Who Needs A Fork?

Pumpkin Farm

Our favorite pumpkin patch opened this weekend and we were able to fit a little pumpkin fun into our busy schedule. We plan on going back in a few weeks when we are able to stay longer.

Cate was a little unsure about feeding the goats.....

Coach of the Year

This picture is so funny. Coaching is so lonely! GO BRAVES!

Scott coaches the Coolidge 7th girls basketball team (and 8th grade boys and high school softball) and we were able to attend Thursdays game and cheer him on.

Looks like he knows what he's talking about

Big win!

Cate pretending to sleep during the game. Cracks herself up! I put three pennies in that old coin purse and it kept her entertained the entire game!

And the Brade-ster turns 5!

Today is Brady's 5th birthday. I can hardly believe it. Time flies when you're having fun.

Brady on his new bike...thanks Mau Mau and PaPa!

Brady is the best kid...so much fun to be around. He is very coordinated and athletic..he can keep up with his older brothers and their friends...so much, that Scott and I often forget he's so much younger. Brady is a great helper and I'm not sure I could handle having four kids without him! He always packs Cate's baby bag before we leave the house and is in charge of making sure we have everything whenever we go somewhere!! He also has a bit of OCD....he is obsessed with bags. Suitcases, backpacks, any and all. He lives out of several different bags. All of his clothes, shoes, and toys are in these bags and he's rarely without them. I have no idea where he gets this from, but I think he has a future career as an equipment manager (hopefully for Bennett!) And he's a hoarder. When we go to an arcade, he pockets all of the coins and is happy to just watch his brothers play their games. The one thing I love best about Brady is how great of a big brother he is to his baby sister, Cate. He is so patient with her and she loves him so much. They are the best of friends and I hope they will remain this close forever.

Brady's teachers always comment on how helpful he is in class and his teacher told me last week that she "can honestly say she has never-ever had a bad day with Brady in the two years he's been with her". I think that's pretty great!

Best gift Santa ever brought(2006)...he still rides it everyday

This is one tough kid. Two sets of stitches, three dislocated elbows, tonsils out..he's been through it all. One E.R. Dr. said that Brady was the best patient he's ever had!

Tonight for his birthday dinner, he requested Hooters. So, Hooters it was. The girls made him stand on a table in front of everyone and they sang to him...he was mortified but played along and I was able to snap some pictures.

Flapping his wings (menus) and two cups for a beak! Very funny :) He will probably never ask to go back there for his birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRADY!!!

Boys Will Be Boys

Brady and Bennett battling it out in the backyard. Note: nobody got hurt, no tears were shed...just boys being boys!

Weekend of Fun Minus One

While Scott spent the weekend golfing at the Lake of the Ozarks with his dude friends, me 'n the kids enjoyed three soccer games, swimming at the Y, plenty of outside playing, and the boys went on a hayride last night. This coming week will be filled with preparations for Brady's birthday..he's requested a birthday dinner (Thursday) at Hooters (where else, right?!) and his family party is Saturday. Fun!

Carter scored the prettiest goal I've ever missed! I was taking pictures at the time and couldn't see his shot through the viewfinder...they won both games today....GO SLSG!!

Kids Picture Proofs

"What Marker?"

I haven't seen a marker. I don't know what you're talking about....

Random Pictures

Nothing exciting going on, so I'll just share some recent pictures...

Cate is freakishly strong. She hung on this thing at the park for the longest time...sliding back and forth...it was crazy. And FYI, she doesn't normally wear white dresses to play in the park...we were on our way back from getting family pictures taken :)

They spend so much time on the trampoline...naked of course!



Brady is too funny!

Boo-Boo # 392,746,545

Cate's newest "ouchie"

Her right brow is a bit swollen and red. This is the only outward evidence of the dresser incident yesterday. I'm hoping she doesn't have any bruised or broken ribs, but she's been running around wild all day so we think she's fine. Ignore the food all over her face. I often wonder if she's going to question our parenting when she looks back on her baby pictures and in most of them her face is covered in food or dirt!!

Miz Cate

Cate had her 18 month Dr. appt yesterday. She was supposed to get a shot, but I wasn't in the mood, so I postponed it til next time. It just needs to be done before kindergarten and I'm not in any hurry. Cate weighed in at a whopping 23.1 pounds...2 pounds more than her last appt three months ago.

Dr. W thinks she is ready to start potty training. For the last 8+ weeks, she has stayed dry overnight and now when she is wet, she runs to her room, grabs a diaper, brings it to me, and lays down to be changed. When we were in Old Na.vy last week, she took the changing pad out of her bag and laid down in the middle of the store...apparently she doesn't like sitting in her own urine..go figure. So, we bought a potty chair and we're going to gradually "train" her. The boys are making a huge deal over it...I figure that's either going to make or break the deal...guess we'll see.

When I went to get Cate dressed in the Dr's office, I couldn't find her clothes..anywhere. I looked for a bit, then opened the door and asked Dr. W if he could help me look. We were literally on our hands and knees searching this tiny room for Cate's shirt and pants...finally he found them in the very bottom of the trash can. She is too much for me!!

Today, I was looking through her closet when she pulled her dresser on top of her. It was the worst 3 seconds of my life. Adriane can attest to my fear...we were talking on the phone when I screamed and hung up! Luckily, even a dresser can't beat Cate Smallie and she walked away with only a slight black eye (perfect for our family pictures tomorrow).

Of Course I'm Crazy....

How could I not be with these kids??!!