Happy Halloween!!!

We continued our tradition of trick or treating with neighborhood friends, and had a wonderful time again this year!  We met at the Guidry’s and then headed out to partake in the candy gathering, but not before taking a few pictures :)

Patrick’s aunt Peggy (Tom’s sister) and Uncle Jim were in town for a wedding this weekend, so we also got to see them.  Anna was so excited to meet another one of her Great-aunt and uncle, she was not happy when we explained that she has even more that she has yet to meet!  One day, hopefully she will get to meet them all in person!

Aunt Peggy made the girls these cute hats!

Fun Run 2010

Each year at our elementary school, they have a fun run as one of the main PTA fundraisers.  The kids get pledges for how many laps they can run or collect a flat fee to get wonderful prizes – like Frisbees, boomerangs and chairs with umbrellas.  Since both Anna and McKenna were running this year we didn’t let them go bug all their family members for donations and they both got the Frisbee :)  They split the grades up, so Anna and McKenna didn’t run at the same time, but surprisingly, they both ran 34 laps without knowing what the other had run.  This meant Ava and I were up at the school all morning, on the first cold morning of the season, and Ava got to run for almost 2 hours!  Kinder went first and here is McKenna and her friends:

Getting ready

Release the hounds

McKenna and Ava taking a few laps

Then Kennedy joined in the fun

Soccer buds – McKenna and Hailey

McKenna’s class

About an hour later, it was 2nd grades turn!

And…they’re off!

Charlotte and Caitlin dancing their way around the track!

Now Ava gets to run with Anna!

  

Smiling the whole time

Kindergarten had recess while 2nd grade was running, and I look over to the playground to see all the kinder girls dancing to the music – and who was right up front – you guessed it, McKenna (and Abbie)!

Anna after the run

Anna’s class acting goofy!

October (and September) Birthdays

So Mitch and Jenny have birthdays just 1 week apart, but they were apparently too busy hanging out with each other because we have yet to celebrate their birthdays!!!  Maybe we will find a few hours between now and the wedding to have a little cake and presents, but we did call each of them on their birthday’s to send our love.  Mitch’s call was pretty late in the day, Jenny we caught at the crack of dawn :)

Grandma Clerkin also has an October birthday, and we were able to find some time to celebrate with her.

Singing

Blowing out the candles

 

Cheering!

 

It was a pretty low key birthday – steaks on the grill and strawberry shortcake for the birthday girl and chocolate cake for the little girls.  We had a little incident with the chocolate cake when I tried to frost and stack the 2 layers before they were completely cooled.  Ava was very brave standing next to me attempting to ‘catch’ the top layer as it split and slid of the bottom layer.  After some careful extracting, we ended up with a one layer cake!  Happy birthday everyone!

Kindergarten Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

McKenna got to go on her first field trip today – school bus and all!  We went to a local church’s pumpkin patch and it was a really great experience.  They divided the grade into the separate classes and then we each went to separate stations – math, science, social studies, crafts, hay ride and play time.  The kids got to measure and weigh pumpkins, see the insides and find out if they float or sink, go through straw maze, take a hay ride, make a few crafts and play a few games.  I was a little worried when we first arrived because it didn’t look very big, but they did a wonderful job and the kids learned something as well!

Getting ready for match class

Measuring the circumference with grandma

Does a lemon sink or float?

Running through the straw maze

Class photo op

Ring toss, or in this case, ring circles!

Fun with friends

Craft time

McKenna and her perfect pumpkin!

State Fair of Texas 2010

We are making this an annual event, and I think Patrick and I have just as much fun as the girls!  This photo was taken at the end of our day, so I will just assume I looked much better earlier in the day :)

We went with our friends the Passmore’s and the Eder’s again this year, and the girls all had a fabulous time.  They were daredevils again this year and rode a couple of rides that made me sick – I am going to let Patrick go on all the rides next year. 

Petting Zoo

This cowboy was a real trooper – he was squatting for all these pictures – I know his thighs were burning for as long as we made him stand there to try and get a good picture of all the girls!

The BIG man himself – Big Tex

Ashley, Caitlin, Anna, Ava and I went up on the Ferris Wheel this year.  It was really high, but much better than I was afraid it was going to be – no wind, so not too much swaying!

Here is the rest of the party waving up at us!

Dallas Skyline from the top

It was a really great day, and the girls are ready to go back again!