7QTs - Bats, Capes, and Skates

Maybe I'll actually get caught up. 

---1---

Somedays....

You just need to sprawl out on the floor and be mad?

---2---

And other days you just need to wear a cape around...

She didn't even think anything of it : )

---3---

The weather hasn't turned to the insanely cold (50s) yet so we still have had some good afternoons outside -

He loves the car

Went through the trouble of getting all that on

To skate for about 7 minutes : ) 

Overall it was a success!

---4---

Two weeks ago we went to a birthday party at this pumpkin patch mini-fair

It was loads of fun

And everyone had a great time

The girls there but they were going 100 miles a minute. A liked to roam free through the pumpkins

The only complaint was that we had to leave when the party was over instead of going back to the fun inside farm. I was going out of town for a day and needed to get organized and there was a certain bat project to finish... Basically I ruined it ALL for E but ce la vi... Next time we won't go at all!

---5---

Also, E had been at a swim meet the day before... When we were debating on going in the first place, for some BIZARRE  reason I thought it would be okay to load everyone up and drive 2 (except it was 2.25) hours and watch E swim for about 3 minutes total. But fortunately I came to my senses and realized that would be a TERRIBLE idea so we made a last minute change of plan (for the smarter) and Papa took E. 

I was sad not to see her swim (or get any pics! - but he timed so I guess that is okay). 

But I held down the fort with these people: 

Shopping with three is way easier than shopping with four. I just took all of them after Mass today and it was not something I'd like to do anytime soon. 

---6---

Now for the bat.... 

A Townsend's big eared big that is 3 inches long with an 11 inch wingspan. E measured the cutout that came home from school and it wasn't symmetrical or 3 inches and she was totally prepared to do some surgery to it but I nixed that. 

Only way to glue felt is with a glue gun

I was the glue gun shooter so E had to press the felt down and had a few glue marks to prove it. 

She did decide that the ears on her cutout were too small for a BIG EARRED bat so I let her doctor up those appendages. The girl LOVES pipe cleaners. She hoards them in her desk. I think St. Nicholas might just bring her a pack this year. After 1.5 hours of crafting I called it a night

Then we were back for more after a better attitude from the birthday party departure.  

Pipe cleaners anyone? 

I rounded up some brown paint for the back

And no project would be complete without glitter glue so E put some 'blood' around the bones because the pic online did look noticeably red in the fingers. 

DONE!

---7---

Randomness...

Lee left me these after dinner before M's soccer game. It's the little things... He loves me : ) 

E made it to the top of the rock wall! 

Passing on my love of hoodies to E... #winning

7QTs - Rain, Turtles, Pizza

This actually from last week... 

---1---

R finally finished the elusive pre-K workbook she's been working on since the summer...

It has not been all smiles... 

She's not overly motivated so it took awhile but she traded that baby in for: 

Star Wars Legos with Rey. Which E (helped) build

---2---

Trying his hand at homemade pizza...

Everyone got their own with toppings ranging from olives to mushrooms to tomatoes. 

Getting the pizza loaded into the oven was a bit of a learning curve

So tasty!

---3---

I think this might have been before pizza... We went to the opening of a new domestic violence center.

Try explaining 6 empty chairs representing the 6 minors who had been killed THIS YEAR in NC because of domestic violence, to a 6 yr old. There was a 2 yr old. There were 40+ chairs for the adults  who have been killed. There are no words. 

The new center has a children's room which is Kibbe tested and approved. 

On the way out we had to cross the tracks (aka the county line) and got caught for 11+ minutes by a lovely freight train. 

---4---

Here's the Wildlife news from one afternoon...

So there was this turtle crossing the road and I stopped and grabbed it and took it home and then took it to pick up E and then 25 million kids petted the turtle and E was freaked out (of course).

Then we let him go in the back yard and the next morning he was back in the front yard...

---5---

Injuries of the week...

Holding onto the counter and bouncing up and down is a terrible idea...

Mister daredevil himself... 

---6---

M got to go to a princess birthday party... 

It was awesome 

And insanely cute!

---7---

And this was Matthew...

It rained over 10.5 inches

And then the next day was like this ^

This was our neighbors backyard that flooded during Floyd. The water was 20 ft from the house... #swamplife

Schools in the county were closed for a week because of roads like ^ 

But the weather was really nice 

And I cannot decide who enjoyed this more E or A :  )

And I would be remiss without mentioning the need for prayers for those who lost their homes in Matthew. It was really bad for a lot of people. 

To the birthday boy

To A - the boy I'd never thought I'd have

A, I don't think I really wrapped my mind around the idea that there would be any Kibbe boys in this family. Your Papa and I were quite convinced it would be Pinktown for life. But you can and changed all that. 

You screamed for the first hour and a half of your life - like the nurse had to come stand at the bed and speak to me because I couldn't her her over your howling. You howled yesterday around the same time range when I was putting you to round o nap part 2. You aren't much of a snuggler or a rocker anymore except in the morning. You love your Nini and your paci and your Eeyore. You know when its time for bed and you get really antsy and don't want to get in but you don't cry too much. 

When you are not asleep you can probably be found crawling through the house chewing on or tearing apart or drooling on and occasionally playing with various things. You like to play with the trash can foot-push. You like to play in the red car outside. You like to play with the doorstops and listen to them vibrate. You have climbed tables and chairs and on the fireplace - which is hilarious and terrifying. You love going into the bathroom and staring down the potty and sometimes sticking your hand in it! You don't like being contained but you cry at my feet if I'm not holding you. 

When you cry, I usually put you in your highchair to eat. You love bananas and cheese and pumpkin muffins. LOVE THEM. You're not a huge fan of hot dogs or plain Cheerios but your Papa says it's because that's all I gave you for several weeks when you started eating food. You wrapped up nursing when you were about 9 months old. Right before all your teeth came in; you lost some of your baby look when all SIX came in at one time. 

Your big sisters adore you but you don't let them hold you too much. You like it when they crawl around on the floor with you. You chase them around and you think it is funny. They like pushing you on the swing and E took you for some rides down the slide the other day - you were a fan. You like going to school - you didn't at first. Your screamed and screamed and screamed. They even put you in a different room because they thought you didn't like the room. But now, you happily take a break from me in the mornings. 

You are so different than your sisters the difference is so vast. Your papa and I talk about it often. You are just louder, more destructive and a little stinkier than them - and that's okay Little Boy. You're a keeper. 

Much love

Mama