October
Part 1
Lovely October!! This October has been particularly beautiful here in Spokane. Lots of sunshine, blue skies, and gorgeous fall foliage. It has been perfect classical music weather. Once autumn arrives and the leaves begin to change I start listening to classical music like crazy. This classical music craze continues through the winter but once Spring arrives I am done until Autumn rolls around again. So bring on bonfires, hot chocolate, and candy corn!! But looking back...sheesh...where did October go? It slips away so quickly. The activities of three kids, plus Tyler and myself, and throw in preparing for three big vintage shows in three months and things have been a little bit on the crazy side. You would think that having one kid out of the house would make things a bit easier. Nope. The space gets sucked in with all kinds of other things. Kind of like when you get a raise and you think that you will have all this extra money but then some how it gets sucked up some where and you end up about the same as you were before. It's been like that.
Thanks to the delightful weather we have really enjoyed watching all the XC meets that we have been to this month; which believe me, have been A LOT. I love watching XC and we have had a great time cheering on our kids.
Bryn had a second XC meet and came in 5th!! We were so excited!! That girl loves to run and she has the competitive fire. She runs with a huge grin and often with her tongue hanging out. Apparently that helps with her speed. Ha ha.
Bryn and Elle had another great race!! They are both fantastic runners. Bryn came in 5th and was pleased as punch about it. They have both worked really hard and they both qualified for the All-City Meet. EXCITING!!
We took the kids to the Barnum and Bailey Circus when it came to town. We haven't gone since Reilly and Kameron were little. Sometimes I forget that the younger kids haven't experienced all the things that the older kids have. Ailey and Bryn were the perfect age for the circus. They were mesmerized. It was fun to see the circus through their eyes.
Yep, they both got red clown noses.
We went an hour early for the pre-show and it was well worth it. They had a great time, especially Bryn. She volunteered to do EVERYTHING. She is not shy and will try anything. I wish I had some of her mojo.
Bryn loved the hula hoop girl. Bryn is something of a hula hoop master herself. Her hand was the first to shoot up when they asked if anyone wanted to try.
She was hula hooping up high and down low. The guy that was throwing the hula hoops to the circus girl told her to "Check out that little girl!! She is awesome." Bryn was just hula hooping away not caring that there were crowds of people watching her. So funny.
She loved trying on different costumes. Ailey wasn't big on participating in many of the activities...too shy. Our kids all have such different personalities and temperaments. It makes life interesting.
Case in point...the double dutch jump rope. Ailey did line up for this because she knows that she is good and can do it but went to the very back of the line. Bryn, on the other hand, was first in line. As she ran out to jump Tyler leaned over to me and asked, "Does she know how to jump rope?" and I was like "I don't know." (You've gotta love the 4th child.) Well, she got right out there and jumped up a storm then she ran over to us and excitedly exclaimed, "I didn't EVEN KNOW I could jump rope!! It was awesome!!" Reilly and Bryn are definitely my gutsy kids and Kameron and Ailey prefer to lay low and observe before they jump into the unknown.
The elephants were a hit!! The kids loved them. This one was painting a picture. It really was fun for them to be up so close to the elephants. Living in Spokane...a zoo-less town... it was extra exciting. Then Bryn reminded me that she has never been to a zoo. What? How is that possible? Another the 4th child problem. All the other kids have been to the zoo multiple times but by this stage of life the zoo isn't really on our radar anymore. Guess we need to add going the zoo on our list of things to do in 2016.
Here were some of the highlights:
Sadly, I think the most exciting part for our entire family...and the audience... was when one of the elephants pooped and it filled like 5 huge buckets. Pretty amazing, I tell you. We've never seen anything like that before!! Ha ha.
We have also STILL been working on the great bedroom swap around here. But every room needed a fresh coat of paint and all the furniture needed to be repainted and new decor was purchased so it has been taking forever!! But now everyone is finally in their own rooms. Pictures to come later. But here is a look at Ailey's new tween room...this picture shows the bedroom still a work in progress...but it sure looks different from when it was Kameron's room.
Kameron's Cross-Country Team Picture (terrible picture of a picture.)
Kameron said it was a "thing" to look serious. I guess half the team didn't get the memo. #grinners
Reilly continues to enjoy school and Utah. She has been learning all kinds of new cosmetology skills. Today she had a final and had to do multiple hairstyles and treatments on a female. My very brave mother-in-law volunteered. Bless her heart!! Reilly got 100% on all the things that she had to do and it sounds like Judie and her hair survived and even booked another session. Grandmas are awesome.
Reilly and some of her cosmetology peeps!!
One Saturday we went up to my Mom's house to help her with yard work. The burn ban was finally lifted and we could burn baby burn!! It was awesome. We burned about 25 wheel barrow loads of pine needles. It was so much fun!! It was such a crazy summer without one stinking bonfire. It really sucked. So we more than made up for it with this blaze...
Some happy pyros!! This was our version of American Gothic. We couldn't stop laughing though.
Then we had to gear up for Bryn's All-City Meet. We went and picked up her packet and wrist bands. She was pretty stoked.
Then the big day finally arrived!! Bryn's cheering section. Elle got sick and had to miss the meet. Poor kid!! Kameron and his XC team were there helping out. Bryn was so excited that Kameron FINALLY got to watch her run!!
Getting off the bus and ready to run!!
Waving to us from the starting line.
She was pretty excited!!
And then she focused...like a razor... :)
And they were off...
Tongue out for extra speed!!
Kameron shouting out some advice and cheering her on.
She did fantastic!! She came in 21st out of 83 of the super fastest kids in town. She was thrilled!! She got a t-shirt, a pin, and a certificate. You can't beat that!!
She made her big brother pretty darn proud!!
And so were we!!
We celebrated with some ice cream!!
The joys of drought. I was loving every minute of our non-snowy winter but now we are paying the price. Check out how low the water level is on the lake. I have never seen the water this low. I guess snow is important...crap.
I had a momentous lunch with good friends. Sadly no picture. Too much was being discussed. :) I love other mothers. I especially love mothers who have been where I am and share their wisdom. So, I had this awesome lunch with friends and one of my friends has kids older than mine...college and newly married ages. She was telling me all the "I wish I would've known..." or "If I could do things differently..." and "Knowing what I know now..." It was FABULOUS!! That lunch could've lasted 8 hours. So much info on preparing kids for college, helping kids save money for college, life skills needed that should be taught, how to give them relationship advice, ways to parent from miles away, things to do and things not to do in tons of situations. It was amazing and I am so grateful for good friends!!
Happy October!!
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