Lydia's creepy snacks

Since Ryan's first week of Kindergarten we have realized that snack time is a VERY important part of the day at McGaheysville Elementary School. Last year and this year we receive calendars each month with the names of the children on given days for them to bring snack in to share with the class. Each child gets one day per month. Snacks always need to be nutritious and yummy. Typically I send in goldfish crackers, granola bars, bananas, etc. For the month of October I have decided to celebrate my favorite holiday--Halloween!

Lydia's snack day is tomorrow and Emily's is next Wednesday. For Lydia, we decided to make creepy popcorn hands. I imagined them a lot cuter than they turned out, but the kids had a lot fun helping to make them!! Thought I would display our finished product. A special thanks to Sarah Kesner for getting us those gloves!

Ryan filling his hand with popcorn

Emily and Lydia filling their gloves with popcorn. They had some trouble putting the candy corns in the fingernails so Ryan and I did that part.

Carter Mountain Apple Orchard

Last year we went with the Settle's to the Carter Mountain Apple Orchard Festival in Charlottesville Virginia. (Click on Settle Family to see that post). We had such a great time that we planned to go with them again this year. Due to Becky's foot surgery they were unable to go. We asked my friend, Rabia and her family if they would like to come with us and they agreed to go. In addition, my brother Paul and his family came to meet up with us for a while.

What an amazing day! The weather could not have been more beautiful and everyone had such a great time! We picked 33 lbs. of apples and are hoping to make my Grandma Leftwich's famous applesauce recipe!

This is a picture of the kids overlooking the city of Charlottesville. L to R--Ryan, Frances, Emily, Henry and Lydia. Adella had already gone, but she is in the picture below with Paul. I think the kids ate about 5 apples a piece today :)
Ryan climbing trees to pick some apples--he was loving that!!

Lydia taking a break


Henry and Mike

At the festival there is bluegrass music playing. The kids got up on this "stage" and danced and danced.

Rollin with the big boys!

Friday Night High School Football Night! Always a good time in Rockingham County. The high school in our school district is Spotswood High School. Tonight was their Homecoming game and they invited the local pee wee football leagues to come and participate in team introductions prior to game time.

From the point that Ryan's coach, Curtis, told the kids the other night that they could go to the Spotswood game and be introduced before the game, Ryan has been soooooo very excited! Imagine his disappointment when he found out he would not be actually PLAYING on the Spotswood football field :). His team has 10 players on it, but only 5 boys showed up and their coach had to work tonight so an assistant coach from another team stayed with the Packers while they ran out on the field.

In the pictures I have included show all the teams lined up, making an aisle for the Spotswood Trailblazers to run through. As the team ran through this aisle, they high-fived all the kids. Once Ryan realized what was going to happen, he was so excited to see the "big kids" up close. He was clapping with the rest of the group of kids and trying desperately to see around the kids that were standing in front of him.

As he came off of the football field he was smiling from ear to ear. I told him how great it was that he got to high-five the football players and asked if he had a good time. He very excitedly said yes and then said "they scared me." I asked him what they did that scared him. He said "I thought they might step on me." :)

The blurry blue things in this picture are the Spotswood football players. If you click on the picture you can enlarge it to see Ryan's hand extended for a high-five.

The movie is of the actual introduction of Ryan's team.

1st Day of the Season

Today was the opening day for Ryan's flag football league. There was an opening ceremony

before the game started. All the members of the different teams, and their coaches were introduced by the Head Coach for the Spotswood High School (Ryan's school's high school) football Trailblazers. He talked to the kids about making good grades and paying attention to your coaches. It was a nice little ceremony. All 6 teams played their games after the ceremonies were over. Ryan is on the Packers team and they played the Cowboys team today. The kids are 6, 7 and 8 years old so they are just out there having fun, but I have to say the parents of football players are VERY different than the parents of t-ball players!!! Lots of them seem to be living vicariously through their children. They get angry over really stupid stuff! Should be an interesting season--if we make it :)!

Ryan's fans :)

Football Season

After Ryan had such a great time playing t-ball this past spring, he decided he wanted to play flag football this fall with a little boy from his class. By the time we found out his friend, Kemper was playing, it was too late for them to be on the same team. He ended up on a team where he does know two of the kids, but they are both in the 2nd grade at his school instead of the 1st grade. He is the youngest and the smallest kid on the team and we are beginning to wonder if we made a mistake, but he is really enjoying it. Games are starting this Saturday and he gets his jersey on Thursday. I will post some more pictures when I take some of him wearing the jersey. I am posting his schedule so if you are in Elkton and want to head over to the ball fields at the park (park is behind the elementary school and the ball fields are down from where Mick or Mack used to be, but I don't know the name of the park) to watch a game--we'd love it!

Sept 19 10:00 am--this is opening day and we have to be there at 8:30 for the ceremony that will be held on Saturday

Sept 24 6:00 pm

Sept 26 10:00 am

Oct 1 7:00 pm

Oct 3 9:00 am

Oct 5 6:00 pm

Oct 10 11:00 am

Oct 15 7:00 pm

Oct 19 6:00 pm

Oct 24 9:00 am

Oct 29 6:00 pm

Oct 31 9:00 am

The day after . . .

Yesterday our close family and friends came over to help celebrate Ryan's 6th birthday and Lydia and Emily's 4th birthday. It was a great time!! The kids LOVED everything they received, but the girls each received a tea set to have tea parties. They had so much fun this morning serving tea to me and to each other. They dressed up in their princess dress up clothes and set up their table, combining both tea sets. Ryan even came over for a minute to sample some tea, but was quickly finished and did not want to hang around the pink tea setting for too long. Ryan spent most of the morning building a helicoptor, robot, and go kart with his erector set that he received. I just love these pictures!

Happy Birthday!!

Another year has passed and the kids are 6, 4 and 4. Can't believe it! Where does the time go? Why does this mean I have to get older too? :) We had their traditional group party/cookout the Sunday before Labor Day. Very fun, as always! We have not been brave enough to host a party with the kids friends, but think we may try that next year. As always, the kids received some TERRIFIC presents and we so appreciated all the friends and family that came! Lydia and Emily had the hardest time understanding the following Wednesday that THAT day was their actual birthday. They were certain that their birthday was the day of the party :). Ryan and the girls took Rice Krispie Treats in to school for their "school party." It is always such a great time for them! Check out our pictures.