Safety Town

Last Friday Night we went trick or treating at Safety Town with our friends the Booths. Brooklyn is Campbell's BFF. Her brother, Logan and sister, Madison came along with her mom, dad and her mom's twin sister. We had quite a crew!
Daddy volunteered at the Pulte house and handed out candy. We love Safety Town and go every year at Halloween and Christmas. Brandt thinks that Daddy built Safety Town, as Pulte built several of the buildings. Campbell thinks Daddy works at Safety Town because he is volunteering when we are there.
Enjoy our pictures!



Here is a link if you are curious about Safety Town: http://www.ci.frisco.tx.us/safetytown/Pages/default.aspx

Campbell's Halloween Party

On Thursday Campbell had a Halloween Parade and Party at school. She got to wear her costume to school and each class paraded through the narthex to show off their costumes. Back in the classroom we decorated a pumpkin, iced and decorated a cookie and read a Halloween book.

The Nutcracker Tea

Last Saturday Campbell and I went with her BFF, Brooklyn, and Brooklyn's mom, Jennifer, to a Mother/Daughter Nutcracker Tea. I was sponsored by her dance school and I know October is a little early, but that is when they scheduled it. We trick or treated at Safety Town on Friday night and had Christmas Tea on Saturday.
The girls didn't really like the tea, but they loved the pink lemonade that they got instead and they thought all of the tiny food was pretty fun. We got our pictures taken and they put them in snow globes as a keepsake, which Campbell loves and now has in her room. The girls got to decorate (and eat) a nutcracker cookie and then they read the Nutcracker story. It was a fun morning and Campbell and Brooklyn have fun doing anything together.

The Great Pumpkin

Last night we watched "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". It's probably favorite my of all the Peanuts specials. Is there anything better than Charlie Brown in that sheet with 15 holes saying "I had a little trouble with the scissors"? and then getting all those rocks trick or treating? Who ever heard of the most sincere pumpkin patch anyway?
The kids loved it and were so excited when they realized it was on. We did have some interesting discussions while watching. First we had to talk about why it is not polite to call people a blockhead, even if their head does not look like a block (thank you, Lucy). Then we had to explain to Campbell that they dog is named Snoopy, not Snooper and he is a good dog. There is really no need to hide things from him like you do Swiper. When Snoopy climbed on his doghouse and became the WW1 Flying Ace, Brandt said he was a silly dog. When he started shooting at other planes however, Brandt started yelling "Fire in the ho"! I don't know why the hoes are on fire, but he doesn't think that fire in the hole makes any sense.
Brandt also thought it was pretty funny that Sally loved Linus and followed him around and waited in the Pumpkin Patch with him and he didn't know she loved him. Sounds familiar to me - kind of like Courtney who sits with him at lunch everyday and writes him notes almost everyday.
Campbell didn't like Lucy because she was mean and was a scary witch, but she liked Charlie Brown because he was a holey ghost. I don't like Lucy either and the holey ghost? I can't think of a better name.
Happy Halloween from our family to yours.

Our Pumpkins

We don't carve pumpkins, we use Mr. Potato Head kits and stick the pieces in. The last time Mommy carved a pumpkin, it looked like a three year old did it. Daddy did one last year but the kids were disgusted with what was inside, so we skipped carving this year. Instead these are our pumpkins...

No More Binkies

Today around 4:00, Campbell came downstairs and proclaimed "I don't have binkies anymore". This is something that has been bothering me for quite a while but she was determined not to give them up. We made Brandt give up his binky the day he turned three. We talked about it with Campbell, but she was not interested. Then Blake was born and she really still needed them. Out pediatrician wasn't concerned, so I tried not to be either.
Today after making sure that she could keep her bunny forever, she rounded up all the binkies and we put them away. She didn't ask for one all afternoon, so I was hopeful. As we got ready for bed, she started asking, just one more? I made her go to bed, tears and all, without one. Daddy went up and sat with her for about fifteen minutes and she is okay now. Hopefully this will only take another day or so and we will really be binky free!
She can keep her bunny forever. She loves it and it is a great source of self soothing and comfort.

