Catching Up

We are now into the second month of school, chilly October mornings, jackets and coat weather, and our second month of soccer. I love the month of October and the wonderful things it brings such as cold nights to sip on hot cocoa, fall colors emerging in nature, caramel apples and pumpkin flavored everything, and the anticipation of Halloween and the holidays just around the corner. Here's a little catch up of what's been going on:

Riley -- All the soccer craziness as the soccer city director is starting to die down a bit now that we are into the season. Coaching Kendle and Morgan's team and is finding coaching little boys is much more difficult than he thought! Ha. Busy as always with work/traveling and working hard to come in as the top salesman at the end of the year and earn us an awesome travel voucher for a vacation. Go Riley go! He went to a Seattle Sounders game this past weekend with some friends and said it was crazy but a lot of fun.

Kendle -- Probably the busiest out of all of us. Enjoying school as a 5th grader. This year she is a Peer Helper and also involved in Kids on Stage and the Mad Mallet music group. She LOVES Mad Mallets and thinks it's a blast. She has practice for that three days a week after school. She's also still plugging away with piano lessons at my insistence. Soccer is going great and her team is first in their league. She has scored 4 goals so far and made some great assists. Their last game on Saturday she battled with the other teams top player for a good two or three minutes back and forth with the ball, and finally beat her to smash a great goal in. It was awesome, just proud she kept at it and didn't give up. She hasn't played keeper that much as they need her out in the field more, but the one game she played keeper for half the game she made some great saves. She seems to still be ok with having her dad as her coach and tries not to roll her eyes at him too much (because she knows he'll make her run). Ha! She started AAU a few weeks ago and has awesome coaches we are very excited about. Although she is the youngest on the team and they are playing up at the 6th grade level, she is enjoying it and says she is learning a lot. She got asked to sing a solo in the primary program and hopefully it goes off as good as she's been practicing.

Morgan -- Morgan is growing and getting so tall and skinny. He has no baby fat left whatsoever and is getting a serious six pack. We call him our little muscle man. I try and feed him as much as I can but that boy never stops moving, running, or jumping all day. We decided to wait another year to send him to kindergarten and he is doing school with me during the mornings instead. He enjoys it and is a good listener most of the time and let's me help and correct him when needed. He loves to learn about new things and how things work. He is probably the only five year old I know that can tell you about pumps and pipes and all the water workings and things about a farm. He's also become a collector bordering on the edge of being a hoarder. He is always asking me for jars to keep and store more things in that he has found outside, his treasures. His favorite movie right now is the Sandlot and we recently bought him a new pair of high top Converse which he thinks are the best shoes ever. He is loving soccer and we are working on teaching him not to tackle and knock people over so much. (Save that for football in a few years)

Cooper -- Is quite the character. He reminds us of Charlie Brown sometimes and also does this little thing we call the "Cooper Shuffle" where he kind of just slumps his shoulders and sulks away when he doesn't get his way. He loves to draw and color and takes it very seriously with a studious expression on his face. He can be a stinker sometimes, but he is ALWAYS the first one to tell me thank you after I serve them up meals, get treats, etc......Obsessed with Thomas the Train and trains in general and talks about them all the time. Loves to sneak into my purse and eat all my gum. For some reason, he is always the one that is writing with pen all over himself or something else weird like that. Can usually always make me laugh with his mischievous smile.

Kale -- Slightly more dramatic than his twin brother and likes to put lots of extra attitude into his words to get his point across. Also completely obsessed with Thomas the Train and all other trains. Knows all of Thomas and his friends names. Tries to be a sneaker and get into my baking cupboard and eat all the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Is usually one of the last to fall asleep at night and keeps his other brothers awake. Pretty independent most of the time and wants to do things himself. Loves to sing silly songs with me and his brothers or sing along to the radio in the car. Gives good little hugs and squeezes.

Both boys have been potty trained since this summer and it is awesome! So thankful for that. They are getting so big and already wearing most of Morgan's clothes from about six months ago. Can't believe they will be 3 next month.

I've been not so patiently trying to get over these nasty colds that seem to just keep coming. I was attempting to keep my running routine up and train for another half-marathon the end of the month but I've been hit with another bad cold that has me all stuffed up and barely able to talk. My energy level is just wiped out between that and doing all the other day to day tasks. But I'll keep my fingers crossed that I can get better this week. I've been diving into baking season now that the weather has cooled off and keep finding so many new recipes that sound good to try out. I try and keep every one's schedules straight, sports uniforms and practice clothes washed, after school/pre-practice snacks and water bottles ready to go, and all the random soccer gear, cleats, and what not rounded up. I love that now it is dark earlier, all the kids are going to bed earlier and I have time to catch up on my shows I DVR. I don't feel like my life is all that exciting, but I can't complain. I'm thankful for all the many big and small blessings in our life and for this family of mine.

