Pumpkin Farm Trip

We love the local pumpkin farm here. This year it was huge. They did have a large area of overpriced activities, but still had a large enough area of free and reasonably priced activities too.

Here are the girls trying to negotiate the hay mountain.
...and success!
Say cheese Emily.
Mara coming down the huge slide.
Emily on the tire swing.
Emily and Sam on the huge teeter totter.
Sam hanging on for dear life in the slippery straw.
And getting help from big sis to figure out the rope maze.
Hmmm, don't get lost in the corn maze big boy!
"Sam, blow Mommy a kiss." Love it!

Emily and Becca playing peacefully in the sand. It really is a rare occourrance....these two can argue like pros.
I did unbelievably well letting them get dirty.
All four next to the huge pumpkin.
And now the boy doing what he does best...getting dirty and making a mess.

And finally picking out pumpkins. I think this is my favorite picture of the day.

Does it happen in my house?

It drives me nuts when people ignorantly criticize large families like the Duggers. The most repeated complaint that I hear is about their "buddy system". Each older sibling is responsible for one or two younger siblings. The criticism is that "babies shouldn't be raising babies."

My family isn't exactly big enough to use a "buddy system", but we definitely talk a lot about how it's our responsibility as a family to love each other and take care of each other. That could mean helping your brother tie his shoes, or holding your sister's hand to help her feel less anxious about walking into school, or feeding the baby a bottle so mommy can go pee!

So call it what you want..."babies raising babies", or (I prefer) learning what being a family really means...it definitely happens in my house.

Miss Patty Cake

Let's rewind all the way back to last December...our annual morning with Miss Patty Cake. This was our third year to go see her. Look at how little they were last year (well, I guess technically this post would be "last year's" trip but you know what I mean!)...oh my word, and the year before too!

This time we had front row seats.
We LOVE Miss Patty Cake and can't wait to see her again in just a couple of months.

As if I didn't have enough hair to fix...

Well, at least I don't have to talk dolls down from a fit when I 'pull too hard'.

Girl Paradise

Day two of our big trip included a disappointing visit to Northpoint Church. I was so excited to visit the church and especially to check out the children's ministry, but they had canceled services that Sunday. (I'll spare my opinion here about them canceling services for one of the biggest Christian holidays, but if anyone whats to know my opinion just ask I'd love to give it!)

So we had a relaxing slow Sunday morning at the mall instead.

The girls and I ate lunch at the American Girl store while Sam and Daddy ventured out to find an electronics store.

I can not tell you enough how well the American Girl company knows and caters to little girls. We had THE best time at this lunch. They had these little high chair like things that attached to the table for the dolls to sit in.
Emily only has one of her twins here cause she left Elizabeth #1 in the van. She said that "Elizabeth was too shy to go eat lunch and wanted to stay in the van."

The waitress came to the table and asked the girls' names (and remembered their names) and the dolls' names (and remembered those too!). They brought us all menus and the dolls their own little menus too.
Then they brought each of the dolls a little chocolate chip muffin. The girls had fun sneaking little bites of the muffins and pretending that their dolls had eaten them.
It was a very fancy three course meal. The girls had fruit and yogurt, mac n cheese, and a chocolate milk shake....typical 'kid' food but the presentation was gorgeous.
We finished lunch before the boys were done at the electronics store so we went back to the doll salon and watched some dolls get their hair fixed and even ears pierces too.
They all stood just like this watching for at least thirty minutes.
I'm already wondering when we can go back!

The big trip and a new addiction!

If you have a little girl, you MUST plan a trip to an American Girl store. Man, do they know what little girls like. I think the girls walked through the store with their mouths hanging open for the first thirty minutes.
There were lots of dolls to touch and feel, and lots of scenes (with little pieces) behind display cases.

Mara and Emily very quickly decided that they wanted the twins, but Becca Sue had a really hard time making a decision. She would see the twins and pick one up and say, "I want this one." Then I'd pick up a boxed one up and she'd say, "Noooo."
Then she'd walk over to the Bitty Babies and say, "I want this one." I'd pick up the box and she'd say, "Noooo."
I finally realized that she didn't care which baby she got, she just wanted it out of the box! So we helped her decide on a set of twins since the other two were getting twins.
Here's what my little baby doll did the entire time we were in the store on the first day. Guess all this girl stuff was just too boring.
All three of the girls got a set of twins from Mom and Dad and a bag and t-shirts (for them and their dolls) from DeeDee and Grand.
Check out their patient little faces as they wait to pay....
This next picture is my favorite...
And then, what Becca had been waiting on....they got to get them out of the box! Mara's doll's names change about once a week. (This week they're Hannah and Karena...what great names Rachel!)
Becca got a girl and a boy and named them Becca and Dawson.
And Emily named hers Elizabeth #1 and Elizabeth #2.
Here's my baby doll with the girls' baby dolls!....(love, love, love this picture!)
We had such a sweet family time hanging out at the hotel, playing/shopping at the mall, and IKEA too. Next up is our lunch date with our dolls at the American Girl store.....