Play date and the Pumpkin Patch

So, last Friday, Little and Middle C came over for a few hours in the afternoon. So it was just me and 4 kids 9 and under. Two things: One, I'm (again) pretty darn proud of myself for making it though the afternoon without any catasrophies! I was just a bit nervous about having 4 by myself! And two, I don't know why I found this so significant, but Middle C is a girl. Being a girl myself and growing up with two sisters, this should not be a big thing, but I found myself slightly confused during the conversations I had with her and the games we would play. I couldn't figure out why I was so befuddled, but about half way through the afternoon, it hit me. "Of course she doesn't want to play all afternoon with her little brother and two other boys! She's a girl!" Don't get me wrong, Middle C can definitely play with the boys and can beat them at their own games if need be, but... she still wanted to "go shopping", to draw and color and I didn't have to speak in the third person! Does my befuddlement make sense? I've gone from loving my nephews, but not seeing them every day, to loving my nephews and living with them; talking with a 2 and a 4 year old all day, every day; playing super heroes and making up names for Army men; and finally spending time with a 9 year old girl! Thanks Middle C for teaching me how to think outside the box!

Back in July, Andrew and James helped plant a Pumpkin Patch. Well, isn't really a patch, just one plant, but look how that thing has taken off! There is one really big pumpkin and a couple more little ones. We're all hoping that they turn orange for Halloween! The patch has been a great learning tool for the boys. They're learning how to plant and watch things grow as well as learning a lot about bugs. We found a praying mantis and a stink bug on the leaves!

Little C in the Pumpkin Patch.



Middle C and James in the Pumpkin Patch. Can you see the big pumpkin right by her knee?



One of their favorite games in the bouncy castle is to turn the blower off and let it deflate a little. Then they turn the blower on again and wait to be pushed up.

He was asking me to "fly" him into the bouncy castle. He was having loads of fun.



Andrew, Little C, James and Middle C. I couldn't quite get all them in the same picture, but you can see that there were 4. (Although Andrew looks a little uncomfortable in this picture, he was physically fine. See comment above about their favorite game.)