What to do in the Fall

Here is a little something I made for our family

Fall Family Fun List:



go to high school football games
make apple pie and apple crisp
drive through the Columbia Gorge
go to the pumpkin patch
s'mores around the fire pit
college football on tv (with football food)
walks at the park
bake lots of pumpkin desserts/treats
make caramel apples
drink hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream
soccer games
watch Halloween movies
plan Halloween costumes
take a hike
carve pumpkins
make a fall wreath
plant mums
have family movie nights
collect leaves and acorns

Good Monday

I love Monday mornings that get off to a good start. So far this morning I've got the kitchen clean, dishes done, floors mopped, laundry going, and two happy little boys running around outside in the fall sunshine. I'm sure they are up to no good, but I'll just try and be content for letting them play for a minute and not worry about what they're doing.

On Saturday we went to my grandparents house in Hermiston and the kids got to have a "pumpkin hunt". My aunt Alaina that lives in Heppner has a big pumpkin patch and she loaded up whole bunch of pumpkins to bring down for all the little cousins. They loved going and finding them hidden all over the yard. There were even a few tiny ones stuck up in the trees. I thought that was such a fun idea, we might have to make it a tradition.

After that we spent the rest of the evening at my parents house and had dinner and birthday cake for my brother Richard. The kids also enjoyed some candy apples that grandma Melodee made. Some of the kids got messier than others:

{Kale}

Tonight we are going to decorate some pumpkins and roast some smores for family home evening. Morgan asks us pretty much every night if we can make some, so we figured we would have a nice, chilly, fall marshmallow roast. It's definitely cold enough at night to sit around a fire.

Signs of Fall and Halloween

October is flying by and we (really the kids) are on the countdown to Halloween. I have yet to really even start working on costumes so I better stop slacking and get on that. I'm loving the crisp breezes, the chilly nights, and the baking weather, not to mention the falling leaves and autumn foliage that is the perfect back drop for all of the Halloween decor that's been popping up around town. I love this time of year when our grass is emerald green and Riley is trying to get the last few mows in before the sprinklers are turned off for the winter. (It seems like it was just spring and we were waiting for them to get turned on.) We've enjoyed watching the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, making donuts, and reading Halloween books.

I thought I'd post a few pictures of what fall is looking like around our place:

(My new lights. They cast the coziest glow at night.)

(Cooper couldn't miss out on a photo op. Don't you love his Spiderman rain boots?)

October Is Here

Well, I'm officially slacking on my blog. I can't believe I only posted three times for the WHOLE month of September. I guess I could say I just haven't had the time, but I think more than that I just haven't felt the motivation lately. But, vowing to do better from here on out and into the future. Moving on......so here's what's been going on with the family:

Kendle:

Kendle has been one busy little girl. She has been playing softball games two or three nights a week for the last month. I kind of love the night softball games under the lights, although it is really starting to get chilly. She has really improved since the spring season and has had some stellar hits. Her last game she had some great plays at pitcher and third base - one in particular from third where she ran up on a grounder and just zinged it clear to first base (seriously like the hardest throw I've ever seen a nine year old make) and *bonus* the girl at first actually caught the ball. It was amazing. It was one of those things you see your kids do and your heart nearly leaps out of your chest with pride. This week she has her last two games and although there's been some ups and downs, I think she is really going to miss it. Soccer is also keeping her busy with a few practices during the week and games every Saturday. Her team is undefeated so far and are a fun bunch for the most part. Kendle loves playing keeper and she has been working hard on improving her kicking and getting the ball far down the field with accuracy. She is pretty aggressive and will go out and dive on the ball to make saves and sometimes I have to cringe when someone almost kicks her in the head, but I guess I better get used to it. She is also making some great plays out in the field and consistently scoring goals to help her team. Her last game she had a hat trick - three goals all back to back in the first half. I think it has been hard sometimes to have her dad as her coach, but I hope that she sees that all the hard work and running (lots and lots of running) that he has them do at practice is paying off. I love seeing the determination on her face when she is going after a ball or trying to catch up with someone when she's playing defense. Ok, that is a lot about sports! Her first month of school went by in a flash and she is really enjoying it - her teacher, her classmates, and pretty much everything else. I can't say enough good things about her teacher this year, she has gone above and beyond already in some things she has done for Kendle and I'm thankful for that. In Kendle's "spare" time when she isn't at softball or soccer or reading a book, she's been enjoying learning to roller blade with her roller blades she got for her birthday and also jumping on our new trampoline. She's also excited that at her last orthodontist appointment she got her expander removed (no more metal on the roof of her mouth) and she'll also be getting her top braces off soon. Pretty exciting stuff!

