Tid bits

On Monday I had to go back to the Dr. to get my results for my continuous blood glucose monitor.  (good times).  While the girls and I were waiting for me to be called back, the nice nurse, Jo, who we know quite well, since she has worked there through both of my pregnancies, and after, asked, "Do you girls need some stickers?"

Ellie replied, "No, but can we still have some?"
Jo looked at me, utterly confused.
 I said, "You asked if they NEED stickers, they know that they don't NEED any, but they WANT some." 

Jo's whole face lit up, she was amazed.  It was really quite funny, all of Daddy's explanations and teachings really have sunk in.  Jo proceeded to tell everyone in the office about my little girls and their manners.  I was  a proud Mama and when I called Kent that night to tell him, I could feel him beaming through the phone.

After we left the Dr. and we were heading home, we were behind an ambulance.  Ellie said, "Mom, don't hit the ambulance (as if I hit people regularly), the people will just get more dead in there."  Thanks baby, glad you're watching out for me and those around us!

Hidden Acres at Greenbluff

My baby girls  had their school field trip to the pumpkin patch!  Unfortunately, I had a Dr. appt. that had been scheduled for months at the same time.  :(  So while I was being poked and prodded for the dang sensor that was being put into me, they were having fun with Grandma Phillips and Auntie Helen.  Thank you Auntie Helen for all of these great pics!  They had so much fun, they talked and talked about it for days!

                                     Ellie with her yummy apple and pumpkin of choice!

                                             Ready and cozy with their new monkey mittens!

                                             School friends, Megan, Olivia, Ellie and Dani

                                                     Hay ride with Grandma!

                          Ellie and Ms. Jenny in deep conversation....wonder what was being discussed?

                                                Apple picking with Auntie Helen!

                                                          The best part, taste testing!

Since they had such a great time, and I heard about it for days and days, and I truly felt like I missed out, I decided we needed to make a family trip up to Greenbluff again!  The girls insisted that we go to the same farm so they could show us around.  Instead of Walter's fruit farm we went to Hidden Acres this Fall.

It is my favorite time of year and it was a beautiful day!  Happy Fall everyone!

It's Fall!

My favorite time of the year!  Sunny, crisp beautiful days!  And it's soccer season!  :)  We have been plugging along, going to school, working, adjusting to Kent traveling again :( and playing lots of soccer!

                                   Brayden during his fund run at school.  I think he sprinted the ENTIRE time, he was determined to get as many laps as possible.  I was very proud of him!

                                                       B with the ball for the Bombs!

 We celebrated Kent's Grandma's and our SIL Sarah's B-days.

 Our last trip to Silverwood for the year.  We LOVED our season passes this Summer!

 A fun day at Coeur d' Alene park after we took Great Grandma Pratt out to lunch! 

 Halloween sugar cookies, what a feat!

 The girls' pumpkins from their school field trip.  More to come on that....

Ellie and Dani in their new hand-me-down attire.  We are so fortunate to get bagfuls of cute stuff + shoes!  I think Ellie may sleep with her twinkle toes tonight, she can't get over the fact that she has a pair now.  She has been showing EVERYONE!

What a weekend!

We had a crazy, busy, fun weekend!  We started out by going to the fair on Friday.  Brayden and Ellie have been talking about riding the sheep for weeks now!  Ellie said, "When I fall off I am going to get up and run and race the sheep!"  Finally, the day arrived!

                                              Brayden & Ellie excited for Mutton Bustin'!

                                                                 Ellie getting ready for her gear.

                                                          Brayden ready to ride!

Waiting and waiting!

                                                   Dad and Dani waiting in the stands.

                                                           Brayden's turn finally!

                                     He did well, but didn't hang on for the 6 seconds to qualify.

                                                              Ellie's up next.

                                      Hanging on for dear life, she clung on for quite a while...

then landed on her head.  It was sad, and she cried, but was ok quickly after.

 Saturday was every one's first game of the season.  Brayden is on a new team this year.  He was so proud that they chose his idea for a team name, "The Bombs."  I asked him why he had that idea and he said it was because they kick so hard, just like bombs.  All right then.

 He was even more excited when we found out that they get to be black, just like bombs!  It's a perfect world!

Ellie running and running

I am happy to say we had more team name suggestions at practice and the consensus was: "The Pups."  I love it, our little guys/girls are just like little puppies.  They did great today!  We may have even won, we don't keep score at this age, but I'm pretty sure we had the lead.

                                        Dani ready and waiting.....she did great!
 She wanted to play and she ran around that field with everyone else.  She was even SMILING!  Not sure if she ever touched the ball on the field, but she had some great free kicks.  Proud of that girl!

