Preschool Fall Festival

Last night was the Fall Festival at the kid's preschool.  The kids get to wear their Halloween costumes and the parents get to see the classrooms and watch the kids do a couple of songs.  Luckily, the two classes were staggered so we could take turns in each class.  It was a little crazy with so many kids and siblings and parents all in one place, but Anna and Jack had a blast!

Jack and Maddie were class leaders during circle time.

Ready to sing!

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!

Jack and his friend Hudson, the dalmation.

Anna and Ellen trying to pick up pumpkin seeds with a straw.

All the kids were going crazy and
we looked over and found Anna like this.
Such a little reader!

Anna and her classmates.

Pumpkin Carving

Sunday afternoon, we had the Dash Collins clan over for pumpkin carving and for the chance to get photos of Jack and Caroline in their costumes together.  So fun!!

Jack, what does a lion say?

RoooooaaaaaR!

Miss Sassy Pants in her elephant costume.

Let the carving commence!

Anna and Jack with their jack-o-lanterns.
My attempt at Elmo didn't turn out quite like I planned,
but it was still cute.

Caroline and her daddy's fantastic monogrammed pumpkin.

We tried to get Anna to dress up as a zookeeper to tame this elephant and lion, but she said, "There's no such thing as a Barbie zookeeper!"  (She is planning on being Barbie for Halloween.)  I bet we could probably find a zookeeper Barbie somewhere in history!

Anna is Reading!!!!

It's official, folks!  Anna is reading!!!  

We are so very proud of her.  Over the past couple of months, she has progressed from the short books in Jack's room to now pulling book after book off of her shelves and reading them.  Initially, she would get so upset if she didn't know a word, but after lots of explanation about sounding words out and always adding new words to her vocabulary (even when she gets to be big like Mommy and Daddy), she is finally getting it down.  She wants to read all the time and even when we're busy, she will sit and spell the words out that she doesn't know so that we can help her from afar.  I am so excited for her and for all the places that reading will take her.  It is such an important life skill that will take her so far.  You go, Anna!!

UNC Finally Beats State!!

I was torn last week about what to do...Carolina was playing State in Chapel Hill but Anna had a soccer game and a birthday party that she didn't want to miss.  I had finally resigned myself to that fact that I was staying back with the kids.  Greg and Michelle were SUPER SWEET and offered to keep the kiddos so that I could go to the game with Will.  Man, am I glad I took them up on their offer!!  Carolina came back and won the game on a last minute 78-yard kick-off return!!  Go Gio Bernard!!  Like we said when the game was over, that is the very reason people keep going to football games, to hopefully witness a game like that.  It was incredible!!

Sorry to all the State fans out there, especially my remote-throwing father.;)  Go Heels!!

Finally....Jack and His Teachers

Since Jack has now gotten comfortable with school and that fact that "Mommy always comes back", I was finally able to get a photo of him with Miss Michelle and Miss Susan when I picked him up the other day.  He was much more worried about being separated from his tractor!!!  It warms my heart that he loves school so much and gets excited when it's his day to go to school, too.  A big thank you goes to his sweet teachers!!

Old Creek...New Creek

The weather has been perfect lately--highs in the 70s with lows in the 40s and 50s at night.  We have had lots of fun playing outside in the afternoons.  Last weekend, we had to get outside and enjoy it so we decided to take a family trek down to the creek.  There is a pretty decent size creek adjacent to our neighborhood that takes about three rock-steps to cross, but might be 18 inches deep at the highest point.  I love taking the kids down there to play and listen to the water trickling through the rocks.  We even took Murphy down to the creek with us this day.  We all had a blast!!  When we reached the big rock down the creek, Will suggested we take a picture.  How cute?!!

We are going to miss this creek when we move to our new house, but will have a slightly smaller one right in our back yard!!  I hope Anna and Jack have lots of fun days and memories playing in our new creek!

Random Photos

Here are some photos of random events that were too good to toss but didn't necessarily warrant a single post...Enjoy!

A tailgate picnic on a gorgeous day outside the new house.

Being silly with Aunt Sarah and Aunt Michelle

Anna at Taylor's gymnastics birthday party.

Nannie is teaching Anna how to sew and
I'm so glad she's learning this almost-lost art.

Fun at Sarah and Jason's: chillaxin and ...

...trying on old costumes!

Watch out Rory McIlroy...
Jack is getting pretty good with a golf club!