October is always crazy busy at our house and this year was no different. I blinked and it was over. Here are the highlights from our fun filled month.
1. You know it's a good October when you're cheering for the Cardinals in the post season. They had a good run, but ended up being swept by the eventual world series champions, Washington Nationals. I loved sharing the post season excitement with my boy, who were completely into the post season hype. We miss watching baseball already.
2. Fall ball ended with a few freezing evenings at the ball park. I missed both of their last games, either working or home keeping T warm. Here's Rowan at the last game I got to go see. He's improved so much this year, learning how to be quite the hitter in coach pitch, even after missing all the pre-season practices with a broken arm. It was just me at this game, which meant I got to go to dinner with just Rowan which was a special treat.
This led to lots of confusion when the kid in the Cubs shirt asked if we could turn the TV to the Cardinals game. Believe me I know how unnatural this situation is.
3. Fall finally arrived, then quickly turned to all out winter. The first fall feeling evening called for a bonfire and smores. The boys went on their fall campout this month as well, but I don't have any pictures of that. I hear it was a smashing success at a camping location they've never been before.
4. October also means time for tree planting. We've been waiting all year for fall to arrive so we could finally plant a tree at third base. There is always an argument about the location of third base and a tree was a perfect solution to this problem. We got a little red bud because it's the state tree and because this particular location needed a smaller tree to avoid messing with sewer lines. We planted it over fall break when we were all sick with a cough/cold situation and struggled to do anything productive. Zane felt miserable, as you can see, since he didn't have any energy to help with the tree planting.
5. We had previously planned on going to the farm on fall break, but all our fun activities had to be cancelled since we all felt miserable and had no energy. We tried to put together a few fun things, in between naps. Cut out Halloween cookies aren't a yearly tradition, but we did it this year in our attempt to do fun things on our pathetic fall break.
6. We also went back to the pumpkin patch, where three years ago Zane and Rowan had posed with a little pumpkin for a picture that would announce we were having another boy. Here they are three years later, our littlest pumpkin isn't that little anymore.
After pumpkins we headed to Pops for soda and dinner. Pops is overrun by honeybees on their patio, which gave Rowan a chance to find his bee whispering skills. It also gave me a chance to tell the kids about having honey bees growing up and my dad killing all of them when threats of killer bees heading to Oklahoma came out. Such a dad thing to do.
7. Our first official Halloween activity this year was the Cub Scouts Trunk or Treat. This was supposed to be outside, but do to freezing temperatures and rain it was moved inside. We'd worked on all sorts of Harry Potter decorations for our car, that we ended up not being able to us, but everyone still had a fantastic time. This was the costume Thatcher had planned on wearing for Halloween, but we couldn't fit any clothes under it, so we had to switch it to the very warm dinosaur costume.
Luna and Voldermort once more, our go to costumes.
The giant spider was originally supposed to be on top of our car, but this worked too I guess. Throw the skulls into the cauldrons came about with little to know thought, but it was a huge hit.
Batman was very excited to see his pal Woody.
8. Zane decided, once again, to celebrate his heart birthday at school this year instead of end of the year summer birthday celebrations. He's done this every year so far and it's proven to be a great experience. Each year he tells his class/teacher about his experience as a heart warrior and why he celebrates his heart birthdays.
This year his sweet teacher gave him special claps for his heart birthday at the whole school assembly on Friday. I could have never dreamed of being blessed with such a supportive and loving school family, nine years ago when he was diagnosed. I might have cried a little at the assembly, just so grateful for these wonderful teachers who truly adore my kids.
Here is Zane on his ninth heart birthday, with our traditional heart shaped cake to celebrate all the miracles thought brought us to this day.
9. I got to go with the first graders on the most ridiculous field trip, potentially ever in the history of field trips, this month as well. This day it was thirty five degrees and spitting freezing rain. Oh and that morning the pumpkin patch/farm was out of power due to the storms from the night before. So there were no lights in the buildings and no heat. There was one building with a few animals to feed and one where they could ride horses, everything else was outside in the rain and mud. Sounds like a great time, right? It was fully miserable. Rowan and I lasted almost an hour and a half before we bailed on the whole thing, went home, snuggled on the couch, and watched a movie. After we regained felling in our hands and feet it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.
Rowan looks exactly like his father, especially when he's in this hat.
10. The October birthday party was supposed to be at Able's house this year, but Able was sick that day so we had a make shift one at my house the following evening. Pumpkins were carved, smores were had, and a little tiny hedgehog toddled around my house. So cute!
This was the first year that both of my big boys carved their pumpkins by themselves. Grandma tried to help Rowan, but from what I hear he refused all help and had a clear vision of what he wanted his pumpkin to look like.
11. We ended out the month with Zane's yearly cardiology appointment. This is a day that Zane and I spend together and always includes white mac and cheese from Panera Bread. I think the mac and cheese makes all the surgeries and doctors visits worthwhile to Zane. This year it was freezing cold outside, raining, and everything was running behind in the clinic so it was a long, drawn out, process. However, we got great news from the doctor who said his valve is working wonderfully with almost no regurgitation. This hopefully means that Zane won't need another valve replacement for a good long while. I think he will outgrow this valve quicker than the experts think since he's bound to be a huge man. I'm still preparing myself for another surgery as a teenager and if he ends up not needing it until later that will be a pleasant surprise. Never again will I be caught completely off guard by the inevitable.
Freezing to death while waiting to see the doctor.
