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 - Cotton Fields, Stitch, and Pumpkins

Bridging the gap between last week and this week... 

--- 1 ---

Last week... Papa went to a clergy conference in Chicago. Yes A was 8 days old. Yes we survived with the help of Grammy providing double-team coverage... 

After we survived soccer practice - A was not too unhappy with me for coaching - Grammy and E and R wanted to feel some on-the-stalk cotton. #countrylife

Papa surprised us by coming back a few hours early from his trip on Thursday which was awesome! When he called and said "I have a surprise for you" I replied with "Are you in the driveway?" - because I'm that kind of surprise-r. He wasn't in the driveway but en route.

--- 2 ---

Then Papa and E turned around and went to South Bend for a wedding - E's godfathers. I think I have discussed ad nauseam how disappointed I am that I could not go. So I'll stop complaining...  

And of course on Friday E shows up with the class pet. So Fidget was in for the longhaul. I was alittle nervous about Fidget getting lost or left (I left a stuffed animal at KFC when I was small - another story, another day) SO I decided to outfit Fidget with his own luggage tag in the off chance he was misplaced. #iamworrier

So Fidget and E and Papa had a grande time at the wedding and on the trip. E had a mountain of things to write about in Fidget's journal - which I did NOT write, If she had 100 pictures I am quite sure she would have written a hundred sentences - fortunately Papa only printed 4. I think I might get her a notebook to 'journal' in because she really enjoyed writing and then reading the sentences she wrote. 

--- 3 ---

There were more fall crafts to be completed... 

Yes M is INSANE - I know!

Pink and purple pumpkin anyone?

She didn't want to make a face on it so she drew lines like the grooves on the punpkin

Everyone wants in 

The finished product : ) 

--- 4 ---

The weather hasn't made up it's mind about being warm or cold so some days we play outside

I was asked by a wise uncle what to get M for her birthday - because really she doesn't need anything... and my answer was chalk and bubbles. 

#smallestnubofchalk 

That's what happens when they leave the chalk in the rain and out in the driveway... 

--- 5 ---

Funny story... 

Awhile back M took to this Christmas Stitch that Jibbe got R for Christmas a few years ago. Why? We don't know. But she loved it. Alot. She carried him around. Called him 'Stit-h'. The part she loved most about Stitch was his tags. She'd sit there forever and suck her thumb and twiddle with his tags. Well after a few months the tags got curled up and not terribly clean looking. 

One day Stitch was left at Jibbe's. Jibbe -being the well-meaning grandma cleaned Stitch up a bit. Well she cut off Stitch's tags. M got Stitch back and started totally ignoring him. She wouldn't carry him around. Didn't want him during rest or anything. If you asked her what happened to Stitch she'd say 'Jibbe broke it'. 

So Jibbe of course tried to replace Stitch with someone similar - Sully from Monsters Inc. He was blue, had a little tail, and two tags. Totally fit the bill. 

M wasn't buying it. 

THEN Jibbe came back with the real Stitch. Except the new Stitch did not have a sweater and was a bit bigger. M was super confused and not happy when she saw them side by side. We thought she was going to pass Stitch onto A. 

Let's just say... She's warmed up to the new Stitch quite well

--- 6 ---

I'm finally getting around to writing thank you notes to all the people who have helped us/given us things since A was born.

The list is growing so we feel quite blessed to have such great family and friends!

--- 7 ---

I'll probably do a post on my laundering success from the weekend just because I want to

A and I are back to a semi-normal work schedule... 

He's generally pretty happy about it but makes this face when I tell him I forgot his bouncy seat. 

R's Pumpkin Patch Adventure

Here we are...

Not sure which one is my favorite. R was not particularly thrilled about the costume.

Love the colors

Like the $5.00 sign in the mid ground

Like how R is about the same size as her surroundings

Like the light on this one the best

Love my serious pumpkin

E and Papa went too and picked out pumpkins and checked out the animals. We will return to the pumpkin patch for joint E and R pics.

We are off to the pumpkin patch

More R pumpkin pics to come!