Happy Halloween!

I am prepared to lobby for an official Halloween date change from the 31st to the last Saturday of the month.  Who's with me?  Saturday Halloween is so perfect.

We had another busy week.  Not sure why I bother even mentioning it since that seems to have become our theme.  Earlier this week we got last minute tickets to the FC Dallas game.  We ended up with great seats and we saw a win!

 Sara's jog-a-thon, which had to be rescheduled because of rain last week, took place on Tuesday afternoon, and I left work a little early to watch her run.  She ran hard, completing 8+ laps around the course.  Thanks to our family members who donated, Sara raised $170 dollars.  All proceeds go directly back to the school for teacher and student resources.  I think this is such a great way to raise funds ... it's easy, no door-to-door, no trying to sell products people don't really want, and it promotes a healthy lifestyle for the kids to boot.

 

 

 Of course we had to carve our pumpkins, too!  It happened in two parts around the last softball game of the season.  The girls enjoyed digging out the guts.   

 

 

 

 

 We all enjoyed snacking on some baked pumpkin seeds.  Steve even got a little Pinterest-y on me and had the girls plant some seeds outside to see if they would grow ... and magically, baby pumpkins appeared when we checked the next morning.  Seriously, his idea.

 Friday at school, Sara had Book Character Day.  She went as Nancy Drew.

 I couldn't make it to the parade, but another mom sent me this picture.  What a cutie.

 Emma got to wear her costume to school for a party (recognize this one? Sara wore it years ago!).

It was a fun week, and now we are ready to trick-or-treat.  The rain yesterday and today caused cancellations of last night's soccer practice and today's game, but we're sure not going to let it keep us from hitting the streets tonight.  Happy Halloween!

Saturday night update:

Success!

 

 

 

Saturday Stuff

• After a very, very wet spring followed by months of virtually no rain, the skies have finally opened up on us again.  We've gotten so much rain in the past couple of days that Sara's games this weekend were cancelled.  None of us were sad to miss out on the 8:00 soccer game this morning.  The rain has stopped now for a bit, but we are supposed to get more tonight.  I'm so glad we made the most of last weekend with outdoor events.  A cold front accompanied the rain ... it's cool outside and I love it!
• The Cyclones lost to Baylor today, as expected, but they only lost by 18.  By the end of the 1st quarter, I was calling for the mercy rule, but the Cyclones got it together and made some plays.  When you expect your team to lose by at least 60, 18 almost feels like a win.  Seriously.  Coach Rhoads finally benched Richardson and put Lanning in at QB.  If they keep things this way, we may win a game or two!  I could so coach that team.
• After the game, and with a break in the rain, we got out for a bit this afternoon.  Stopped at Chuy's for a late lunch/early dinner.  Then we went to Target where, amazingly, they didn't have the one thing we needed so instead we bought a bunch of stuff we didn't need.  I hate that I love you, Target.
• The Royals are going back to the World Series!  Can you claim a team whose city you only lived in for two years?  Well, we do, and we're really hoping they Take the Crown.
• Sara has decided she wants a friend birthday party this year.  The past few years' celebrations have been a combination of me successfully suggesting family time instead and Sara not really expressing an interest in a party anyway, so it's worked out well.  However, now that she has a group of friends at school, she wants to  have a party with them.  We're going to celebrate at Paint 'n Party, and it should be a good time.  I can't lie, though, thinking about a birthday party on top of all of the other holiday planning is stressing me out a little bit.
• Speaking of holiday planning, I got my Christmas cards ordered, so that's one thing off the list.  I've also brainstormed a short list of potential gift items for the girls.  Even though they are easy to please, they are still hard to shop for (probably mostly because all I think about is how much I don't want more stuff in my house).  On my list?  New tile around the pool, new backyard landscaping, new floors ... you know, low-cost items.  And Ellen's new book, which is a little more reasonable.
• We're planning on a quiet night tonight, probably watching football and/or movies.  This time next week we'll be trick-or-treating!

Fall Fun Weekend

We had a super fun-busy weekend.  It started Friday evening when we picked up the girls' Haunt Jaunt race packets.  The received t-shirts, wrist bands, a bunch of coupons, and mini deodorant, which they both thought was awesome/hilarious.

 Saturday morning, Emma had a birthday party for a friend from school.  She is usually tagging along to parties for Sara's friends, or attending parties that both girls are invited to, so she really loved that this one was just for her and her friends.  The girls ate pizza and cake, and played like crazy for two hours, which I was sure would result in a long nap but, alas, did not.

