Happy Birthday, Ava Lou!

 Ms. Ava Lou was beyond excited for her birthday this year. She had a countdown going forever and kept track of every day. Someone loves celebrating! Steve & I surprised Ava at school for her birthday celebration the day before. Ava's class celebrates by having the parent's donate a book, read it to the class and then their teacher takes the birthday kiddo's picture and puts it into the book. I think it's the cutest idea. Ava was so excited to have us there and got to sit in the special birthday chair while I read a story. After we got to spend some time helping all the kiddos carve pumpkin to finish out their pumpkin journals. I love spending time in Ava's class and seeing what they are working on. Ava loved all the attention, being sung to and wearing her birthday crown.

birthday girl & mama| two people not old enough to have a SIX year old | carving pumpkins

Saturday was the BIG day! Hubs blew up the balloons while Ava {finally} slept. Ava was so excited when she woke up and saw the balloons & her birthday banner. 

Happy birthday!

oh, ms sassy

Ava wrote her own favorites on the chalkboard wall.

Ava requested a birthday donut {Cole happily went along with that breakfast idea} so we waiting patiently while Steve went to pick them up.

I can't quite believe she is 6 and in Kindergarten. I'm pretty sure she was just a little toddler a minute ago.

Ava's favorites reads: I love playing with my brother, yellow, green, school, soccer, dance, apples. Happy birthday, Ava.

Happy SIXTH birthday, Ava Lou!

pumpkins!

We totally slacked on heading to the pumpkin patch this year. Every weekend just seems jam packed with things, so a random {semi rainy} Tuesday was a perfect time to go. We just went for our little pumpkins since Steve was still at work and he needed to be there to pick out the big pumpkin.

they need to stop growing up so fast

We had to stop at BJs on the way home. When we came out this gorgeous double rainbow was across the sky. So pretty.

American Girl

Last Friday we took Ava to her annual trip to American Girl. I don't think she's quite realized it's actually really close or else we'd be in big trouble :) She was so excited to have some alone time with us and, of course, go shopping!

weekend updates:: Cole's first ER trip & firehouse fun

We had quite the eventful weekend last weekend with Cole's first trip to the ER. Poor guy has been fighting a virus but seemed to be doing much better. On Friday school called to say Cole suddenly got really pale, threw up & was lethargic. Steve & I both headed home and he was so miserable. We monitored him for a bit, talked with his doctor and then all decided to take him in the the ER. He did a great job and loved all the attention from everyone (not to mention all the stickers he collected!). We saw a handful of doctors who, thankfully, figured out what was going on, did a quick procedure and he was back to him normal 3 1/2 year old self.

funny side story--they wheeled Cole & I down to x-ray and prepped Cole to go in. When we get there the tech turns to me and says "Any chance you're pregnant?" Um, yes. Yes I am.

I'm amazed at just how quickly little ones can bounce back from being sick. Thankfully Cole was a million times better on Saturday---total change from the sad, sick little guy just 24 hours earlier. Our local firehouse was having an open house so we caught the end of it. It was so much fun and the kids were in heaven getting to check out all the equipment and see the fire fighters.

 Both kids got to use the fire hose to put out "fires" in the house. They were pretty over the moon about it.

 The best part? The lollipops apparently. Ha---poor deprived children :)

Fall Fun | pine cone painting

Our driveway was getting sealcoated and the kiddos could not stay away. So I took out the easel, gave them some paint, pine cones & paper and let them get busy creating. They thought it was pretty cool painting with pine cones. We also added some leaves to paint with later. 

 

 Once the painting was finished, we headed out back to slide into a leaf pile. Leaves & paint is all these two need to stay busy for a while.

 Of course no fall day is complete with out a nice fall picnic----yum!

Fall Fun | leaf hunting

A few weeks ago we went on a leaf hunt around our neighborhood. A ton of leaves had fallen, there were still tons of colors on the trees and it was perfectly crisp fall day. I love these kinds of activities with the kids because they see things so differently than I do. They picked up some of the old brown, half eaten leaves and saw then has beautiful or pointed out little things that I totally would have over looked. They filled their buckets to the very top with all kinds and colors of leaves. We even found a few perfect pine cones to use for a project later.

all ready

 Once we got home, we raked up a pile of leaves for the kiddos to jump in. This is the only time I will be raking for the fall :)  The leaf jumping is an all time favorite activity for the kiddos. The best part is this year they can re-rake their own pile now.

 

Cole wanted to have a leaf fight with his little brother---guess who won {photo by Ava}