How Tall This Fall?

Our favorite thing about Schaake's Pumpkin Patch (besides the pumpkins) is the growth chart.

Mia Kate 2007

Age 2

Mia Kate 2008
Age 3 (and she is showing you with her fingers)

Mia Kate 2009

Age 4

Jillian 2007

4 months

Notice the tiptoes.

Jillian 2008

Age 1

Jillian 2009

Age 2, terribly, terribly 2.

While I was browsing my photos looking for the 2007 & 2008 ones I came across these. Just when I write about the joys of no diaper bag I see this one. What a sweet photo, look at that eyebrow. I really sometimes wish she was still a baby. If we had a digital camera in 2005 I could post another cute baby. I do have a scanner but it is a little feisty.

Instead of a baby shot I will leave you with Mia Kate, 50's Dancer, Halloween 2006, age one.

Pumpkin Patch

This morning we made our traditional trip to Schaake's Pumpkin Patch. We were up and at it and there by 9:00 because we had to make it back for afternoon preschool. The girls enjoyed riding the tractor out to the patch and seeing the chickens and cows. After the patch we headed back to town and had a nice lunch before school. Here are some photos from our wonderful morning!

We had the wagon to ourselves, early birds get the worms?

Princess in the patch!

Looking for the perfect one!

Bradley & Jillian

Hold me, hold me.

Our own little pumpkin!

Checking out the 512 pound pumpkin!
Checking out the chickens.
Attempt at a sisterly shot.
Mia wanted to hold Jillian?

Plus, you know what makes trips like these so easy, no diaper bag, that's what! You just put your shoes on and get in the car and go. Nice, very very nice!

Jayhawks on Parade!

On Saturday morning we got up rather early and headed to Lawrence. We were in town before our fellow tailgaters were ready, so we decided to walk around campus with the girls. Our little camel (holding water), Jilli, had not went to the restroom for 12 1/2 hours by the time we left our house. She tried 3 times at home and once at Quik-Trip. With that in mind, we headed towards an indoor restroom, as opposed to a port-a-potty near our tailgate.

Our stop was at Jayhawk bookstore, where I quickly made a mental Christmas list. While I took Jilli to the bathroom, Brad and Mia Kate had a photo shoot outside. Jilli finally let loose in the quite posh bathroom at the bookstore. We then strolled down Jayhawk Boulevard and down the hill and met up with our family. The girls had a birthday party back in Olathe that they were dying to go to, so we didn't stay for the game, but watched some on the hill.

For those of you familiar with the campus, Jillian chose to walk from the football field, past Potter's Lake, up all of the stairs to the education building. That is a long way for a 2 year old!
She was pretty slow and kept stopping and talking to herself. She then got a KU flag and was waving it while she walked.

Not looking too comfy huh? I think she was so excited about her "Jayhawk Game" that she wouldn't go to the bathroom. She is totally holding it in this picture.

Jayhawk #1

MK sports her new cheerleading outfit, an extra big size to grow into!
She has been waiting since her birthday to wear it.

Jayhawk #2 Mosaic Jayhawk

Also sporting her red converse sneakers. We picked these for back to school because she needs to learn to tie shoes. She chose red over pink

"because I can wear them with my Jayhawk clothes."

Also note, her dad took this picture, she must have propped that knee up on her own.

Jayhawk #3 Mermaid Jay
I think this was her favorite because she was able to "ride" it.

Much better.

Nothing like a piggy back ride from Dad.

Boo! Put me on your back Mom!

Brad and Mia Kate were so far ahead of us that they got the car and came and picked us up. While I was walking at a snail's pace, I noticed this little ditty of a house, wouldn't it be

nice. I never minded my walks back to my sorority house after class (before class I had no time to look, I was hauling it to make it on time or eating a bowl of cereal while I walked) because the houses next to campus were so charming!

Tiny Dancers

Earlier this week Mia and Jilli began dance class for the year. Jillian's is actually Mommy and Me, so I guess I started too. Her class is right before Mia's and my whole plan was for Mia to sit on the side and color. She was completely okay with the idea.

Well, we arrive and Jilli and one other kid are the only kids in the class. So the teacher invited Mia to participate. I was a little torn, of course it was awesome for Mia to have an extra hour of gym time, but also this was supposed to be Jilli's class. For the past year Jilli has sat in the lobby of dance, soccer, and swim class waiting on Mia. The last half of dance last year she stood by the window in her own tutu doing the ballet moves that Mia's class was doing. Nothing is fair or equal, but we will see how it goes. I know for sure Mia has to stop the last 15 minutes of class because she needs a snack before she has her class!

Speaking of her class, she is so happy that her little friends Ava and Grace are in class with her. Mia loves dance/gymnastics and is moving right along with her skills. At dinner the evening of class she shared that her favorite part of the day was "Doing dance/gymnastics alone, you know the class when I was in there with my friends."

5 Minutes Peace

We have a children's book titled 5 Minutes Peace by Jill Murphy. The story is about a Mother Elephant who tries to sneak away for a bubble bath and is interrupted by her elephant children. I was actually cleaning a bookshelf today and came across it. An hour later I was taking a shower for my WGNO and it went a little like this........

Get in the shower and start shampooing my hair, the curtain flings open.

MK: Mom, you can't leave you didn't finish putting up the Halloween decorations. We aren't going to have time, Halloween is tomorrow.
Moi: We have time, Halloween is over a month away.
MK: Oh, well can you give me something to decorate my room.
Moi: Okay, now shut the curtain, you are getting water on the floor.
MK: (Staring strangely at my arm.) Mom, you know I don't like it when band-aids get wet.
Moi: Okay, but it is my band aid and it is fine. (I had just had a flu shot.)

Shuts the curtain, continue with conditioner. One minute later hear the door open, but the curtain remains closed.

Brad: I just wanted you to know that the lunch meat is starting to spoil.
Moi: Okay.
Brad: Well, there is a lot of it and it is rotten.
Moi: Okay, well I quit feeding it to Jilli because she was making a mess with it on the ground.
Brad: Well, neither one of them will eat it.
Moi: Well, they devoured it last week.
Brad: Well, I am just telling you.

Shuts the door. I am thinking about what Jillian will want next, but she must have been watching t.v. because she never bothered me, good Jilli! Turn off the water, open the curtain and Mia Kate is back.

MK: I am hungry.
Moi: Your dad is in charge of dinner.
MK: I want popcorn. The quesadilla doesn't taste the same as last time. (He probably snuck in the lunch meat, ha.)

I am sure all of those completely RANDOM conversations could have waited. But, I wouldn't change it for the world. Probably the reason why I take 10 minute showers, because when you subtract away all of the time spent solving household problems, I am left with 5 minutes peace, sometimes.

MK's 1st Day of Pre-K

Mia Kate: 4 1/2 years young
Totally her father's child. "The sun is too bright!"

Posing before the Jackson Pollock canvas that she helped paint last school year.

Gotta throw one in of Buggie.

Earlier this week Mia Kate started Pre-K. She is attending three afternoons a week, which is a change for her. Last year she attended in the morning. So, all morning on her first day she kept asking and asking what time I was going to take her. She enjoyed it, sat right down, no big deal. I think she really likes her class, she talks about school all of the time.

Jilli and I enjoyed a little extra time alone. We plan on doing our groceries one day and I can also run while Mia Kate is at school, pushing only one in the stroller, yeah! I have so many plans for us, not sure when Jilli will nap, but she will.

I am so happy for Mia Kate, I think she will always be a great student.