Christmas Lists

Today we got the Toys R Us 'Biggest Toy Book Ever' in the mail. It's the equivalent of our Sears Christmas Book. The kids spent the next hour at the table with paper and pens making Christmas lists. This was draft one. I am sure that we will go through several versions before December gets here. Brandt's was an actual list. Campbell's had some letters, several pictures of her and Blake and a few flowers. She finished and asked "Isn't it beautiful?" True Campbell style.
Later we decorated pumpkins and made Halloween cookies. Christmas books before Halloween, that just seems wrong!

The Best Big Sistie

Yesterday I asked Campbell to sit with Blake for a couple of minutes while I finished getting ready. He was playing on the carpet, but was starting to fuss and I needed about 10 more minutes before I was going to be ready to go. He got quiet and I got ready and when I came out of the bathroom, this is what I found...




She's a great big sister!

Campbell's First Homework

Brandt has homework and reading everyday. Everyday Campbell sits at the table and watches him do his homework and then sits on the sofa and watches him read. Sometimes I give her a page to draw on or a sheet to color to keep her busy. She wants to be big so badly and she is so excited to be in school and finally be able to do some of the things that Brandt gets to do.
This week the three year olds are starting a unit on Texas and they had homework. They each brought home a construction paper boot that they were supposed to decorate and take back to school. The instructions said to use rice, beans, buttons, ribbon, anything you had at home. So I got out the rice and macaroni and Campbell took one look at it and asked where the sparkly stuff was. Back in the pantry went the rice and macaroni and out came the craft bucket. Here is her boot...

The Rockdale Fair

Last weekend we went to College Station and Rockdale. Friday night we got to see family and catch up with some of our best friends. On Saturday, after spending the morning playing with Bobby and Rebecca, we headed to Rockdale for the annual Rockdale Fair.
Here is our scrapbook:

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Letters from Girls

Everyday when we get home from school, I unpack backpacks and lunchboxes. I sort through all of the papers for things that need to be signed, homework, notes from the teacher, etc.
Today I found a note in Brandt's lunchbox. Sometimes I will send a note in his lunchbox, but I knew this one was not from me. It was drawn in marker (mine are usually on Post-It notes). It had flowers and flags drawn on it and it was very colorful. The front was two flowers and two flags in a vase and said To Brandt From Courtney. The inside said Brandt was her best friend because he was nice and at the bottom asked him to meet her at 3rd lunch table and at recess. There was also a picture of a girl with brown hair and a pink and purple dress on.
I definitely do not remember doing this kind of thing in the first grade. Crysti (my BFF) and I played Kissing Bandit, but I think it was just an excuse to play chase. I am pretty sure we had no intention of ever actually kissing anyone.
I am hoping that Courtney is in first grade because her printing is really good!
I am still not sure that he understands what this is all about. I think I would like to keep it that way for a while longer.

From This Day Forward

Eight years ago tonight we gathered with our friends and family to say our vows and pledge our love.
We've been through several cars, two houses, lost a kitty, had three kids, countless other things and built a ton of memories. This is our family, this is our life. Happy Anniversary, my love.

Campbell Goes to the Pumpkin Patch

Last week Campbell's class visited the Pumpkin Patch at her school. They read a story and each got to choose a pumpkin to bring home. Here are a couple of pictures...





You try getting 10 three year olds to smile at the same time!

Blake at 6 Months

Blake had his 6 month check up today and minus the three shots, he had a great check up. He took the shots like a trooper and didn't start to cry until after the second one and stopped as soon as I picked him up. He laughed and spit and flirted with the nurses and Dr. Diaz. He showed off how he can roll over and bite his toes and thought kicking the paper on the exam table made a great noise.