Morgan:

Morgan has been growing like a weed over the last few months. Jeans that I bought him for preschool are starting to already look a little short. He is so skinny though, that it is hard to keep up with the growth and not have him drowning in the waist. He's a little muscle man and has a little six pack. He has loved jumping on the new trampoline and helped his dad put it together. He has figured out how to do some flips, but yesterday he kneed himself in the face while doing one and gave himself a gushing bloody nose. Might need to lay off of those for a while. He also got to go hunting for the first time last week and he was pretty thrilled with himself even if (according to Riley) they only got to see and shoot at a few birds. Just the fun of getting up early with dad, getting his cool camo gear on, traipsing through the fields, and stopping to get breakfast afterwards, pretty much made his day. He loves to help me make cookies, measure the ingredients, and dump them all in. He's also a quiet cookie snatcher when I'm not looking. It would be great if he could learn to play with his little brothers a little better, but for the most part he is still a happy fun boy and I enjoy the quiet time in the afternoons we get to spend together when the twins are napping. He is starting to like to read books with me more and some of his favorites right now are "The Story of Ferdinand" (the bull) and "The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything." We're hoping to get him playing some indoor soccer soon.

Cooper (on the left) and Kale (on the right):

Our little guys will be turning 2 in November. Where has the time gone? It's been a whirlwind I can tell you. Wow, these boys are hard to keep up with. They have gotten into quite a few predicaments lately. The other day Cooper pulled his trike from the back patio inside the house, rode it through the house to the laundry room, and proceeded to somehow put two or three scoops of laundry detergent into the back compartment on the trike and also dump more all over the floor. Pretty much every day is filled with little surprises like that. Towels pulled into the bathtub, toilet paper pulled into the tub, pen on furniture, flooding the kitchen sink, getting into the charcoal in the fire pit, plugging and unplugging every chord they can get their hands on, randomly recording shows on tv, pulling all the baby wipes out, squeezing lotion everywhere........the list could literally just go on and on and on. Some days I even get tired of hearing myself be a broken record of "No, no's", "Stop that", and so on. They are squirmy and wiggly and fast, and starting to not let me hug them or cuddle as much. They are little jokesters and love to play and tease. I know they are good boys deep down, they do lots of sweet things so that I know they still love me. While I'm changing one of their diapers, the other one will hug me across my back and lean on me. We call these "backwards hugs" at our house and they are Cooper and Kale's favorite thing to do. It is cute too how at night when I am reading Morgan a story before bed, they insist on having books in their cribs to read as well. They are such good boys about always wanting to say their prayers at night, and always fold their arms at church for the prayers. They are also adamant about holding the hymn book at church as if it is some great prize. It is the first thing they want to do after we arrive and sit down in our seats. They must have their own, and they will not share with me. Ha. Cooper is pretty stingy and likes to take anything away that Kale has that is making him happy. He is kind of the bully of the two and is always beating up on  Kale. He always has to be first and has to sit in the front of the tub during bath time. I am trying to get them to share with each other but it is not easy. Kale most of the time is the big cry baby and will come running every time he feels slighted. He is better about sharing, but is also quick to go grab anything Cooper puts down for a few seconds. Kale is starting to talk a little more than Cooper and I'm hoping Cooper will start catching up. I'm looking forward to them getting along better and being good friends. I pray for it every night.

Riley is super duper busy with work this time of year. The fall is always a super big hustle and bustle and even when he is done and home for the day, he's never really done and still is getting calls and making arrangements for sales and setups. I was hoping for a calmer fall with him not coaching high school girls soccer this season, but combined with being Kendle's coach and also being the t-cysa city director this year I feel like not much has changed. But, it's all for good reasons so it's ok. I think he is somewhat enjoying coaching Kendle's soccer team, but I know he gets frustrated with some ideas of things he wants the girls to do and then maybe it's just over their heads just a little bit. He is a great coach though and the girls seem to respond well to him and not get offended when he's yelling instructions to them during the games.  The city director job is pretty tedious and thankless for the most part, (most volunteer positions are) but he has persevered and the hard part is pretty much over now that the season is a month in. He has been getting some little projects done here and there for me in his spare time, we even got one of our new outdoor lights put up and installed on Saturday, now I'm just waiting for the other three to go up. :) We bought half a cow and Riley also surprised me with a pig (isn't that what every wife dreams of?), so we are officially stocked up on meat for a long time. I give Riley a hard time that he is obsessed with meat and he keeps talking about all these different ways we can cook everything and yada, yada......I just try to smile and be glad he at least likes to BBQ and cook a lot of it.