 Saturday evening, after Sara's soccer pictures, we dressed up and headed to Oak Point Nature Preserve for the city's annual Haunt Jaunt.  We participated in the one-mile fun run, but there is also a 5K event that happens after the fun run ends and it gets a little darker outside.

 We had a great time!  Sara basically sprinted the entire thing, so Steve ran with her while Emma and I hung closer to the back.  Emma ran a lot, and walked some too; both girls did a great job.  We enjoyed watching some dancers perform to "Thriller" and singing along to "Monster Mash" (which both girls have been singing non-stop since).

 After the race, we celebrated at BWW, and we arrived just in time to watch the Cyclones hold their own against TCU before, not surprisingly, deciding not to show up for the second half.

 This morning after I ran to the grocery store, the girls and I got ready and headed to the pumpkin patch.  Steve was wanting to do a long run today, so it was the perfect opportunity for us to have a girls' day.  The weather couldn't have been better and we had a blast!

 

 Sara figured out the hay bale maze, the girls rode on the barrel train, we all went on a hayride, and the girls tried out all of the bounce houses.

 

 

 We made a brief pit stop for orange pop ... jackpot!

 

 Such a fun day with my girls.  And so many great photo opps at a pumpkin patch - this is only a fraction of what I took!  We hadn't visited a pumpkin patch in a few years, and I'm so glad we went today.

After we'd been at the pumpkin patch a couple of hours, I realized I probably wasn't going to have time once we got home to prepare the dinner I'd planned.  And my floors didn't get cleaned this weekend ... again (no problem, though, as Sara reminded me on the way home, "Don't worry, the floors aren't going anywhere!").  So we ordered pizza, watched "Great Pumpkin, CB", and ignored the crumbs on the floors (what's a few more days at this point?).  I'm thankful for a beautiful weekend full of fun fall activities.  Now the girls are in bed and the parents aren't far behind.

That Mom

Steve texted me at work today, wondering if an 8:00 MLS game on a school night would be too late for Sara.  I responded by asking which school night he was referring to, and it turns out the night was tonight.  A friend at work had given him two free tickets.  And while the rational part of my brain was thinking, yes, that is way too late ... and factor in drive time and the early morning tomorrow ..., I put myself in my daughter's shoes, and told Steve, "She'd love it."

So tonight I'm that mom.  The one who let her six-year-old go to a sporting event that started too late and will end way too late. The one who wrote in her agenda for her teacher to see in the morning, "Sara had a late night and will probably be tired on Thursday ... sorry!"  As an educator, I've done my fair share of eye-rolling at that mom, the one who doesn't follow the rules to a T. The one who is willing to potentially sacrifice having a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed little one at school for the sake a fun night out. 

As that mom, I know I'll be dealing with an over-tired kid for the next couple of days.  But I also know that someday, she won't remember being tired at school one random Thursday.  She will, however, remember her night out - on a school night - with her dad, cheering on their favorite soccer team. 

Sara is a good kid who usually finds herself conceding to her sister, so even if it makes me that mom, I'd argue that her surprise, spur-of-the-moment night at the game has been earned.  And there are worse things that being that mom, right?  Well, even if there aren't, tonight I don't care.

Fair Day

It was a beautiful day at the State Fair of Texas.  Although we only saw a fraction of the offerings, we hit our usual spots and left happy-tired.  This year, Sara was an even bigger fan of the midway (surprise, surprise), while Emma really enjoyed the various musical performances and doing "chores" in the Little Hands Farm.  Of course we all ate Fletcher's corny dogs, Emma had chicken, and the girls shared cotton candy and root beer.  Lots of items smelled good and looked interesting, but we opted not to overindulge.

While Sara and Steve were off trying their luck at the games, Emma enjoyed a few rides.   

 A fair isn't a fair without a dedicated John Deere section.

 

Sara and Steve rode the Top o' Texas Tower and went 500 feet in the air for a glimpse of the views.

 We had to hit the Children's Barnyard.  Steve always enjoys this time because he parks himself in the beer garden right outside of it and holds down the fort while we feed the animals.  Meanwhile, I was enjoying the crowds and smells in the barnyard.  The girls loved watching these baby pigs.  Sara couldn't believe one mom had all ten of these babies!

I always enjoy the fair.  Even though it is crowded and expensive, I think it's fun to see all of the people who come together to make it all happen.  I told Sara that I like people-watching, and when I tried to explain to her what that meant, she didn't think it sounded interesting at all.  Well, her time will come ... If you're in the area and haven't been to the fair, you should plan to go.  Always a good time!