Pumpkin Patch!

Look at our babies! 4 out of 6 years going to the pumpkin patch have been up to Irvine Park. 6 out of 7 of Drew's years on this earth have we have been to at least one pumpkin patch. Not too bad! It took me forever to find the below pictures and it makes me so happy to see them! I have also realized that it is pretty hard getting a decent picture:)

 

I was trying so hard to get a picture of the kids for our fall cards, but dang it I do not think I did! Emma was crying, Drew would not really sit next to his sisters, Lilly kept throwing her elbow up to pose, and they insisted on making funny faces! It got a little frustrating for me! But we did have a lot of fun at the ONLY, yep the ONLY, pumpkin patch we went to this year!

 

 

 

We even got on the train this year even though Lilly looked like this to being with! She calmed down after a bit then just kept saying how much she loved the train!

Em and Drew did just fine.

And we even saw Erin and the kids getting off of the train! Funny to run into them so far away from home.

 

 

Of course we had to see how big the kids were getting this year! I remember not too long ago when Lilly was a newborn we let drew hold her while I took our fall picture! Time is flying!

 

Connor's Birthday Party

 

Two weekends ago was Connor's baseball themed 7th birthday party. The kids dressed up in their baseball gear and we headed to an HB park to play ball! I did not play, of course, but Drew did and had so much fun with his cousin. Lilly even got out there with the help of Auntie Chow and daddy. She loved playing in the outfield and posing for some pictures. Emma, being the total girl that she is cheered from the sidelines while the first game was being played. During the pinata Em did not hit the thing...such a girl! Me, also such a girl, spent a lot of my time in the motor home. What can I say, I am not a fan of parks!

It was a chilly Sunday at the park, but I know Connor had so much fun with all of his baseball friends and Drew. It was a little amazing to me how all of the kids kept tossing balls and playing because they all played games earlier that day...man they just love baseball! I would be sick of it! Now it is only 4 months until Bubby turns 7! I am sad!

Pumpkin Party

We had another memorial to attend, but there was no way The Lee family was going to miss The Giangrande's 3rd Annual Pumpkin Party!

 

We got there so late due to the memorial and the girls having rehearsal, but we still had a great time hanging out with the G's and Lily. We missed Jen, but we will see her this weekend, she always has a concert to go to on that day:) It is also the one time of the year I get to see Sarah G and catch her up on my sisters and I. Derek enjoys talking with Mike and I am always blown away by all of the food Erin has. Of course the homegrown pumpkins are a hit.

What else was a hit was Mike's fake grass sample. It looked so real. Derek was trying to get Mike to make a putting section in his backyard. Sounded like a maybe;)

Just Keep Running!

No wrapping paper, no chocolate, no popcorn to sell for school...but they do run! They run, run, run to raise money for the school. It is the only fundraiser for the year and from what I could tell from last year, they raise some big $$. Em's class was first, followed by Drew's. Em ran under 15 laps (I can not remember) and Drew ran 20! He did so good! Em is defiantly a ballerina and not a runner! haha

 

 

It was so hot that day! Thank goodness Drew's teacher was just taking pictures and not running, that baby girl in her belly may not have liked the heat so much! But she might have been rocking out to all of the "jammin" music they had rockin. No, really, there were parents and teachers dancing all around. I do not think I drank enough coffee by 10am to be like that.

I just kept taking pictures and tried not to let Lilly wonder away or get naked like she did last year! Yep, our naked-butt kept her clothes on, cheered for her brother and sister, played on the tablet, and did not run off to the playground!

A classmate of Em's grandma made a cute sign for her grandson, Evan. That was awesome to see her cheer! I would not be surprised if next year there were other parents/family members that did the same.

Isn't he so dang cute!

A little much?

When Mike was done from SLO to attend Richard's wedding we got,

and this is what Derek and Mike did all day on Sunday. Well, besdies drink & BBQ all sorts of meat.

But what fun is a Sunday with just watching football when we have so many other technological devices? Why not have golf and baseball on? I am surprised that they did not pull the TV from our room in there with them!

So now every Sunday I try to watch a game, but it gets interrupted all of the time! It drives me crazy! I know that most men love that channel/network (I really do not know what it is) and I love that we get to watch so many different games and those that are not even aired here, but dang! I want to know what led up to that touchdown or an incredible catch! I guess I am thinking way to much about the entire thing.

Like I said I love the channel, but I am also happy when 5pm comes around and I get to watch an entire game during Sunday Night Football!

My Gym!

**my camera phone stinks!**

We LOVE going to FREE events at My Gym. http://www.my-gym.com/. Since I do so much stuff with the kids I am always looking for free or cheaper stuff to take them to. I am saving my pennies on things until the kids get older and start to care! haha. Anyways, they have open houses a few times a year and we have been to birthday parties there. The place is fun for the kids and us adults get to hang out for a bit.