I am SO excited it is officially fall and we are having some cooler fall weather. I think as I get older I enjoy the cooler weather a bit more, it's like a nice crisp refresher after the summer heat. I've been getting out the fall decorations and went and bought some huge containers of mums this weekend. Also found a good deal on some big urns to put them in by the garage and the front door and some smallish pumpkins to add autumn flair.  It sure makes everything look happy and festive. I love all of the oranges and reds and yellows that are starting to be seen in the foliage around here. I love the month of October and all of the fun things it is filled with. Birthdays, holidays, lots of sports and outdoor festivities and next week I'll also be getting a new niece! Can't wait. I loved listening to General Conference over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed every talk. I especially loved President Monson's talk where he told the story of being a young boy and leaving his five dollar bill that he had worked so hard for in the pocket of his pants that were sent to be washed. It was a sweet coincidence that he told this story, as just the night before I had a long conversation with Kendle about how she can start earning five dollars a week to save up for some things she has been wanting. She did not seem to think that five dollars was very much money and that it would take forever to earn enough money for the things she wanted. I'm glad she could listen to our prophet tell his story about how hard he had worked for that "small" amount of money and how sad he was that it would be ruined and that he had the faith to pray for it's safe return. I'm looking forward to getting my new treadmill set up and being able to get back in a really good running routine. I feel like I am going to be starting at square one since my workouts have been somewhat sporadic since the summer, but I know it will feel good just to be doing it consistently again.

Well, I guess this super long post can make up for my lack in posting last month.

Wreaths

I did a little experimenting with some different kinds of wreaths this year. I'm not sure if you could call this first one a real "wreath" per se, but while I was shopping at a home improvement store this week I saw a whole bunch of ceiling medallions and thought they'd look pretty spray painted a pretty pumpkin color and hanging on my door. I'm still playing around with it and tweaking it a few different ways but here was the first way I had it:

I think it really pops against my black door. I just added a few leaves tucked into the bow for some extra garnishment. The medallions are really light weight plastic and you could even add some Velcro to the back to keep it from hitting against your door when you open and close it.

This next one is my wreath I used last year, the difference is this time I hung my little chalkboard behind it (it usually hangs on the outside wall by the front door) and scrawled the word Fall onto it. I guess I could also write Welcome, or Dodson's, or Hello, or Trick or Treat, or all sorts of other things. Pretty easy.

I'm sure I'll rearrange and add and subtract a ton of different little things from my fall decor as the season goes on. I've seen lots of pretty yarn wrapped wreaths that I'd like to try making one if I get the chance in the next little while.

My kids are begging me to decorate the house tomorrow and I've been dragging my feet because it just hasn't felt like it was really fall yet, but after our chilly night spent once again at the ball park and the need to cozy up in my sweats when I got home, I figure it might be time after all. I love pumpkins, gourds, mums, pretty colored leaves, corn husks and all of the other fallish looking backdrops the season has to offer. Sometimes with small children in the picture however, less is definitely more. :)

What's New

*In the last week or so the twins have started to do some walking. Kale is a little more motivated, but Cooper doesn't want to be left on the sidelines so yesterday he was trying his hand at it as well. I'd randomly catch them letting go of furniture and take those funny prancing steps until they finally lost their balance. Exciting stuff! I'm thrilled. One more milestone that will help life be a little easier for this mom. (We'll see if I'm regretting that statement in a month or so.) They are at such a fun stage right now and are getting really silly and playful. They love to make us laugh. They are just too cute and every time I see their happy little faces staring over the crib rail in the morning I just want to give them the biggest squeeze.

*Kendle is done with soccer season. Their team had some really awesome games, and also some not so good ones but they always kept a good attitude and had fun together and acted as good sports to the other teams. I think she finished the season with about 9 or 10 goals, lots of assists and only gave up two goals as goalie. She is an awesome defensive player when she gets going and is starting to see how to make plays happen. I was really proud of her. We want to work on speed for next season. I don't think she'll know what to do with herself without practices and things after school, but yesterday she told me she wanted to start running on the treadmill to get ready for basketball. I looked at her like, "who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Ha. I guess she's still young enough that the treadmill is a fun thing. Then she told me about a program her school is participating in to track how many minutes of physical activity the students get a day. They are ideally supposed to get at least 60 minutes. They can log onto the program online and input their stats. There are supposed to be some kind of small rewards for meeting their goals. So I wasn't surprised that had something to do with it. She is an incentive driven type of girl. Got to keep holding that carrot out there for her. HA.

