We're off to the Pumpkin Patch!

 Emily's preschool class scheduled their first field trip, and as a mom who has finally built up some vacation time, I took off for the big day.  As luck would have it, they ended up postponing the trip last minute because of torrential downpours, so I still got the day off to work on hats (score!).  They planned the trip for the next week and I put in for a sub again.  This time, everything went off without a hitch!
We headed out to Belvedere Plantation, which has just grown so much since we first started going there a few years ago.  Back then, it was a simple hayride to get your pumpkin, a petting zoo, and a zipline.  Now it's doubled in cost to get in the front gate and there are a TON of people (but also tons of things to do for the kiddos).  We did the hayride to the fields first, followed by the barn, a pollination activity, the petting zoo, the playground, and the giant tunnel slides.

First time on the school bus!

It's perfect, Mom!

hayride

Pollination activity

Can you tell we're part of a group?!

Petting the goats!

Baby goats!

Old tire horsey swing!

These trikes were amazing.  I'm half tempted to look up the company and buy a couple for home!

Not a second of hesitation with this one!

Down we go!

Jason's 2nd Birthday!

 Jason turned the big "2" on Friday!  We kept the celebration low-key because we'll be having a big birthday party for both kids next month.  Caroline was having a couple of friends sleep over, so between them and the kids that Tim and I are legally responsible for, it still felt like a big group!  We did tacos for dinner and then on to the cake!  And lots of ice cream, of course.  And presents!

This cake isn't half bad!

present time!

This is Jason's practice before Christmas rolls around!

Emily helped me make the cake which is the Halloween Funfetti one.  The orange frosting just happened to match the candle I found at Target.  Score!

What a happy boy! 

No real stats at this time because Bad Mommy hasn't made his checkup appointment yet!  But Jason wears size 2T clothes, size 5 diapers, and size 10 shoes.  His language skills are just exploding, and he's amazing us with new words every day.  He's stringing together two or three words, like "Willow bark" and "Mommy go now".  He loves all foods, especially yogurt smoothies, cheese, black beans, all fruit, bananas, applesauce, and grapes!

Fall Festival 2014

 As usual, we can be found in downtown KG on the second Saturday of October every year.  To be honest, I would probably have just skipped the parade this year due to low temps and constant rain showers.  But Garrett was in the parade for the first time, playing trombone with the Royal Regiment Marching Band!  So we broke out the parkas and rain coats and set up shop on the side of the road to watching the least-crowded parade I have ever been to.

And the candy rush begins!

Tim and Jason are both up to 3 lollipops a day and are finding it hard to break the habit.

When EVERY fire truck and police car in the county are in the parade and do their sirens at one time, it's a little hard on the ear drums.

The marching band!

Best float ever!  It's a KG plumbing company--love the outhouse and sign!

Washington Redskins band actually showed up this year!

Free flag from the bank

If I sent out Fourth of July cards, this pic would on it!

Selfie before we packed it up and headed to the high school for some BBQ!

My Little Minions

Some of my free labor

 There seems to be very little free time around our house lately.  Ever since school started, every weekend is taken up by band competitions, chores, errands, etc.  So Tim and I made an effort to actually spend one day of the weekend at home this past weekend so that come Monday, it felt like we got some sort of break.  Tim had the little ones at his mom's house on Saturday so that he could do some work around her house while I took Caroline and Lauren to Garrett's band competition in Spotsy.  Sunday morning, I got up with the kids while Timmy had a snooze, and once that alarm clock hit 10 AM, I had everyone piled in the backyard for some good old fashioned hard work!  We finally finished clearing out the yard next to the garage.  We're putting pea gravel down there along with a new swing set.  
When I say "new", I mean "new to us".  We bought it off Craigslist and will mainly be using the hardware.  It's one of those giant wooden structures, so we bought all new wood.  We had to prep the area and put in new trim and border.  The black weed block is down now, along with a 1570 staples to keep it down.  Gravel will show up when Timmy gets it from the local stone place.  Then the swing set can come together!

Rocks were in our backyard so this border was FREE!

Helping to carry rocks

This play area will be HUGE!  But as soon as the kids are done with the swing set, we will turn it into a fire pit area.

The swing set "before"...can't wait to show you the "after"!