Fall Festival

I had so much fun at Ridley's fall festival!  She loved every moment of the fun and games, and she was a huge hit with her adorable green feather witch costume.  The petting zoo was her favorite, and the animals loved her, too.  Maybe it was the feathers.

Fall Festival

Ridley was an adorable Itsy Bitsy Spider.  She was a trooper with the pettiskirt and Halloween outfit.  I stayed to watch the costume parade and pumpkin picking.  Ridley loved all the festivities.  

Reed was a handsome Captain America.  He walked the parade with his buddy, Silas, and waved at all the parents.  

Hall's Pumpkin Patch

My MOPS group planned a play date at Hall's Pumpkin Patch, and I was excited to take the boys.  It was a sunny, warm afternoon, so the fall outfits wouldn't work.  I snapped a few photos that I absolutely love - red faced and nappy hair.

The kiddos loved to climb in and out of the antique truck and took turns driving and riding.

 

One of the favorite highlights of the pumpkin patch is the miniature tractors.  

Even though the tractors were a little big for Reed, he didn't give up.  He pushed the tractor around circle.

As we were getting ready to leave, some of the kids were all sitting on the hay bails with the pumpkins.  It was a picturesque moment, so us moms grabbed our cameras.  The kids immediately got up and got back to playing.  We should have known.

Finding pumpkins

 

We have been a little slow in getting all the fall fun in this month.  It seems that October is off to a very fast start.  After we left the gym, we headed to Market Street's pumpkin patch to select a few pumpkins for the front porch.

 

We decided that each of us would select a pumpkin to carve, and Ryland was quick to find the perfect one.

 

Reed picked out the biggest pumpkin he could find.  He climbed up on the pallet to pick up the huge pumpkin, and he realized it was a little too heavy. 

 

Ryland as Frankenstein.

 

Before heading home, the boys had to give the small maize a shot.  Ryland led the way with no problem, and Reed followed the leader.

Jack-O-Lantern pictures to come.

Packing the fall

It was time to pack up the fall decorations. The boys were contently playing in the family room, so I slipped into the entry hallway to finish placing everything in the plastic tubs. It wasn't long before my two helpers came to help. It quickly turned into a discussion led by Ryland's favorite word "WHY?". We talked about the seasons, turkeys, and the attic, while the boys crawled all over the tubs and the decorations. It seems to be the simplest chores make the sweetest memories sometimes.

Fall festival

Ryland wore his fisherman costume to school today for their fall festival. They had tons of fun stuff planned for the day including a petting farm, hay ride, games, and pizza. I snapped a quick shot of Ryland in front of the fall display they had assembled. He was completely worn out when I picked him up, and was ready for bed at 7:30. I think he had a blast.

Pumpkin Patch

Ryland and I headed to the Pumpkin Patch to meet up with the MOPS group and have a little fun. It was a warm afternoon in the sun, and it was pretty hard to think about the great fall weather. Ryland had fun riding the miniature tractors and soaking up the sun.
The pumpkins did not interest Ryland one bit. There was just too much other stuff around to even glance their direction.

One of the antique tractors on display. It looks like Ryland knows what he is doing. Notice his left hand on the gear shift. How did he know?

Silly cowboy!

Figuring out the the hay maize.

Ryland never even hesitated on the slide. He climbed right up there and slide right down. He is a dare devil. We have our hands full with the constant climbing and pushing the envelope.

Major OUCH!

I am putting out the trash, and Ryland is playing in the garage. I am down to two more bags, and he starts trying to run out of the garage. I grab him before he falls and explain how he needs to slow down and be careful so he doesn't fall. He starts kicking his legs and trying to throw a fit, so I sit him on the floor. I turn to grab the last bag only to turn around and see him sprinting out of the garage and down the slope in our driveway. It is almost like slow motion. I couldn't get to him fast enough. SPLAT. He face plants right into the concrete. He immediately starts screaming, and I am afraid of what I will see when I pick him up and flip him over.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but his head has a scrape and a knot. I carry him inside to show John Chris and Liz. Of course he will not allow us to put ice on it, so what else could we do but start taking pictures.
OK! Enough! I think this is the get that camera out of my face cry.

First bloody busted lip

Now since Ryland is walking, it seems like everything is a potential hazard. We haven't started baby proofing the house, and it is now time to get it done. He is immediately drawn to the stairs and the fireplace. Of course!

We were playing in the entry area this evening, and he tripped. Bam, his face smashed to the floor. He was screaming and bleeding everywhere. I was so worried he had knocked a tooth out because there was so much blood. I finally was able to get him calmed down right as John Chris walked in the door. I just knew he would have a huge bruise and be in pain for days, but as soon as he saw Daddy he was OK.

Family pictures

A sneak peak at our family photos. We had fun getting these made at the Arboretum, and we are very pleased at how they turned out.