Here are the stats:
Height: 27 1/4"; 80th percentile
Weight: 18 pounds, 4 ounces; 65th percentile
Head: 17 1/2"; 70th percentile

Still the smallest of the three, here is how Brandt and Campbell compared:
Brandt:
H: 27 3/4"
W: 19 pounds, 15 ounces
H: 18 1/8"

Campbell:
H: 28 3/4"
W: 20 pounds, 13 ounces
H: 17 3/4"

He loves his cereal and eats it twice a day. We are starting to work on vegetables, but so far he does not dig them. It seems to be the texture that he doesn't like. He will eat them if I mix them with the cereal. Of course he loves fruit and I give him some at night with his cereal. He still doesn't sleep through the night, but he is getting better. Here are a few pictures...

Blake LOVES the Bath

Blake loves, LOVES to take a bath. Just watch...

Notes To Myself

Tuesday and Thursday are Campbell's school days and I use those days to run my errands. It's 10 times easier to go to the grocery store, Target and anything I need to do when I only have Blake with me. Yesterday I to Target and stocked up on diapers and formula (a never ending need) a few other things, and headed over to the toy aisle to look for a birthday present for a party that Brandt is going to Saturday morning. I couldn't find anything for a 7 year old girl, but I did find a really cute seahorse Littlest Pet Shop. I bought it as a stocking stuffer for Campbell. When I got home, I left it in the back of the car because I had all the kids with me. I was going to get it out later and hide it under the stairs, but I forgot.
Today we went to pick Brandt up from school and since we are in line for so long, I usually let Campbell get out of her car seat and play in the backseat. You guessed it, she looked over the backseat, into the back and saw it. She wanted to know who it was for, why I bought it and when she was going to get a seahorse. I couldn't even come up with a believable lie. Why else would I have a Littlest Pet Shop? Now she has a seahorse and I have no stocking stuffer. Note to self - the car is NOT a good place to hide your Christmas shopping.

The State of Matter

This week in science Brandt's class has been studying matter. Thursday night his homework was to list three example of of matter in each of its three states. In case you need to brush up on your first grade science, here is the definition of matter:
Matter has mass and takes up space. It exists in the in the form of solids, liquids, or gases.
Brandt and I do his homework together at the kitchen table, but what that really means is I sit with him and he does it. I try to help him as little as possible. I will help him with words if he gets stuck reading the instructions and I will help him think through a problem to get to the answer, but I make him come up with the answers on his own.
The solids part of this was pretty easy for him. He chose ice, a play block and after we discussed its properties, meat. Liquids were even easier. He listed milk, water and joose (juice). They are working on stretching out words to hear all of the sounds, but still primarily use sound spelling and I don't correct it.
The last category was gases and air was easy for him and after a little thought, smoke. A third example was a little harder for him. We talked about what comes in balloons that makes them float, but he didn't want to sound out helium. We talked about the other detector that we have in the house, but he didn't think that carbon dioxide was a good answer. I let him think about it own for a little while and after some thought, he told me he had an answer.
"Are toots a gas?" He is 6, so how can I argue that one? So that's how he turned it in. I have to sign the sheet at the end of the week to say that we did each days homework and I wrote Ms. Reed a little note that toots were NOT my idea :). I got a smiley face back from her - she's been teaching first grade for a while.
He did learn the difference between the three states of matter and on Friday they made ice cream as an experiment in how matter can change states.

The Bad Apple

After school today, Campbell came in with a green apple and asked me if it was a bad apple. I looked at it and it looked fine, so I told her she could eat it. I assumed she was asking because occasionally fruit does not get rotated to the top of our bowl and gets a little yucky sitting at the bottom.
After dinner she brought me her bible and asked me to read to her. I was loading the dishwasher and promised to read as soon as I was finished. She sat down and started to look at the pictures. She started at the beginning and found the picture of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden apple. She brought it back to me and said "See Mommy here is a bad apple." Genesis 3:1-24 was her chapel lesson last Thursday. Not only is she listening at school, she is also learning!

Her bible is another story. She went to church on bible day and decided she wanted to get a bible. Knowing my answer for most things she asks for right now is either Put it on your Christmas List or Maybe for your birthday, she asked Bobby and Rebecca to buy her one. Now all three of our children have their own. (I would have bought it for her).