm pretty sure "Qui-Gon do" (read: kwhy gone doe) is where Qui-Gon jin does taekwondo.

Now Zack does too!
(or "Jack" if you speak with a Korean accent like his teacher!)

please don't tell him the real pronounciation, because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hearing him say
"Qui-Gon do" almost as much as I love watching him do it.
"Yes sir."

and then there was one...

Three years ago when I had four kids ages four and under, I could barely imagine the day when those little ones would go off to school. Even with all the chaos that has been my life, I've had mixed feelings about sending my babies to school because (most of the time) I really like having them home with me. They play well together (most of the time) and they're starting to be really helpful around the house. They are funny, and cute, and we're sort of getting to a really good place in life. But alas, since I have no aspirations for home school (I'm even struggling that I committed to do "JOY" school once a week) I had to send them off to school. 

Our van (along with my good camera) has been in the shop for over a week so for several days we got to walk to school (uphill both ways!)

If you take out the extra stress of trying to get them out the door 15 mintues faster and the incredible out-of-shapeness of their mother, it was a pleasant little walk to and from school (uphill both ways!) The kids even found time to stop and smell the "roses" on the way.

 

 

Abby and Zack LOVE Kindergarten. Abby had a little panic moment when I tried to leave her the first time but by the time I talked to Zack's teacher and then peeked in her room, she was making friends and happy. That night as I was putting her to bed she told me that she decided she would show up with a smile and be the teacher's helper! She totally has. 

For the most part, Zack's been a champ. However, he seems a little confused about why all the teachers keep calling him Zachary.

I just can't believe they're really in school. As we walked away I felt that lump in my throat. I know it's cliche, but they really, really do grow up so fast!

Lila is thrilled to be in second grade (even if she doesn't look "thrilled" in this picture!!) This is the first time she has stayed at a school (we moved after preschool and kindergarten) so she feels right at home. We walked into her class and her best little friend Mia came running up and gave her a huge hug. She is excited they are in the same class and she thinks it's incredibly cool that her teacher is on maternity leave.

We're also trying to get back into the habit of homework. Lucky for me she enjoys it. I'm kind of jealous though.  I wish someone would tell me I had to read for 25 minutes everyday! 

(disclaimer because I know someone will call me out on it... I actually DO indulge my love of reading almost every day!)

And these shoes were made for walking (uphill both ways!)

 

After we dropped the kids off Alex was walking with his shoulders hunched over and a sad, sad look on his face. I asked him what was wrong and he mumbled "I'm just sad." Poor baby, he's stuck with just me! He wanted me to carry him and I tried to piggy-back him because that's how I had been carrying him to and from school (uphill BOTH ways) but he wanted me to snuggle him instead. When we got home he just held his lunchbag and sat on the front steps with his sad, sad, face (until we picked them up, of course.)

So far he still pulls that sweet, pitiful, incredibly adorable, sad, pouty face every morning when we drop them off.

 

And then there was one.

  

Looks like it's just you and me now, kiddo. What do you think of that?

in comparison

Our family has done lots of travelling this summer. Johnny travels every week for his job and the kids and I just travel for fun. Looking at things comparatively though, I'm not sure who's job looks more "fun" to me!

Johnny's "baggage" ready to go:

My "baggage" ready to go:

Johnny's seatmates:

My seatmates:

Johnny's legroom:

My legroom:

What Johnny finds in his seat:

(noise cancelling headphones. Once he got a full set of pajamas and slippers. 

I would have liked to see a picture of all the first class passengers in their matching jammies!)

What I find in my seat:

(translation: "Dear Mommy, I hope you have a great fight. 

Thanks for taking us on vacation. Love, Lila")

Where Johnny sleeps when he travels:

Where we sleep when we travel:

The bathroom accomodations for Johnny:

(yes, that was really his bathroom!!)

The bathroom accomodations for us:

Where things could get sweaty for Johnny:

(uhm. yes. That is a sauna. In his ROOM. Too bad he was too busy to ever take advantage of it!)

Where things could get sweaty for me:

(Each kid had to navigate their own *cute* suitcase on the escalator. Several times. 

I caught a stranger taking a picture of us once because we were such a sight! 

I thought about giving her a dirty look but just smiled sweetly at her instead.)

Overall, I think I just might have the better end of the deal! maybe.

 

Hurry home (again) daddy. We miss you!

*these are actually pictures of when Johnny gets upgraded to fancy stuff, 
it's not quite how he usually travels, but still...