Papa's Pumpkin Patch 2013

Last Saturday we went to Papa's Pumpkin Patch, north of Newton, KS.  This is the patch that we have gone to for the last three years.  It is family friendly, has tons of things for kids to enjoy doing, and is very affordable.  There is no admission charge.  A local band out of Newton, The Book of JEBB, was playing when we arrived.  They played bluegrass and folk music for all to enjoy.

The big white slide is always a favorite for our girls!  This year Phoebe decided she was going to go down the slide by herself because she is big... And she did go down the slide by herself... over and over.  

Silas tried the slide a few times too,  with Daddy and Mommy.  I am not sure that he liked it... each time he went down on my lap he grabbed onto my arms very tightly.

Silas ~ 14 months old

Phoebe ~ 3 1/2 years old

Sarah ~ 6 years old

Measuring to see how big they each are...

Silas really liked riding in the pumpkin wagon.  Each time we tried to put him into his stroller he would yell and cry, but in the pumpkin wagon he was happy.

Phoebe and Sarah both enjoyed playing on some fun old farm equipment turned into a play area for kids.

Out in the pumpkin patch looking all around for the best pumpkin....

Phoebe helped cut the one we picked.

Sarah liked picking these small pumpkins out of the field.  She especially liked the little striped pumpkins!

It was a good day. Perfect weather.  I love to spend time with my husband and my children all together.  Thank you to Sarah for taking the picture below of Eric and me.  (She is getting better and better at taking pictures and getting us both in the picture!)

September Schoolwork

Sarah continues to do well in 1st grade.  In September she studied all about apples in science.

She worked on vowel and consonant skills, and learned to put words into ABC order.

Her class talked about the past events of September 11th, 2001.  She brought home this worksheet to be completed with a parent.  She and I worked on it together.  It was supposed to illustrate where Eric and I were on that day twelve years ago.  (Sarah told me her teacher told the class that she was in the 8th grade when this tragedy happened here in America.)

Ending and beginning sound sort...

Sarah has Reading and Math homework every week.  She brings home a Reading contract and a packet of Math worksheets to be completed and returned on the last weekday each week.

Me: How have you been doing in Reading?  What do you like the most about Reading?  What do you like the least?

Sarah: "Well, when I don't know how to do things it's bad.  So, bad.  But, I raise my hand and ask for help.  We read stories in there and we have stations.  Mrs. Hilyard is funny.  She calls Savannah, Savannah banana and Hannah, Hannah banana."

Me: What is your favorite season?  Why do you like that season the most?
Sarah: "Winter because you get to build snowmans and throw snowballs and Spring because babies hatch and in the Spring the weather feels good."

Me: What have you been working on in Math?
Sarah: "Penny games, time, adding and subtracting."

 

Me:  Tell me about your sticker chart.  How do you earn stickers?  What happens when it is filled up with stickers?

Sarah: "You get stickers for being good.  And, if someone is being loud and you show them the quiet signal you get a sticker.  You have to fill it up and you get little coupons that you can pick for a prize.  And, I picked a coupon that said Wear No Shoes All Day In The Classroom."

Full of Frogs

When Eric was mowing about a week ago, we discovered we have a window well full of frogs of all sizes!  When he finished mowing he climbed down in there and got out one big frog for Sarah and one small frog for Phoebe.

Sarah doesn't mind touching and holding frogs and toads one bit.  (She does not get her love of frogs from her mom.)  Phoebe is still a little unsure of them.  She took a close look at the big frog, but did not want to hold any frogs.  (Now, that is more like me.)

Phoebe would gently touch the back of the big frog.  (This is even more than I would ever do!)  And,  Eric put the little frog into their bug catcher container for her to carry around.

Silas wasn't too interested in the frogs.  He looked at them and tried to poke the big frog with his finger a couple times, then after licking his finger that he poked the frog with, he was done and ready to move onto something else.

Two Teeth Out

About three weeks ago Sarah kept telling me that she had a bump in her mouth.  I didn't think much of it, but she kept telling me over and over for a few days, so I finally looked in and found "the bump".  It was another permanent tooth coming in on the bottom behind two baby teeth.  She had only lost one baby tooth up to that point and the baby tooth that was next to it was just barely wiggly.  This new permanent tooth that was coming in was bumped up against two baby teeth and coming in too far back.  We needed to get those baby teeth out of the way and give that permanent tooth a chance to move up in her mouth where it needs to be.... So I called my favorite dentist office in Emporia (Dr's Bennett and Bennett) for some advice, then called the dentist we go to now here in town and made an appointment for Sarah to go in and have it looked at and possibly "wiggle out" those two baby teeth that were in the way.

After being reminded by my friend, Lori, in Dr. Bennett's office to not use any four letter words when talking to Sarah about her appointment... (shot or pull) I told Sarah we would be going in on Friday and the dentist may put some medicine on her gums, then use a tool to wiggle one or two teeth out.  She seemed okay with it.  As we walked into the office, her name was called, and we walked back to the room, she still seemed fine.  She climbed up in the chair and started to watch some old Tweety Bird and Sylvester cartoons on the t.v. while she waited.  The assistant and the dentist came in and to make a long story shorter, took a look, then put a topical on her gums to numb it some, then gave her some gas, a shot, then wiggled two teeth out.  It all happened in ten minutes or less.  Sarah didn't even move or make any noises.  She did so amazing!  It did take a little bit for the gas to wear off and she needed a little extra oxygen to help wake her back up.  But once awake and up moving around, she did not complain once about her mouth hurting or even being sore.  What a trooper!  Below is an after picture of her mouth with the two teeth out.

Below is a picture of the two teeth that were "wiggled" out.  Both still had roots on them.  Sarah was excited to get to pick out two prizes from the dentist before we left.  She picked the game, Barrel of Monkeys, and the pink mustache necklace. (I told her that I thought Eric Paul would really like her pink stache!)

Another thing that Sarah was happy about was that she received this tooth shaped treasure box from the dentist to keep her teeth in.  When she lost her first baby tooth last summer she was a little disappointed that it hadn't happened while she was at school.  Evidently if a student loses a tooth while at school the school nurse will give the student a tiny treasure box to keep and store their tooth in.  Sarah really wanted one of those treasure boxes!  Now she has a purple tooth shaped treasure box!

Way to go Sarah!  You are one TOUGH GIRL!

The 22nd

First thing, Sunday morning, on my birthday... Sarah woke up, found me in the living room and gave me this colorful picture that she had drawn and colored special just for me!  What a sweet sweet girl.

We all ate breakfast and headed to church early because Eric was going to sing with a group of guys that morning during the church service.  (All guys that attended a conference together)

The guys below were just some of the group that attended a Promise Keepers conference together in Tulsa, Oklahoma that weekend.

After church we headed out to eat at one of my favorite places... Texas Roadhouse. 

 After eating we drove to Hesston, and spent some time with my cousin Josh, his wife Beki, and their kids. It was a beautiful afternoon.

Below, is my card from Sarah, Phoebe, Silas, and Eric.

Opening my gifts...

Now for some cake!  Eric made me a delicious "Better than Sex"cake.  (The cake and sex really are NOT comparable.  I really have no idea why it is called that.)  

Blowing out the candles...  Again, only three candles....

Thanks Eric, and my children for a fun and relaxing birthday!