Flashback

I started the post with two flashbacks in mind, but then found myself looking at my October 2013 picture folder - oh my, so similar to this post. The pumpkin patch, soccer games, playing outside in the leaves, art projects, and fall-ifying our house.  Are we so unoriginal we're repeating ourselves? Nope, fall is fun and we're enjoying some favorites.

Flashback...Hadley thinks it's her.

The kids spent a night with Grandma & Grandpa near the Mall of America. There were rides, games, swimming, and pizza.

Finley's school celebrated it's 20th anniversary with Walk to School Day.

Grandma brought Hadley to dance class.

Dance is weekly for the school year, so I have no intentions of posting pictures each week. But then really cute stuff happens like hand-holding...

...intense concentration...

 ...and teeny ballerinas standing on their toes.

Cavity-free, a tooth that's a smidgen looser than six-months ago, and six-year molars coming through. Good check-up Finley!

Elise turned two this week and Melissa announced she's potty trained. That lit my fire (not in a bad way towards Elise, in a ridiculous way towards Hadley). I've been changing diapers for over six years. I'm so over it. On Thursday there were tears, but she wore undies. 

On Thursday I scrubbed the couch and changed her outfit multiple times. Forced smile.

On Friday she wore undies. We went to Scheels, she tried until the toilet auto-flushed and scared the crap out of her - actually it didn't. It only freaked her out. We went to Target, she asked to go five times while we were there (our quick errand turned into 90 minutes). On Friday, SHE FINALLY WENT. She is SOOOO happy!  I am SOOOO grossed out that little girls put their hands all over the toilet seat.

Lovin' the little potty at my school, it's just her size. 

Hadley was accident-free all weekend, I didn't think it would ever happen. Goodbye diaper aisle!

My school hosted it's annual Fall Festival. There were two impressive face-painters.

Batman, Dinosaur, & Elsa.

Finley invited our neighbor to come with us. It makes him seem so big-kid to have a real friend.

Trying to remove the dinosaur.

It was a beautiful fall weekend, we kicked it off with soccer.

We visited the pumpkin patch with Spencer, Easton & Nolan.

The spooky tunnel...

...was REALLY spooky last year. Flashback.

Cousin love.

Finley's love of anything stopped here. Easton & Finley are shoving over the "tall hole" in the picture board...

...and the wagon ride was not fun at all. Thankfully Finley pulled himself together when we got home and the kids had a fun evening playing together.

Nolan was easily the cutest kid at the pumpkin patch.

Patrick's in New Mexico for the week. Which means I'm stuck running at home, my workout partner today.

When the kids were babies/small toddlers, if I was stuck running at home, I'd still get up painfully early to be done before they woke. Not so much anymore. I sleep in a little and try to time my run to be half-done when they wake. They are perfectly capable of entertaining themselves making a gigantic mess for a little bit.  Today's entertainment.

A Dunkin' Donuts breakfast.

The kids had an impromptu playdate at Carter & Owen's house. Rachel introduced Finley to the Pinterest app by having the kids make q-tip skeletons. When we got home, Finley found the app on my iPad. 

It was an arts and crafts night. 

Grandma stopped by to help us fall-ify out front.

Our neighborhood is fall-pretty.

Flashback. Summer started off a little busy, Hadley's three-year and Finley's six-year pictures weren't taken until mid-August. I didn't love the crying, whining, and bribing that was happening behind the scenes. But I love the hand-holding, the smiles, and the colors. 

She's too much.

Six-year olds look so old.

Three-year olds are full of sass.

I love the relationship these two have developed. My favorite is catching the comments, looks, and hugs when they don't know I'm looking. They really do love each other, I can see it.