*Morgan is loving preschool and I can already see some changes in him and his desire to learn new things. We've been working on spelling his name and he is so proud he can spell his first and last name now. I can also get him to sit down and color and do some busy work. He is so excited when I pick him up from preschool to tell me all about the fun things they did that day. He told me the other day that he thinks "Miss Molly is the nicest lady ever." He adores her. He is a typical busy three year old and loves to build things or look at things taken apart and put them back together. He loves everything to do with farming and tractors and being outside. Every time we drive past a corn field or empty potato field he tells me all about it. I'd love to make him his own little garden someday.

*Riley's team is done with league now and moving on to the regional tournament. We're excited to see what happens from here on out. He is still as busy as ever with his day job and sometimes I never know where he will be at from one day to the next. Yakima? Wenatchee? Moses Lake? One never knows. He is always on the go and usually pretty exhausted by the days end. I'm looking forward to some of the honey do's that have been on hold finally getting done after soccer is over and I know the kids are looking forward to having their dad back for a while.

*Not much is new with me. Just trying to stay on top of the day to day tasks that come about. I've been loving the cooler fall days that are still giving some sunshine. It's like the best of both worlds. I've been trying to stay ahead of the game a bit and get some stuff done for Christmas while I have the time. I've been trying to cross off one person every week and hopefully that will keep the stressful shopping to a minimum this year. It seems the nights have been quieter and bed times earlier around our house as of late, which has been nice for me and my large stack of new books waiting to be read. This is a great time of year and I'm glad for the reminder to be thankful for all that I have. Today is also election day. Another good reminder of how blessed I am to live in a country where everyone is entitled to cast their vote according to the dictates of their own conscience. How very lucky are we.

Last Week of October

Today is one of those off days. Kendle is home sick, we are all still in our pj's, the wind is howling outside our door, and that whole Monday to-do list kind of blew away with the wind.

This is going to be one of our last really busy weeks, and then hopefully things will slow down for a little while. This family of ours has been chugging along at quite the break neck speed for some time now and I am looking forward to the approaching holiday season which is our little "vacation from everything soccer" time.

We are going to try and carve our pumpkins tonight. That in itself will be a major check off the "have to do" list. The kids don't really like getting their hands in the slimy guts of the pumpkin, luckily I don't mind it too bad.

I made a big batch of homemade caramel this weekend and it is soooooo good. I could eat it on everything or just with a spoon by itself. It is a good thing I only make it a few times a year. I'm thinking some caramel corn is in the cards for a treat tonight.

I still need to finish up the kids Halloween costumes. So far Morgan is the only child to have his complete costume (and he's been wearing the mask every day). He is stoked he gets to wear it to preschool this week. At least I have an idea what I'm needing to get for Kendle, the twins I have no clue. I'm not a big fan of the baby costumes out there.

The kids have been begging us to go to the pumpkin patch (even though we already have pumpkins) so I think a trip out to Country Mercantile might be in store for Wednesday afternoon.

Riley has his last league game tomorrow night that is a must win, so you could say he has been a little stressed. O.k., I'm even stressed. I think we will all be breathing a little easier come Wednesday morning.

Kendle has her last game on Saturday. I am a bit relieved, but also kind of sad since this season has been a lot of fun for the most part. Kendle says she is glad for it to be over, but I think she is going to miss it and miss being around the girls on her team. They had a great group this year and all the girls had a blast together.

Well, I better get going and get the twins out of the kitchen before they pull out every last thing they can get their hands on. Next on my list of things to purchase - a baby gate!

Cold Monday Morning

image

It is so cold this morning. It's time to start turning the heat on and I let Morgan turn on the fireplace this morning as well. This is the time of year when my feet start getting freezing cold and never seem to warm up and I wear my warm fuzzy socks in the cold hours of the night and early morning. I told Kendle that she should start wearing some gloves to school so her hands stay warm while she's waiting for the bus and playing at recess. I am not a big fan of the weather starting to drop, but I do love some of the things that the colder months bring.

Hot cocoa.

Warm baths.

Baking.

Hot soup.

The feeling of stepping from the cold bitter weather into a nice warm house.

Warm fleecy pajamas for the kids.

Relaxing in front of the fire.

Snuggling up in blankets and reading a book.

Earlier bed times.

Being bundled up in a warm coat and being able to see your breath in the frigid air.

Holiday planning and decorating.

So I'll tell myself these are things to look forward to, instead of being sad that the days of warm sunshine are saying goodbye.

And colder weather or not, we have one busy week ahead of us here at the Dodson house.

*We have pumpkin carving and decorating to do for a contest at Kendle's school.

*Soccer practices, preschool, and piano lessons.

*Riley's team has a big soccer game tomorrow night.

*Kendle has activity day recognition night tomorrow night as well.

*Getting the house ready and cleaned so we can leave Wednesday afternoon

*Heading to Portland on Wednesday to go to this concert.

*Staying overnight and headed home early Thursday morning.

