Happy Halloween from two little Pumpkin Heads!

Woods walk Monday

Monday Daddy got home just as we were heading out for a walk in the woods, so he got to join us!  There is nothing my crew likes more than exploring the woods in the different seasons.  Even the cat.

 And yes, that is poison ivy in the corner of this picture below.  It is everywhere in the woods!

Dallas, again!

This past weekend was Dallas trip #2 for me.  Matt and I headed north to attend the Tapestry conference in Irving.  Mimi came and picked up the kiddos and Matt and I headed out of town, stopping on the way to drop some food off with my sister, who had surgery earlier in the week.  As we got close to their house about 30 minutes away from ours, I realized I had forgotten my phone and Matt's phone had died the previous weekend, so we were phoneless.  Argh.  Since we were away from the kids and headed out of town we had to turn back, so we drove all the way back to our house and got my phone.  Which, if you live in Houston right now, you know is REALLY annoying, with all the construction+traffic on 45.  We ended up stopping and getting dinner to just let traffic chill out a little bit.  No fun sitting stopped.  Plus we were in no hurry to make it to Dallas.  

Saturday morning we headed to the conference.  It was probably the best conference I have ever been to.  The really cool thing is that it is very affordable--$10 per person because it is supported by the Tapestry ministry there in Irving.  The keynote speaker was awesome--I had read her book and it was fairly good but not groundbreaking for me, but hearing her talk in person was fabulous.  (Tina Payne Bryson--No Drama Discipline and The Whole Brain Child are her books).  Then we attended 3 break-out sessions.  Two were awesome and one was not so much, but that is pretty good, still!  We heard an excellent presentation on Sensory Processing Disorder and got some really good resources to read further.  Besides the excellence of the conference speakers, it was such an encouraging and uplifting environment.  Plus I really love getting to spend a whole weekend with my honey all to myself!  We got to sit out on the balcony and eat some chick-fil-a, hang out in a pretty cool church building and drink lots of coffee and chit-chat between sessions......The conference was focused around adoption and foster care, but it was also just an superb place to get some general parenting support for any kiddos.  We left with a lot of new tools to take home and a little extra parenting energy, which is always a plus!  I would most highly recommend this conference and we will have it on our calendar next year, for sure!

 Saturday night after we ate dinner at a restaurant, we came out to the parking lot COVERED in birds.  I have never seen anything like it in my life.  This picture doesn't even do it justice.  Every car was covered.  The edge of every building was covered.  The ground was covered.....it was something!  And so loud.....those birds were squawking up a storm.

 Buh-bye, Dallas.  See ya soon in a few weeks!  We're becoming old friends, the big D and me!

Our flower garden is still going strong!

Representing!

His little Pokes uniform still fits him!  He sported it on Friday night and of course I had to take some pics.  These are him doing his "football poses."  Papa might have to watch a little football with him because I think it's more of a chicken dance pose.  :)  Nonetheless, he's a pretty cute little Cowboy, dontcha think?

Library day....on bike!

Last week we rode our bikes to the library from our house for the first time.  Well, the first time for Q.  Not me.  :)  

It was a longer journey than she thought and she got pretty tired.  We ended up making a lunch stop at Rao's since it was within biking distance and my little peeps needed some fuel.  We enjoyed the nicest day outside eating.  And the fountain!   

 Beck left no chip behind.

 Library books via bike.  Fun times!

I keep forgetting to turn on my ridetracker to see how far we went.  So now we'll have to do it again and track our miles!

Too bad we don't have a comfy sleeping spot for our old dog.

A book!

Whittington is the most difficult book we've read together so far...it took us a while to get through it because the chapters were long and the words were a little higher vocab than she was used to.  However, I still think it was within her range of understanding (on the far edge....but still there...) and we both really enjoyed it.  It is told from the perspective of a cat and tells the story of Dick Whittington, who runs away during the plague in England, runs to London, and ends up becoming a ship merchant who travels around the world.  So much fun adventure and excitement and lots of geography!  The book actually moves between two different times--long ago in England, then then contemporary American on a farm in a barn....so the reader has to keep up with where the story currently is taking place.  Quinn LOVED all the animals in the story.  It was a great read....We might have to try out some other books by this author!  We'll take a break to read some easier things for a little while, though, to catch our breath!

Nothing makes him happier than driving with the windows down....

Especially when he gets to be the one to operate the switch!  As soon as Q gets out of the car on school days Beck and I crank em down!  She wants to talk way too much to hear over the noise of open windows.  But me and the little guy like to ride talk-free with the windows down and the music up!

PS) I think I love him a little bit more when he's wearing a flannel shirt.  ;)

Happy Birthday to Ms Kelsey

Today was Quinn's teacher, Ms. Kelsey's birthday.  The children had all made handmade flowers at home as a surprise, then there was a surprise "Rainbow Ceremony" for her today.  Quinn had worked hard to make her a beeswax birthday candle and a birthday sign.  We had also found a really pretty throw for her home that looked just like her style, as a gift.   

(singing to their beloved teacher)

 Ms Sara, the director of Quinn's little school, walking Ms Kelsey across the rainbow:

 Ms Kelsey telling the story of how Ms Kelsey came to be at this little school:

 Birthday hug/dogpile!!

 Quinn and Ms Kelsey and one of Quinn's best friends at school, Maddie.

We are so very thankful for Ms Kelsey and her patience, insightfulness, calmness, wisdom, maturity, professionalism, and depth of knowledge of child development.  We are very aware that not every teacher out there has what it takes to develop a positive relationship with our strong-willed, highly-spirited Quinn and be willing to see her as a unique person and respond to her as such.  However Ms Kelsey is one of Quinn's favorite people in the whole world and has a true gift for teaching.  Matt and I are so thankful she is part of the village helping to raise our girl.

A sunny afternoon at the "sandpit."

 This is the happiest doggy shadow you'll ever see: