pumpkins!

One of my favorite fall activities is going to the pumpkin patch. Our favorite farm we've visited every year for almost a decade closed last year which meant we had more opportunities to visit local ones in our area. The kids love Swans Trail since there are so many activities for kids besides just hunting for pumpkins. I took Lucy and Simon one afternoon while Carter was still at school. It wasn't crowded at all which meant we had full run of the entire play area! 

This giant hay slide is so much fun (for kids and adults alike!) Lucy probably went over a dozen times squealing and giggling each time she'd fly down it.

 Simon liked playing in the hay too.

 Then we headed over to the corn room. This giant shed full of corn kernels is so much fun!

 The jumping pillow is another favorite. It's like a big trampoline the kids can run and jump on. On a busy day this thing is nuts. And kinda scary with so many kids flopping all over the place. But with just us it was perfect!

 More slides, tractors to climb on, animals to pet and treats to enjoy!

 We went on the hay ride but opted out of the corn maze. My sense of direction is terrible and I wasn't about to get lost in that thing with 2 small kids!

 Then it was finally time to head over to the pumpkin patch. We took home a few small ones after wandering around exploring in the dirt.

 On a particularly stormy day we decided to carve one of the small pumpkins from Grandpa Tom's garden. I was so impressed how all 3 kids took turns scooping out the seeds and working together.

 We had planned to go as a family to the pumpkin patch on a Saturday morning but with the wettest October on record it just didn't work out. So I took the kids after school one day so Carter could enjoy all the fun too. Same farm, same play area but even more fun/craziness with 3 kids!

 Finally, we decided to carve the bigger pumpkin this past weekend.

 And enjoying the roasted seeds with some hot chocolate after all that hard work!

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October fun!

October has been a busy, busy month! To make a better effort to slow down a little bit we've started Friday night movie night. I've basically eliminated all screen time during the week so this gives us a chance to cuddle up together, share some popcorn and watch a good movie at the end of a long week. The kids love it and get so excited each week to choose a new movie.

 Carter is almost done with the Harry Potter series! We started with book 1 last Christmas break and have about 150 pages left of book 7! He is obsessed with the storyline and characters and begs us to read it every single day. It's been so fun to see him get excited about books and reading.

 Soccer season is finally winding down. It's been a long few months of practices and games 3 days a week. Lucy and Carter each have 1 game left and while I'll miss watching the games and getting to know the other soccer families, I have to admit it'll be nice to take a break from the wet, muddy fields for a while. Simon has been a trooper through it all, especially on those rainy Saturday afternoons!

 I am loving my time with Lucy right now while Carter is at school. Knowing she'll be gone at school all day next year makes me try to appreciate the little moments we have together now. After preschool I try to do a special activity with her, even if its something small. She is full of drama but usually the happy kind, which is hilarious and fun all at the same time.

 Another particularly wet soccer game! And whoever thought of making white shorts/socks the team uniform should be fired. I'm proud to say I was somehow able to get all the mud out of his socks and have them clean for the next game!

 Simon is our early riser (well, I guess we are all early risers but he's the earliest of the 3 kids) so we get a little play time each morning for about 20 minutes before the big kids come running downstairs.

 Love these boys!

 He would live on Cheerios alone if we'd let him. And...some days we do.

 So proud of Lucy! She finished this math workbook in only a week. Love my eager learner!

 Cold, fall mornings usually call for pumpkin pancakes and homemade forts with flashlights!

 A picture with my favorite preschooler before school one morning.

 Raspberry fingers for a preschool breakfast...so fun!

 Lucy, Simon and I wandered through Molbeks last week to see their holiday displays. Each tree is so beautifully decorated. I wanted to buy so many things!

 Boys and books. Simon loves to copy anything his older siblings do.

 A beautiful fall afternoon biking through the neighborhood.

 Another soccer game and then end of the season soccer party. His coach was so great this year and hosted a party with all the boys and siblings (loud, crazy house!). Each player got a trophy, which was a pretty big deal.

 And Seahawks Sunday!

Halloween pictures coming soon....it was so fun this year!

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soccer, seahawks and a little bit of crazy.

We've finally found our groove this fall. This season of change has seen some tears and frustration, some happiness and excitement and mostly a whole lot of busy! I thank my phone calendar on a daily basis for keeping me organized and remembering each place I'm supposed to be. Juggling work schedules, school schedules, soccer practices and games, birthday parties and playdates gets a little nuts sometimes but I'm also trying to really enjoy this season of life and realize I'll miss all this chaos when its over. 

The soccer season has reached its halfway point and both kids are really enjoying their teams and games. Lucy just adores playing with 5 other girls and I must say it's pretty cute and also pretty impressive how good they are at such a young age!

 She's had the same coach for 3 seasons now and he is so great with these girls. They just giggle and hug him all throughout practice and are constantly begging him to sub them in to play.

 She is so fun to watch and I'm so glad she is enjoying this fall sport!

 Though soccer might take up our weeknights and Saturdays when Sunday rolls around we are all about the Seahawks. Matt still goes to most of the home games so it's me and the kids at home to watch them play on TV. The kids love it because it means a picnic lunch in the living room, lots of cheering and screaming and usually some time to play on the iPad when the game starts getting a little slow. Simon claps and cheers too, even if he has no idea what's going on!

And then a little bit of crazy. We are in full blown toddlerhood around here. Simon is a busy boy getting into EVERYTHING these days. He wants to keep up with the big kids and I must admit, he's pretty darn good at it. He isn't afraid to get into the pantry to find a snack for himself, he loves throwing away anything he feels isn't really needed anymore (lunch containers, remote controls and iPads are his favorite choices this week) and still enjoys playing in toilet water (yuck!). Like I said, toddlerhood at its finest. He's talking so much, obsessed with dogs, dog pictures, dog sounds and dog books and would stare at our neighbors dogs all day long if we'd let him! 

Carter lost another tooth (#4) and his adult teeth are no where in sight! His toothless smile is so cute and he's finally figured out how to talk and eat without those missing teeth!

And just to keep it real....this is most often what pictures look like around here. Those moms who can post pictures of their perfectly posed children, all dressed in cute clothes with their hair done and teeth brushed...more power to you. But in reality, this is life. It's crazy, busy, loud and tiring. But, I wouldn't want it any other way.

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