Fall Festival

Last weekend we went up to the Fall Festival with the Troxells. It was unseasonably warm, so we had to go outside and enjoy the day! It made me laugh though, when I heard people at the festival complaining about the heat. It was MAYBE seventy degrees out. Granted, that's as warm as it got all summer, but still people, I think you're gonna make it.

So some of you may remember my constant sadness last fall about the lack of pumpkin patches around here. Luckily you won't have to go through it again - my kids have chosen pumpkins already this year! They were small and green, looking more like tiny watermelons, but I don't care.

 Then we hung out and the kids did a little tractor race, played in the leaves, planted some seeds, and played some carnival games.

The drive to and from the festival was so beautiful. I can't get over this crazy thing they call Fall. It's breathtaking. I tried to take some pictures of the gorgeous trees, changing leaves, and mountains, but they don't look nearly as pretty as it did in real life.

Walking out to our car...

 The drive home....

Learning to Sew!

I'm teaching the kids to sew. They are both really excited about it. For their first projects, Kenley made a skirt for her doll, and Parker made a cape for his monkey. Think they're proud?

Happy 6th Birthday, Kenley

My sweet birthday girl. Look at that face - she is every bit as precious as she looks. Turning six is rounding a corner, going from a preschooler into a kid. She is growing in confidence, in spirit, in personality.

She is very sure of what she likes, or what she's "into," in her words. She still loves clothes & fashion, art, playing Barbies, and being with her friends and siblings. She's doing great in Kindergarten, and is making friends at school. She is really interested in food, cooking, and nutrition, and can identify a smell such as rosemary, ginger, or vinegar as soon as she walks into a room. She loves to be outside (NEVER gets cold), and enjoyed taking lessons in soccer, ice skating, and ballet this year. She is pretty articulate for a 6-year-old but still pronounces mirror as "mirrio" and Little Caesar's as "Little Tweezers." She's a SOUND sleeper, and when she gets up in the night for something, just cries and wanders around bumping into walls. She loves make-up and hair stuff, and wants to "do nails or hair" when she grows up - possibly in a grocery store (?!).

Kenley tries all the time to make the world a better place. She will do ANYTHING to keep one of her siblings from getting into trouble - she will frantically pick up Parker's toys or beg me not to use a stern voice with Claire. She is kind to others and she has a good heart. She is sensitive, thoughtful, and pretty dang funny. She's not a perfect kid, but she's close. I am humbled and grateful that I get to be her mom because that means I get to have her in my life for the long haul. I know I'm going to learn a lot from this kid.

Happy Birthday, Mae Bug. The day I became your mommy changed my life forever, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Kenley's Birthday Party

For Kenley's party, she requested a Tinkerbell/Pixie Hollow party. She had been asking since her last birthday if we could have part of her party in our tent (?!?), so we decided to brave it and have the party outside. We set up some tables in the garage for crafts and food, and then let the kids run around and play in the yard (and opened presents in the tent). Luckily it didn't rain, and Kenley was able to have the party of her dreams!

My favorite cake we've ever made:

 Working on some crafts

 Playing out back

 The birthday girl's dream comes true!

 No one gets to bring party food into the tent! Unless you're Claire, and you're the Queen.

 Wands and "pinnie pixies"

 Blowing out candles. If your mom and dad work that hard on a cake, you only get one candle. Don't wanna ruin it until the last possible minute. :)

 Claire and Jack chilling out afterwards enjoying the party favors.

 Cute little BFFs

State Fair

The State Fair is so weird to me here, because it's at the end of the summer. Maybe because the giant produce competitions are a really big thing, and it gives everything time to grow? I don't know. It's after school has started for the year and everything (they even have a "Kids Free" day on a SCHOOL DAY, and many kids are mysteriously absent). Anyway, teacher vents aside....

We decided to head up on a weekday right after school, and the weather was GORGEOUS. We had such a fun night together. We even found out that Kenley won a ribbon for one of her entries in the art contests!

 ^^^I love this picture of Parker trying to help Claire pet the baby chicks. He is so tender with her.

Overall, I love the fair here. It takes an hour to drive there, but once there it's nothing like the crowded, crazy, sweltering Del Mar Fair (which also holds a special place in my heart, just different). James and I were walking to the car and looking around at all the changing leaves and beautiful mountains out in the valley, and we just couldn't believe how lucky we are to be having this experience.

First Day of Kindergarten!

This year Kenley finally started Kindergarten! Seeing as how it was only a few weeks before she turned 6, she felt very ready. I felt nothing but excitement for her, and for myself - Kenley attends school at the school where I teach! It takes all of my willpower not to wander in and stare at her several times a day. Luckily my classroom is at a main crossroads at our school, so Kenley passes my room each time she goes to and from the lunchroom, art, music, library, and PE. I love getting to see her so much!

She felt very stylish on her first day of school with her new clothes and backpack, and was ready to take on the world!

Tomatoes, Tomatoes

So if you're 2, and you love tomatoes, here's what you do. You go into the greenhouse and pick two of them, one for each hand. Then you wander around the yard taking bites out of each of them. Then your mom wonders if it's okay for such a little girl to eat 2 entire tomatoes. But she decides to let you try. Luckily you lose interest and only finish one and a half. And luckily your dad is the one who changes the day's diapers.

Smile if you love your sister

Can you tell that they think they are just the luckiest? But really, I am. If nothing else, at the end of the day, these kids ADORE each other. You don't get too many moments sweeter than this.