Center Grove Orchard 2011

Our day at Center Grove Orchard was easily one of the best family days we've had together.  Jeremy's schedule at work was all messed up so instead of his usual Friday off (when it was to be 65 degrees) he had Wednesday off (when it was to be 45 degrees, cloudy, and windy).  But we knew we wanted to go on a weekday rather than the weekend to avoid the crowds and boy did we!  Absolutely everything we did we had all to ourselves.  There were a few other people there, but so few that we didn't ever share an activity at the same time.  I bundled the kids up in snow pants and winter coats and hats so I would hear no complaints about how cold they were.  It was awesome to be able to play with no other bigger kids around and no crowds!

 My little Alice in Wonderland.  They had the Mad Hatter's Tea Party table too.

 There was also the 3 little pig's houses and goats, sheep, chickens, and horses to pet or see but I don't want to post too many pictures.  This picture is the old schoolhouse they have there.

 Maddox made corn angels in the corn pit.

 We didn't take Hadlee's shoes off in the corn pit and she came home with about a whole ear's worth in one shoe.  Whoops.  No wonder she didn't want to walk the rest of the day.

 We had the jumping pillow all to ourselves too!  Which was great because last year Maddox was pretty scared of the jumping pillow mainly because there were so many other kids on it and she kept getting bounced around.  So we all took turns bouncing so she could have control of her bounces.  She loved it!

 Hadlee tries to jump but that consists of bending her knees and just popping back up, her feet never leaving the ground.

 Maddox enjoyed trying to find her way out of the hay bale maze.

 We also went down the super slide.  It looks pretty steep from the top and Maddox was scared, but loved it once we did it.  After going down between my legs she would go down beside me as long as I held her hand and held onto her hood with my other hand.  Hadlee went down between our legs too and  liked it.

 Then we took the tractor ride out to the corn maze and pumpkin patch.  Pictures started ending here because my newfound allergies kicked in and I spent most of this walk sneezing, blowing my nose, and trying to see through my watery eyes.  I was happy to just finish the maze, get the pumpkins and get out of there at this point.  Hadlee fell asleep in Jeremy's arms while we did the maze for a short nap. 

After spending 4 hours at the orchard we got a snack and loaded up to head back home (stopping on the way to buy allergy medicine).  It was such a fun day and the girls loved it!  Who can beat spending the day outside playing with your kids with no crowd around to fight?  Next time I'll take allergy medicine before we go though!

Family and our New Cat

We had to take a family picture for Maddox to take to school.  I realized we really don't have one.  I'm always taking the picture.  So one Sunday we had Suzy take pictures of us.  It's hard to get both girls happy at the same time!

 At the end of September this stray cat showed up at our house.  I tried to find it a home but eventually started letting come into our house.  She was so sweet and nice. She was always laying on our laps and letting Maddox carry her all over the house while she just dangled there.  So I let Jeremy make the decision if we should keep her (that way it would be on his shoulders if she turned out to be trouble) and he really liked her and thought she'd be a good fit for us so he said yes!  We left town for 3 days to go to KC for Jeremy's birthday and I said if she's still sitting outside our house when we get back we'd keep her.  She was sitting on our back steps, waiting.  So now, a month later, she's still with us and in heat.  The vet didn't want to spay her until she came into heat just in case she was already spayed.  Try explaining why the cat meows constantly, rubs on everything, and keeps her rear up in the air to a 3 year old.  I told her the cat really wants to get married and have babies but she can't find a boy cat.  Maddox thinks the cat just really loves her shoes ("they're like a blanky to her") and when we take her to the vet she's going to have surgery on her mouth so she won't meow.  By the way, the cat's name is Precious, named by Maddox because she has a Build-a-Bear cat named the same.  Precious has been banished to the basement at night so we can all sleep and surgery will be soon!

1st Day of Preschool

Here's the school girl, up early, and very excited!  She wore her backpack around the house for almost an hour before we had to leave.

 She looks so little walking away.  No, we didn't have to walk to school.  But the car is parked down the street because our road is being repaved.

 Posing in front of her cubby.

 Then she went straight to circle time.  She couldn't care less about the newness of it all or leaving me.  I had to ask her for a kiss then run out the door before I got too teary eyed.  She is absolutely going to love school!

Labor Day weekend fun

This past weekend we went to St. Joseph and Wathena to spend time with Jeremy's family.  Friday night we went to Savannah's football game, which of course they won and Maddox was enthralled by the marching band as usual.  My kids loved Aunt Shelby's aviator sunglasses in the car on the way up there.

 Saturday morning Jeremy ran a 5k for Wathena's Fall Festival.  He finished 3rd overall and won his age with 18:11.

 Saturday afternoon we spent at the festival.  Maddox rode 3 or 4 rides over and over again.  There really weren't anymore for her age. 

 Maddox also got some fairy wings from the clowns.  A grimacing smile from her... maybe because it was raining on us?  Just a drizzle so it wasn't bad, but we got a little wet.

 Sunday afternoon James and Angie, Gabbie and Hayden came over to cookout at Grandma Barb's.  Here all her grandkids together.  A rarity that will hopefully happen a little more often now that we live in Iowa.  Sunday evening we went to the parade in Wathen and got a ton MORE candy. (5 parades in 2 months... I will NOT be buying Halloween candy.)

 Monday morning we went to the Patee House Museum where the only thing Maddox liked was the old carousel.  It is very pretty.  This might be the first time I've let Hadlee ride one.

Then we spent Monday afternoon at Krug Park where Maddox wanted to explore ALL the castle stairs.  The park itself she wasn't so impressed with.  It is a little cruddy nowadays.  But it was still pretty cool to take her to places I grew up and had so many memories there.  Then the afternoon went downhill from there with Hadlee having diarrhea and no diapers and Jessi rolling in very smelly poo.  It was definitely time to go back home!

Growing Up

Tomorrow Maddox starts her first day of preschool.  She'll be going to Westview Church Preschool, about 2 miles from our house.  It's only 2 hours on Monday and Wednesday morning.  She's growing up so fast!  It just doesn't seem like 3 1/2 years ago she was a tiny baby that refused to come out therefore making her mama have surgery.  She's still stubborn.  Here she is on her first horse ride at the Iowa State Fair.  She loved it.  I wish she could ride more.

 And here she's hanging out with Cinderella at Waukee Fest.

 And this is the first thing she did at school.  We went to orientation last week and she was checking out the chalkboard and wrote her name!  We'd been practicing but the evidence at home had shown that she wasn't that great at it.  All I did was point to where to write each letter since she started right in the midle of the board and doesn't get the left to right thing.  I was impressed!

She is VERY excited about going to school.  I hope after a few days of it she's still excited and doesn't come home thinking "I don't know what the big deal was, it's not THAT cool."  I know she's ready to get out and meet new friends here and it will certainly be good for her.  I'm excited that she's so excited!