chris.reese.girls1.2.3.4

Paige turned NINE this year!! No big birthday bash with friends this year, but she still felt like a queen for her handful of birthday activities!  She loved bringing chocolate donuts from our local amazing bakery to her classmates. YUM!  We spent a little time out a recess with her, too. Note: she's wearing her new birthday outfit from Grandma Dalley! Super cute.  On her birthday she opted for The Cheesecake Factory. Delish!  She opened her gifts there. Such fun things from her Grandparents and lots of cards and gifts from her Aunties and cousins.  Two days later she got her birthday gift from Chris and I: a trip to the American Girl store. It just so happened they had craft night going on...the girls got to make post cards.  We spent over an hour at the store while she paced and made decisions. She had a stipend from us to spend and her own wad of money she's saved up over the year.  Her doll got these PJs last year...

Finley's "Mommy Preschool" ventured to a pumpkin patch for a little field trip. Most of the patches around here are organic-focused (Boo!) and not fun-focused. It's slim pickins. We opted for the Pun'kin Time Farm in Fall City that has a short hay ride and authentic patch to pick a pumpkin. It was a decent spot close to home on a very cold day. We were lucky to miss the rain since it had been down-pouring all week.   We got to the patch without the memory card in my camera (Ugh!), so had to settle for cell phone pics. Oh well! Captured the fun well enough!  I really enjoyed being able to focus solely on Fin. For most of the kids' pumpkin patch field trips, I've always had a younger kid in tow. But not so when it's the youngest! She got me all to herself!  The hay ride was super fun going through major swampy spots and LOTS of mud.  Her pumpkin pick! Love going to the pumpkin patch!

Most of October was blissfully gorgeous weather-wise. We had quite the string of warm days. One of those days we decided to hit the pumpkin patch. We picked Paige up a few minutes early from school and headed south. We live out in the "forest" but there are no big pumpkin farms/patches out this direction. Most of the activity-packed ones are south or north of us. We decided to try Maris Farms in Buckley. It was an hour drive and we were one of two other families that we encountered on the entire farm. We had the place to ourselves and it was awesome !!  Paige begged and begged for this cat. I don't even think it was up for the taking, but she kept sneaking into the barn and snuggling up with it. She really loves animals and asks at least 5 times a week if we can get a dog or a cat. This was one of the favorite activities and we came back to do it a few times: Feeding the Goats on the Goatwalk. Those goats come running as soon as thos...

Our kids rotate friend birthday parties every other year and Brynn was thrilled for her "Elsa" party. It was great to reuse a few things from Finley's Frozen party in the Spring. Brynn got so excited as the day approached. Of all my kids, this girl cherishes her friends and always looks forward to being with them more than the other girls. She couldn't wait for all 13 friends (yes, 13 - I'm crazy) to come over. Pin the carrot nose on Olaf. Eating time! The kids snarfed! Cute cousins Miles and Claire Knock over the snowmen with snowballs. And then we made our own snowmen with TP. Oh man, the excitement level in the room was so fun to watch!  Little Claire wasn't so sure she liked it as it continued on...  Here is the whole group. Brynn is the mummy in the middle. Every single friend Brynn invited (plus a few extras) were able to come to her party. Lucky girl! (Standing: Finley, Madelyn, Claire, Quinci, Brynn,...