*More soccer practices and games the rest of the week and the weekend.                                                                                                                                          

*Kendle has her primary program on Sunday.

Whew! Hopefully we don't forget anything. Here's to a fun and busy week.

Fun Friday

Today being October 1st we are putting out all the fun pumpkins and fall decorations. I put my pretty fall wreath on the front door and Morgan helped me get the scary pumpkins out of the garage so we can put them up on our high wall ledge and plug them in to have glowy yellow spooky pumpkins at night. I am not a big Halloween decorator, I usually opt for things I can leave up until it's time for the Christmas decor to come out. Morgan keeps asking me if it is Christmas time and if he can help put up the Christmas decorations. I think the holidays all sort of blend together for him at this point. He also thinks Dumbledore from Harry Potter is Santa Claus, so I guess we have a few things to straighten out.

Kendle gets to have a friend over after school today and she is excited. They get to play and have pizza and watch a movie and then we'll take the little friend home after dinner. It's so nice that the girls can just ride the bus home together which saves me lots of running around. It never hurts either to use the friend coming over as bribery to keep her room clean. :)

Riley hinted this morning that they are having early soccer practice tonight and he may want to take me out to dinner. Sometimes it is fun to get dressed really cute and have a night out with your hubby. Those get few and far between for us during soccer season (which is pretty much all year long.) Other times it is nice to just enjoy a night with everyone home at the same time without running from here to there and reheating dinners and being exhausted by 7:00. We have been wanting to try out this little place:

We have heard good things about it and one of the boys soccer players Riley coaches works there. It is supposed to be really authentic home cooked Italian food.

Today just feels like a good day. I'm going to try and get caught up on folding the laundry and get ready for our crazy soccer day tomorrow. Kendle's team plays bright and early at 9:00 and then Riley's high school team plays Kamiakin at 11:00. Busy, busy but it will be nice to be done with all things soccer by 2:00 in the afternoon and have the rest of the weekend to enjoy our family and General Conference.

I can't believe last year around this time I looked like this. I can still remember how uncomfortable that was!

Live - Breathe - Sleep - Soccer

I feel that it is very ironic that my previously least favorite sport is now an all consuming part of our family life. I'm sure the soccer gods are having a good laugh at me. To be fair, where I grew up soccer was pretty much non-existent and to be honest it was kind of the sport we made fun of. They didn't have it as a sport option in the schools and there were few if any local youth leagues. Anyways fast forward all these years later after I met my husband and I feel a bit tricked that it has become such a huge part of my life. In all fairness, he was a football coach - not a soccer coach when we first started dating, but I did know he was definitely passionate about sports - playing, watching, and coaching.

I first started to rethink my previous opinions about soccer when Riley and I were dating and I would go watch him play "Mexican league" soccer. I was blown away at how tough and fast those guys were. I couldn't believe they could run so hard and fast for that amount of time. I got tired just watching them. Most of the games were pretty exciting, Riley was (and is) a very physical defensive player and a master at slide tackles so he was a fun person to watch and cheer on. I being a soccer newbie, had no idea really how the game was played except for the obvious tactic of kicking the ball through the opponents goal. It seemed so backwards to me, I mean really, what kind of strategy is it to pass the ball backwards to in essence move it forward. Riley would throw soccer terms and lingo around in attempts to educate me on the game and my eyes would just instantly start glassing over with the overload of information.

Fast forward more years and now I'm literally entrenched in soccer fever. With Riley coaching three or four teams and Kendle now playing I have a bit more incentive to be knowledgeable about it and have even (dare I say it) started to really enjoy watching soccer. It is still not my most favorite sport, but it continues to grow on me. Our kids all have soccer gear and jerseys and our garage looks like a sporting goods store.

Kendle had her first game this last Saturday and did a great job. She got to play goalie twice and had some great saves and a great kick that made it all the way to the other teams goal which would have been awesome if one her players would have been there to kick it in. She was really excited they get to play four on four this year because she has been dying to get to play goalie. When she was playing out in the field she was able to score two goals. She is listening to my coaching from the sidelines a lot better this year. Ha! At least no more dirty looks when I yell "run faster" and "hustle" every five seconds. I love it when she is excited after her games about how she played and tired because she knows she worked hard. I think they have a pretty good team this year and the girls had a lot of fun together.

Riley's team played West Valley on Saturday and beat them 2-0. This was an exciting game for them because WV is a very good team, I believe they were the league champs last year. It was great for them to get that win and have it behind them. Southridge went up a spot in the state rankings from 7th to 6th, so hopefully they can hang onto their winning streak and keep playing hard.

Riley mentioned to me the other night that by Thanksgiving we are going to need a vacation. It probably won't happen, but I think he's right.

