Its daylight savings time again- October came to a warm and sunny end here in South Texas. Fall is in full swing even if the cool weather isn't. Here's what we've been up to...
BUC-EE's
We finally made a stop at Buc-ee's. This is nothing other than a glorified gas station! Folks around here wear Buc-ee's shirts and hats- we even saw the beaver gear on our cruise. We just had to see what all this was about. It is huge, has tons on food, and yes the highway signs are correct-clean bathrooms. We gassed up, toured the store, visited the giant stuffed beaver and used the facilities before checking out with our candy selections. Not sure we'll ever be wearing the beaver gear but Linley can't wait to go back to buy more Skittles.
Grandma Came to Town
My Momma came to see us. This was her first post-Lilly visit with my chickens. I think she was going a little crazy with the "activity" of my 3- I hate to inform her that my beautiful, sweet and often sleeping niece will be moving and grooving soon enough! When Mom comes to town we spend a lot of time eating- new recipes are tested and taste approved- my mom is a terrific cook!!!! (but don't ever ask her to bake lol). This short trip will have to tide us over until Christmas (more eating!!!!!).
Play Hard!
We have been doing some good old fashioned playing around here- imaginations run wild, pushing the boundaries at every turn and being creative. Samuel does just fine keeping up with his sisters in the fun making. It melts my heart that all 3 are engage in play together!
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| MOOing the lawn |
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| Shaving cream fun |
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| sensory sensation |
A Swimming Pool of Estrogen
Well its a GIRL!!!! Mom went with me to the ultrasound appointment and got to see the 4th chicken kicking around in my tummy. The baby looked great in there :) We found out that our swimming pool of estrogen is getting deeper! Swimming lessons for all males are required before entrance to the pool. No lifeguard on duty- swim at your own risk. Still no name- but that comes as no surprise to any of us. Our healthy little girl is 25 wks now- all is going well!
Ghetto Pumpkin Patch
The annual pumpkin patch tradition was a bit special this year. South Texas doesn't have many places to pick your own pumpkin- those closest to us were at least an hour away- and it seems ridiculous to drive that distance when the grocery store offers them cheaper- but the "experience" element of it always gets to me- so we found something that looked good online and wasn't too far out. When we pulled up it was one of those hand to forehead motions (d-oh). We parked in a field but other than that the rest of the "experience" was totally ghetto! Behind as abandon Kohls building, pallets of pumpkins had been dropped off with a few hay bales for ambiance. There was a charge to get in and additional charges for jump houses, tractor rides, pony rides, petting zoo, food.....all were run by carnival people- there were no farmers there I promise. We made out 4 pumpkins later for under $50. We carved and painted Halloween creations.
Kids that Clean
Not sure why but the chickens have been cleaning- volunteering to do so and loving it! Sam found new joy in the dust buster and taking it away after the battery died was saddening. Last night Annabelle asked to vacuum and what parent says no to that? Linley is often attacked in the bathroom by the toilet paper destroyer (Sam) and she cleans up the aftermath.
Gigi and Grandpa
The Haines grandparents also came to visit. It was a weekend of relaxing and chatting and playing. The weather was a bit cooler so we stayed inside and made Halloween crafts, ate pumpkin cookies and drew pictures. Gigi brought a huge pumpkin with her- so there was another carving session. Grandpa shared his iPad with AB- she loved reading stories and playing games on that thing (she has already talked about asking Santa for one- sorry child, Santa is on a budget!) We will be seeing the entire Haines gang on Thanksgiving-looking forward to that!
Kindergarten Kuteness
Annabelle is doing fabulous in school! She has homework a few nights a week and I enjoy the time helping her. Watching her little mind work is fascinating, her abilities are astounding and creativity unlimited. I love hearing about her day as we walk home from school. She enjoys center time the most- her favorite is the writing center- she draws lots of pictures and writes about them!
Trick or Treat
All 3 chickens went out on Wednesday night to trick or treat. Aurora, Snow White and Skeleton boy covered the neighborhood and came home with full buckets! That was the perfect end to our October.