                                                      All of our little Pups!
                                   Austin, Emma, Ally, Ellie, Carson, Christy, Dani, & Heather

Already Rockin'

You can't tell from the picture, but the girls are wearing shin guards (not leg warmers) and soccer cleats.  Today was our FIRST practice!  It went way better than I expected.  I am coaching with my friend Heather, who has a son my girls' age.  Therefore they are on a co-ed team.  Well, two boys and six girls.  Don't tell anyone, but I can't believe the difference in this team and Brayden's team that I helped coach for two years.  I think this team is already ahead of that other team after one practice.  The big difference is this team (we don't have a team name yet) LISTENS!  It's crazy, all in one practice they learned each others names, learned how to pass with the inside of their foot and stop the ball!  They don't have these skills mastered, but they GET IT!
Their names crack me up, they are all very similar, so I'm sure I will struggle when they're on the field.

Emma/Emmett
Ellie/Ellie
Ally/Alex
Austin
Dani

Our team name will be decided next week.  Some of the suggestions were:

Ponies
Ponies and Dolls
Babies
SMASH babies
WAAAHHH
Waterfall

I told them to think about it, I hope they can come up with a little something different.....we shall see.  I love these FOUR year olds.  Check back in a week though.  :)

Seriously??

I had one of my moments this morning.  I finally closed out my accounts at Chase and I am switching everything over to Spokane Teachers credit union, so now no fees!  I went into Chase, which I have been dreading!  When I went in a few weeks ago to talk about the charges the lady was not nice.  However, today I talked to a guy, who wasn't overly friendly, but he went ahead and closed everything out for me.  I was shocked to not have some kind of fee attached to this.....

I took my cashiers check and cash from Brayden's account and went onto the next bank.  I was somewhat flustered and kind of just shoved all my stuff into the tube-thingy in the drive thru.  The bankers computer wasn't working right, and I didn't have any of B's info. so it took FOREVER to get everything situated.  Cars were lining up like crazy behind me, which stresses me out.   I am always ultra aware of holding people up and I feel like I am always hurrying my kids along......

Anyway, the tube thingy finally comes out, and I have to sign something and send it back.  Meanwhile in the back the girls are asking over and over and over to get stickers.  I said, ok, because they waited so nicely during this whole 10 minute ordeal.  I was trying to grab their stickers, my 3 receipts, and the form I had to sign.....when, whoosh, the tube goes flying out the window into the parking lot.....great.

I pull forward so I don't ram my door into the console thing (quick thinking), I hop out, oh, van is still in Drive (not so quick thinking), it's slowly rolling away.  Hop back in and put it in park.  Get back out and search for the damn tube thingy (girls still screaming for stickers), can't find the tube anywhere.  I am wearing a cute summer skirt, which did not help matters as I'm crawling on the HOT asphalt.  Finally spot it UNDER my tire!  Get back in the van and reverse it (at this point I count in my head 6 cars lined up and watching the entertainment).  Back it up, and notice the lady behind me giving me the stare of death.  Park it, jump out AGAIN, grab the tube thingy.  Of course the tube is squished, cracked and broken.  I sign the damn form, shove it in the tube and shoot it back through the tunnel, all without making eye contact with the banker.  How much do you think one of those tubey things cost?

Pretty sure I won't be back to that branch......I guess I need to do some research and see where the next closest branch is located....I'm sure they're thrilled to have me and all my money at their bank!  :)

Another BIG step

It's that time of year, back to school!  I have a FIRST grader.  I can hardly believe it, when did I get this old?  Brayden will be in school ALL day, gone for 7 hours (including busing).  I'm not sure what  Dani, Ellie and I will do with all this girl time.  We will miss him!

 A BIG yummy breakfast.  Belgian waffle with blackberries, whip cream and cheesy eggs.  (Tomorrow will be the standard frozen waffle with peanut butter).

 New school clothes and new shoes.  I made him stand this way so I could see his adidas sambas.  I LOVE these shoes, navy and orange.  Hopefully he will like them as much as I do!  :)

                                              In line for the bus.

You can't tell in this pic. but there are TWENTY kids at his bus stop.  I LOVE it!

On his way......

I am a little broken hearted that I will be working when he gets off the bus today, but I can't wait to hear all about his day when I'm done!  I love you Brayden GOO!

Another big step for the girls:

We survived the trip to my parent's house over the weekend.  We all worked hard and packed, trashed and reminisced over lots of stuff!  We were fortunate enough to get my brother's bunk bed!  I tell ya,they made stuff a lot more sturdy back in the day.  This bunk bed is going to last forever, or at least until the girls are 18 and outta here!  We broke down their toddler beds and assembled this:

The bottom bed is supposed to make an L shape, but with it directly under, we get a lot more space for two little bodies and lots of toys.  They are THRILLED, and so far so good.  No accidents yet, but I did take the ladder off and hide it for the majority of the day.  That's normal, right?

My baby girls are in BUNK BEDS!