Near Perfect Weekend

Here are a few things that had me in a good mood all weekend long:

*Cooler/rainy/crisp weather made it feel like fall had arrived

*Soccer games in the cool breeze

*Made these donuts - they were SO yummy

*Windows open to air out the house

*General Conference

*Make your own mini-pizzas and root beer floats

*Relaxing with a good book

*Hot chocolate

*Staying in comfy clothes

*Being in my cozy little house with the people I love

What would have made it perfect? Sleep. I'm not getting much of it these days. Regardless, it was a nearly ideal way to spend time with my little family. Weekends like this don't come along very often with the hustle and bustle of life, and it was good to slow down and really take the time to make every moment count.

Weekend in a Nutshell

-Date night of P.F. Chang', shopping, and ice cream.
-Planted some mums
-Cleaned house and made snickerdoodles - yum!
-Kendle had three goals - an awesome assist - and super good defense in her first soccer game of the season.
-Enjoyed the sun and glorious weather (although a little hot for this time of year).
-Coach Riley's team won their game.
-Kendle had a fun night playing with cousins.
-Watched the AMAZING Jessy J at the Jazz and Blues concert at Columbia park. Can't even describe how talented she is.
-Ate the best carnitas known to man kind.
-Had dreams about said carnitas.
-Watched the Oregon State Beavers pull out a nail biting victory.
-Had really great quality time with friends and family.
-Kids and mom in bed by 8:45 last night, all tuckered out from the fun.

End of the Week - Fall is Coming

This busy week is finally coming to a close. I felt a sigh of relief as I got Kendle off to the bus a few minutes ago. September is just one of those crazy busy months where you feel like your whole family is going in completely different directions. We only had one sit down family dinner this week, and we were lucky to do that. Almost every day has been filled with errands, meetings, practices, and work. I hope that soon, (SOON!) I can finally slow down and enjoy these last few months before the twins arrive. Not likely, but I can hope.

It's been hard trying to get ready for these babies to be born. Not knowing really when they are coming is the most difficult thing. I guess one never really knows exactly when their babies will be born, but Kendle was born on her due date and I was induced with Morgan a week before his. So I'm used to being able to count on dates and plan accordingly. As of right now, both babies are average size and weight according to my last ultra sound. My doctor told me I could have really healthy big (by twins standards) babies and could go almost full term with my good track record, (good track record of having 9 and 10 pound babies!?) so December or November is the question. In my mind, I keep picturing having some adorable little swaddled up bundles by Thanksgiving time.

We watched our first college football game last night, which always makes fall a little more of a reality to me. This morning Kendle went to go look outside the window and said "brrrrr mom, the window is cold!" She decided she needed a little jacket to wear to the bus. I love the first few weeks of fall when the mornings turn a little crisper, but the days are still sunny and warm. I go into baking mode, partly because I love treats and partly because I love the way it makes my home smell and feel. For dinners, hearty soups and stews start filling in the weekly menus. Everything starts to feel a little bit cozier.

I'm looking forward to a relaxing Labor Day weekend with the family.

Fall Movie Clips

This is the season for pulling on sweatshirts, going to the game on Friday nights, planning Halloween costumes, and warming up our homes with yummy smells and welcoming treats.

Here are some movie clips that remind me of Autumn, Halloween, and letting my inner child come out to enjoy the season.

The first clip is from "E.T".
This was one of my favorite movies growing up. I think I cried when I saw it at the movie theater. Anyways, I love this clip where E.T. sees Yoda.



The next clip is from "Remember the Titans". I could watch this movie 500 times and not get tired of it. This part always makes me laugh, but really it gets my blood pumping to go watch some football.



I love the opening scene of Disney's "Monster House". The fall leaves look and sound so real, and I love how the wind carries the leaf like the flying feather in Forest Gump.



One of my favorite movies from my childhood was Disney's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". It was just the right mix of spooky and funny. The music is really catchy
and Bing Crosby's narration and singing makes this one a classic in my book.



What movies do you like to watch during the fall season? If you want to play along you can post a clip on your blog.

Halloween Crafts

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, but wanted to share these pictures and links with you.

I've been seeing all sorts of cute Halloween ideas popping up all over blog land that I thought I'd share with you. Even though I already have quite a bit of Halloween and Fall decor, it's nice to add new things into the mix every year and let the kids get in on the decorating fun.

These first two ideas I liked for two reasons:
1. They were easy and kid friendly
2. They were cheap/free depending on what you have around the house

Last week on BeCentsable I saw these cute ghosts and pumpkins made out of empty milk jugs:

For the ghosts you just draw on faces with a permanent marker and then paint the lids white if they are a different color. The pumpkins just need a little orange and green paint and you can cut out faces with a craft knife. For both, cut holes in the back and insert lights. In the above picture she just took a string of white lights and put a few in each one.