With that being said, I am not sure what happened, but I found myself signing Lilly up to join My Gym. I am trying to blame someone until her 2 months there is up! Could it have been.....

Kaya coming over to play on Friday for a bit while Jonee and I had a glass of wine?

Could it have been later that same night I went out with Mar to the wine bar?

Or maybe going there this time with Mar, Leydy, & baby Sam (Sam has a membership) along with seeing Jen and the kiddies? They had so much fun!

Or maybe that I had to run and pick up Drew from baseball. That is when the My Gym staff got me! I really had to leave to get Drew, but did not want to be rude! I really had to go to Grant's 2nd birthday, Gabba Gabba, themed birthday party? Grant is the little guy on the right that was refusing to look at the camera all afternoon.

Whatever the reason, Lilly has been enjoying her time at My Gym. She gets one more month and then no more for her. It is fun, but nothing that she does not already do with me, her friends, in ballet or at the park.

Playdate Fun

I avoided the entire last school year without having a playdate for Drew with any of his little school friends. Honestly, I do not have the time. If that makes me a 'mean mommy' then so be it. Those that read my blog know my kids are never bored, but dang a playdate with a new kid takes a lot of time! Especially, if a parent comes. I am also not ready for Drew to go to a house of parents I do not know. That issue with me is still something I am going to have to get over and be honest with new parents. I also really do not want to make any new friends and if that parent is in the mood to make a friend then, well, I have a hard time saying no. Drew never asks for playdates. WHO BROUGHT IT UP TO HIM!! Really, if Drew asked I would have made more of an effort. Connor, Caden, my mothers group, family, and our neighbors seemed to do just fine last year. However, I think the lack of seeing family and Caden and me no longer being in the moms group might have had an effect on him. That, or he really just wants a play date.

So crap... he asked me almost everyday last week and finally I set up a playdate with his little 'best friend' Cameron. They were in kinder together and ended up in the same 1st grade class. Drew was so excited! He talked about it the entire night and morning yesterday. He is just so sweet. Cameron is just as sweet! Cameron walked home with us, had some chocolate milk (my kiddies super excited since they hardly get that), they watched some TV, played in his room & the wii and then it was 3:45. His mom is very sweet and has another child in 7th grade, so she is kind of a pro in this playdate area. Next playdate will probably be soon:)

Poor Drew just wanted to hang out with his BFF, but his dang sister wanted to hang out with them. I finally just had to take her away from them by asking her to clean her room.

Well, she cleaned it. I gave her a big thank you, helped her a little bit more by putting things in the proper places (I am strict about that), gave her a kiss and walked out. I walked back in to Emma rolling around on her rug to music surrounded by some of the girls shoes. She is one funny girl.

What was Lilly doing? Rolling around in the bathtub. She has been taking 2-3 baths a day! I think she misses being in the pool:)

Family day at San Juan Capistrano Mission

 

 

I have never been to the San Juan Capistrano Mission before. Many southern California kids go there in 4th or 5th grade while learning about the beautiful California missions, but since we moved so much and to two different schools in the same district in two years I just missed it. At the time I was happy that I got to miss having to make a replica mission, but it took me until 32 to get over to see one. I think there are 21 missions in Ca and now that I have the itch to see them all, do not be surprised if you read about more of them in the near future. Take a look, http://www.missionsjc.com/.

Walking through the mission while listening to the head set things, the kids loved them, on a beautiful Sunday was perfect. The kids LOVED it there. My mom had not been there since she went with Ty & Hailee years and years ago, so I think she had a good time too. It is always so nice to go to places even if you have gone before because it is really a different experience. Different for my mom this time because she went with my kids and us. Brian, the stinker, did not go with us. He says he has been there before. This is true. He went to school there 50 years ago!! That was hilarious to me. I wonder how much it has changed?? haha. Derek could not remember the last time he was there, and as mentioned before I had never been there.

Of course, it was full of history. Derek and I compare it to the old churches and plantations back east. However, back east has a much older, albeit new world, history than here. I MISS BACK EAST! The walls of the Mission and old cemetery drew me in and the lily-pads were a huge hit with the kids. Thanks mom for going with us!

Since it was family day for my mom's side of the the family we met the rest of the family down the street for lunch at Ricardo's. Our family is getting smaller and smaller out here in Cali! Now that my Aunt & Uncle are getting divorced, the death of my Nannie, Poppie basically bed ridden, and my sisters back east....well, it just stinks. We make the most of it though! Next time I am sure Jo and Ken will be here and my Uncle can join us because he had a gold tourny to attend.

Oh well! Anywhoo, Mexican is always a hit with us! The harpist that played next to our table was beautiful and the food was pretty good. We did not have a drink, but my Auntie Deb & Brian split a pitcher of rita! Things are-a-changing! After walking around the Mission and having lunch 1.5hrs late we were STARVING! Good thing I was hungry and ate quickly because we had to leave fast for Drew's baseball game! We had another busy, busy day!