Celebrating Gigi

On Sunday night, we went over to Mama Pat and Granddaddy's house to celebrate my mom's birthday.  We enjoyed a delicious supper and had a good time.

I made a chocolate chip cheesecake for the occasion.  I was a little daunted by the task, but cheesecake is the birthday girl's favorite dessert.

The girls were very excited to see Uncle Austin...who obliged them by swinging them around for a bit.

Happy birthday, Mom!  We love you!

Pumpkin Patch Day!

Well, it finally arrived this weekend.  I think Pumpkin Patch Day may be one of my favorite events of the year.  The kids just love it, and they get to do so many things they never do anywhere else...

Like ride on a hayride,

 Look at the animals,

  

 

(Not surprisingly, the pigs were Sara's favorite.  She thinks pigs are hilarious.)

 Feed the animals! 

(Go, Aunt Melissa!)

Ride a horse named Queenie! 

Sleep on a hayride...

 Pick Pumpkins in the Patch,

 

(Hallie had to have a GREEN one, of course!)

Navigate a Hay Bale Maze... 

Play in a Tractor Full of Cotton Straight from the Field,

And just get so worn out that they sleep all the way home...

This was our third year in a row to visit Old Baker Farm, and the trip didn't disappoint.  We went early in the season this year, which meant it was HOT.  This also meant that we didn't stay as long as usual, so we'll probably make sure and pick a cooler day next year.  But we were some of the first ones to visit the patch this year, so we had our pick of really good-looking pumpkins in the patch. 

We were glad that Aunt Melissa and Uncle Austin came along for the festivities.  As you can tell from the pictures, the girls really love spending time with them.  I'm still amazed that the girls rode Queenie, but it was funny how the longer we were there the less frightened they were of the animals and of trying new things.  Hallie even managed to walk calmly in the vicinity of an unfamiliar (old, tame, and sweet) golden retriever on our way out of the farm.  (For anyone who doesn't know, such a scene would usually include her climbing me, shrieking in horror.)  And of course this was Brooks's first trip to the pumpkin patch.  He was a quite a trooper despite the heat and thought the hayride was oh-so-soothing.  He was sacked out! 

So, with our annual Fall activity behind us, I am ready for some cooler weather.  Happy Fall!

Tubes

Now that Brooks has been on an antibiotic for almost a month and suffered through a few ear infections, we decided we were ready for tubes.  We arrived at the hospital at 5:45 this morning, and I'm pleased to report that everything went well and he is groggy but adorable at home with his daddy today.  Hopefully he will be feeling better very soon.

Of course, they all marveled at his size, and the ENT said the anesthesiologist thought they'd written down the wrong date of birth because he was so big.  He flirted with the nurses and was his usual charming self.

Telling Gigi About Her Day

...on the kitchen table, of course.

Preparing for Kickoff

Hotty Toddy!

More from Last Weekend in Cookeville

Feeding the Ducks and Testing Mommy's Paranoia

Snuggling with Nana

Visit to a Rose Garden

And another playground

Dentist

I took the girls to their dentist appointment today--yes, totally outnumbered.  And I'm pleased to report that Sara did great for her first trip!!  This was quite a relief, since you all realize that it could have TOTALLY gone full force in the other direction.  But Hallie went first, and when the hygenist finished cleaning her teeth, Sara announced, "My turn!" and hopped up on the seat for her tooth-brushing.

Unfortunately for the dentist, the girls decided they were finished after the cleaning and were completely uninterested in him checking their teeth.  So when he arrived on the scene, chaos erupted for a couple of minutes.  The sweet hygenist took Sara from me (who was doing her typical climb-Mommy maneuver to avoid the dentist) so that I could hold Hallie and make her cooperate.  So, it was a little ugly for a bit.  But we emerged unscathed, and our teeth look good.

And in six months, it's Jason's turn to take them!  :)

Not-So-Little Man Update

Brooks had his 6 month checkup today, and he is decidedly off the chart for his height.  He's in the 95th percentile for weight (21 lbs, 10 oz) and 75th for head circumference.  So, he's pretty much a (very cute) giant.

Dr. Anderson said he looked great, but he does have an appointment with our friendly ENT next week to have a tube consultation.  He had a really bad ear infection last week--his third in just six months of life, so we're gonna go ahead and get the tubes over with.  Hopefully this will make for a much more sickness-free fall and winter.  Fingers crossed!

Burgess Falls

Walking to the Waterfall