Another easy idea BeCentsable shared were these pumpkin garlands made from orange paper plates:

Cut out different shapes from black paper for the faces and glue onto the plates. You can punch a whole in the top and string them from ribbon to hang around the house.

There are more cute ideas she posted about and I just really appreciated that they were kid friendly and something even non-crafty people like myself could do in a short amount of time.

Also, yesterday on A Soft Place to Land which is one of my new favorite blogs, Kimba hosted a bloggy party where everyone could share a link to their Halloween and Fall posts. There are over 100 links and I have not had a chance to look at all of them, but here are a few cute things I saw that I'd like to make:

This blog had the cutest countdown to Halloween idea:

You can fill the little bags with one little piece of candy per child/per day or some other little Halloween trinket. How fun is that? I think I might enjoy that one more than my kids!

I also loved this blogger's version of a Halloween wreath and her "Boo" sign.

These were just a few of the many, many cute things I saw looking through the links on Kimba's blog.

Yesterday I managed to put out my fall decorations with only a minimal amount of help from the Morgster. Kendle loves our electric Jack-O-Lanterns that I always put up on our high wall ledge. She came home from school yesterday and kept flicking the wall switch to turn them off and on. I left a few things out for her to help with and put in her room. I remember the excitement of being a kid and wanting to help my mom decorate for the holidays. I'm glad she shares my enthusiasm for that sort of thing.

Autumn List

This summer our family made a list of fun things we'd like to do as a family. Although we did not cross off every single one, we came pretty close. It was a great way to already have ideas right in front of us when thinking of something to do together.

I thought we could do the same thing now that it's Autumn time and take advantage of some great things that this time of year has to offer.

Here are a few things from our list:

-Go to the pumpkin patch
-Go apple picking
-Go to a football game
-Take a walk in the park
-Take some fall pictures
-Make caramel apples
-Go on a fall scavenger hunt
-Make Halloween decorations
-Make pumpkin milkshakes

Kendle just loves to look at our list and try and plan something to do.

I'm also excited because I just picked up some good books from the library that I had requested, and now I'm looking forward to curling up at night and getting some good reading in after the kiddies are tucked into their beds.

The weather this week has been just spectacular. This is such a great time of year!

Trunk-or-Treating and the Pumpkin Patch

Last night we attended our ward Trunk-or-Treat. I was so glad it was on Halloween this year and that we didn't have to dress the kids up two different times. There were a ton of people there and Kendle got quite the haul of candy. My mother drove up from Oregon and came with us, and we had a fun time. Here are the children before we left:

Morgan looking oh so scary as a little skeleton.

Kendle made a cute fairy and she was most excited about the sparkly makeup she got to wear, even though she didn't like the process of putting it on. I love how Morgan's facial expression in this picture is like, "stay away from me fairy and no one gets hurt".

We left the Trunk-or-Treat around 7:30, and then hit a few houses in our neighborhood on the way home. The people on our block were very nice. One older fellow gave Kendle a handful of candy bars and another house gave her candy and an awesome skeleton pencil, so I think she was pretty pleased with her grand total by the time we headed home.

Also, on Monday I went with Kendle's kindergarten class to the pumpkin patch. It was pretty fun and chaotic and messy, and all of the things field trips usually are. It was interesting to see Kendle's interactions with the other children in her class and watch her pick out a pumpkin.

Yep, that's a keeper!

They also let the children run through the hay bale maze, pet some animals, and climb to the top of the hay pyramid. At the very end, they were given a snack and then gathered their pumpkins up to take home.

This picture cracked me up. Her teacher was giving them instructions on how to stand in line while they were waiting to get back on the bus. This is classic Kendle for ya.

I'm glad I decided to go and share this memory with her. Did we have fun?

As Kendle would say, "that's a positive!"

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere. It must be October.

Today is the day that I unpacked my fall decorations. I love doing this and look forward to it.

Kendle loves to help me and place some decorations in her room as well. I remember when I was a child, we would beg my mom to get out the holiday decorations and make the house look festive. This year I have a lot of pumpkins placed around my home. It might be a bit overkill, but I love them.

Can you tell that I love black?

Now, I'm officially in the mood for the season. Did anyone count how many pumpkins there were?

Seasons may change....

September-By Helen HuntJackson

The goldenrod is yellow;

The corn is turning brown;

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down.



The gentian's bluest fringes

Are curling in the sun;

In dusky pods the milkweed

Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest

In every meadow-nook;

And asters by the brookside

Make asters in the brook.








From dewy lanes at morning

The grapes' sweet odors rise;

At noon the roads all flutter

With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of weather,

And autumn's best of cheer

Have a lovely weekend