Pumpkin Patch

A local farm hosts an amazing Fall Festival/Pumpkin Patch.  The only hang-up is that it is extremely overpriced....  Thankfully for this year, they offered some free tickets to some local churches and we were able to get some!!  We took our neighbors and had a fantastic time!!  The weather was perfect as was the company!

My pumpkins with pumpkins!

Ready to get our pumpkins on!

Farmer Addie!

Silly Farmer Alden

Awesome!!

Off to solve the maze- which we did, thanks to Al's expert navigation!

Reading the clues- and learning a ton about honey bees!

This pile of hay was a huge hit!

Shooting corn!!

Alden- see his corn shooting on the edge of the picture?

Pig Race!!

Thumbs up for hayrides!

Family pic!!

A lady bug!!

SO happy to ride a pony!!  We surprised the kids with this and they were SO happy!

So happy, but too cool to let on...

The barrel ride!  He refused to "drive" it- he told me, "Mommy,  it didn't work- the man up front was steering!"

One happy girl!

Growing like crazy!

It was a great time- memories were made, fun was had- what a perfect way to spend a crisp Saturday!

BFFs Got Your Back

Since we have moved into this cul-de-sac, our kids have become amazing friends with "the boys" who live across the street.  Proof that they are truely amazing friends, on Saturday, Alden accidentally wore his shirt backwards.  Instead of teasing him, they all turned THEIR shirts around!!  What great friends!!

BookWorms

It appears that I may very soon be the proud Momma of TWO bookworms!!

She insisted on bringing her book into the bathroom so she could continue to read while I fixed her hair and she brushed her teeth....

A born teacher- she is helping him read his first book- House for Mouse!!

I can't blink because they will grow-up and I'll be having to buy them magazine subscriptions and helping them research cars and colleges..... For right now, I'm enjoying the world of Junie B Jones and Dr. Seuss!

Soccer Award!!

I simply love i9 sports!! I love that it's all at once- practice and then a game.  I love how kind yet firm the coaches are.  I love how learning to play the game is the most important.  I love that they keep score and that the kids learn to be gracious winners and how to deal with loosing.  All wonderful things!!  Each week the coaches focus on a different character trait- and at the end of their session, 1 player is given an award for exhibiting that trait.  This week, the trait was the importance of hustling- working hard.  Alden doesn't totally "get" soccer, but he sure does try- so I was SO proud when he won that medal!!  Way go, Buddy!!

He is a head shorter than all the other kids- but he doesn't let that stop him!

SO proud of his medal!!  And the best part?  MarMar and PopPop where there to see him earn it!

Maymont with Miss Jeanette!

Last weekend, a dear friend of our from the Eastern Shore was going to be in Richmond for the Color Run.  We were so excited that she, along with some of her friends, could come to our house to shower before heading back home to the Eastern Shore.  We were even MORE excited when we found out that they would have a little bit of time to spend in Richmond and wanted to check out Maymont!!  We LOVE Maymont and were thrilled to share it with them!

Feeding the goats- totally gross, but they love it!

Looking for the perfect goat to feed

I love it when Alden is so kind and gentle!

The Japanese gardens- the kids desperately wanted to wade like a ton of other people, but I'm a mean Mom and wouldn't let them...

Checking out the stepping stones...

His face just says it all- he loved these and how he could run and jump across them.  I was certain I would be taking home a stinking and wet little boy but I didn't!

Just too cute for words!!

It was a fantastic time- thanks for coming Miss Jeanette!!  Next time, please bring all your boys!!

Weekend Fun!

Weekends are getting to be so much fun!  The kids have ideas of what they want to do- and it is usually pretty fun stuff!

We shared Sweet Frog with our BFF Lainey!!

It's fun to share an extra-long book reading time with everyone!

One evening, our play and ride bike time- turned into that with dress-up!!  These pirates are pretty darn cute!

Love my fairy princess!

Even one of the dads got into it...

And now she's an Hawaiian Girl- since she has a flower behind her ear....

Lunch Dates!

The school that is literally in our neighborhood is fantastic- but so is the school that I can see from my classroom window!!  I am thankful that both kids can attend the school next door to me- I love the school- the teachers are amazing, the diversity that is in the classrooms is wonderful, and the educational environment is top-notch!!  Both kids wake-up happy and excited to go to school- and that says a lot to me!  Another major perk is that I can go and eat lunch with both kids just about whenever I want!

Addie had been dying to show her teacher her American Girl dolls- so I brought them one day to lunch!

I love that my boys is thrilled to see me and to have lunch with me!

Sharing lunch is so special- and I love that I get to know their classmates- such sweet little kiddos!!

Two-Wheelin' It Now!

She can do it!  After a week or so of watching Alden happily bike up and down our cul-de-sac, Addie decided she was going to ride HER bike without training wheels!  She was a little hesitant at first, but she quickly built her confidence and that was all it took!  Yes, she is totally my daughter- she rides in pretty dresses!!

SO proud!!

 Alden is pretty proud of her, too- now they ride their bikes all the time!  In fact, it became painfully obvious that they had now totally out-grown the bikes they had.  A trip to the Thrift Store provided new-to-us-bikes that are the right size- and both for under $10 total!!  I have heard a pretty solid rumor that Santa is going to provide new bikes this Christmas- but we will see....

The Newest Bikers to add to our neighborhood gang!

Soccer!

Alden started i9 soccer today- and he was so excited, even though he was exausted, he couldn't take a rest!  He was excited to play again- he did a clinic with our local Pro team this spring- and he was thrilled that his friend, Ella, was going to be on his team!  The weather was perfect and he had a blast!

Got lucky #7 for his jersey!

Such a ladie's man!

Listening to the directions from Coach Ben- who is from Austrailia, runs a surf clinic in Hawaii, and coaches in the fall in Richmond!!

Alden scoring a goal during practice- he was on cloud 9!!

Here's to a great soccer season!!

BEACH!!

Somehow the summer escaped us....  We promised to take the kids to the beach after Labor Day- so hopefully there wouldn't be as much traffic.  The kids were thrilled and we had an amazing time!  Shockingly, the water was significantly cooler than when we went in July!

Jumping for Joy!

We love the beach THIS much!

Sand splits

Sand masterpieces 

Love how you can see the wave crashing over her head!!  Perfect ending to a boogie board wave ride! 

Riding his wave

It was an amazing Saturday- love that we can take day trips like this with the kiddos!!