The Great Pumpkin Patch

We made our annual trip to The Great Pumpkin Patch Sunday on the way to the Hackbarth farm.  It was just a quickie, didn't even purchase any pumpkins this year!  I figure the kids had a couple opportunities to carve pumpkins, Luke is right at the age where it's difficult to do it on his own and Logan thinks they are yucky.  I did pick up a cute Sesame Street pumpkin carving book in hopes to do Elmo for Logan, but there's always next October.  They just played a bit and we got back on the road!

Trying to negotiate a toddler out of the drivers seat never works....

He did scoot over so Em could sit with him though!

pumpkins

Jessie and Nico are visiting Carol for a few days so we went over there Saturday night for a pumpkin carving party.  The little boys weren't interested in helping clean them out.  At one point, Nico even exclaimed... "Ewwwwww!"  (and yes, if you think Nico's sweater looks familiar, Logan has the same one!)

It was fun to see the boys actually play together.... when they aren't calling each other "baby!"

Enchanted Forest

 We finally got together with the girls and walked the Enchanted Forest at Myrick Park Saturday morning!  It was fun, but I wish the folks giving out candy would dress up more like they used to.  Although it's certainly worth going just to see Hans Meyer perform!  The kids love him.  

school halloween party

 The kids had their school Halloween party Friday night. We have a Cowgirl, Police Officer and Prisoner this year!

down time

Thursdays after school are nice around here.  The kids come home and do nothing but whatever they want.  No rushing to eat something before heading out or finding something for tired kids to eat at 8pm.  No packing swim bags and remembering to grab goggles and towels from one swim bag to another.  No rinsing swimsuits.  No wondering where Luke's karate belt is so we can leave.  No extra changing of clothes.  No finding socks and shoes for Logan.  And jacket.  No buckling and unbuckling seatbelts 35 times.  We love our activity nights, but there's just something about knowing you have nowhere to be.  Here the kids are playing school last Thursday night.  Miss Emily sets a strict schedule involving work time, snack time, craft time, reading time, and end of day.  And Logan is thrilled with any opportunity he gets to color on the whiteboard!

Logan's {heart} update

Logan and I went to Gundersen on Friday morning for his echocardiogram.  He did so well!   The doctor had an emergency the night before and wasn't there yet.  We waited a bit and she gave the go ahead to the cardio radiologist and the peds sedation nurse to go ahead and see what we could get done without sedation until she got there (he needs to be basically completely still for 45-60min to get all the pictures needed), since the dr. needs to (or maybe just likes to?) be there when little people are under those meds.  We were armed with Elmo on the TV, books, his blanket, some spinning lighted wands, an observer with a cool iPad that had Wheels on the Bus and other fun stuff on it and some Dum Dum suckers for last resort.  He got a little antsy at times but did fabulous and they got what they needed.  He was rewarded with some apple juice in a can ("my jus!" when I tried to open it) and some graham crackers since he couldn't eat anything since supper Thursday night.

Dr. Maclellan, the radiologist, and the guy with the iPad looked all the images over once done.  They talked about all the normalcy they saw, nothing jumped out as being wrong!  So, they concluded that he actually just has a very strong heart with strong vibrations that can sound off and similar to murmurs.  So, no holes that need to be closed up!  Great news.