Fall Events

 Our fall was HOT! I think we tied or came close to the latest cold front coming to Houston so it was very warm this fall. Thankfully, we've grown accustomed to the heat and still get outside. Ashton celebrated her birthday and we had contemplated getting her a bigger bike. We decided to wait until Christmas. Well, a week after her birthday, the tire blew on her old bike. It would cost 30-40 to repair it or 80 for a new, bigger bike. So we decided to get the next size up and then we'll fix the old bike when Gemma is ready for it in 4+ years. It's a little tall but still good for her. She loves being able to go faster and that it has a kickstand and a handbrake.

Tanner wanted his picture taken too. Everyone that sees him riding a two-wheeler is always shocked that he can do it.

 Chick-Fil-A hosted a Pirate and Princess night. We went for FHE and got some ice cream for the kids. It was well worth it as they handed out free kids meal coupons for each kid. They planned really fun activities for the kids and they loved dressing up. Tanner missed the memo that it was pirates and just thought it was dress up so he was a Firefighter Pirate instead.

A tropical storm made landfall not far from us and caused a lot of rain in Houston. While not as severe as Hurricane Harvey, it did some serious damage to the east side of Houston and eastern Texas. School was cancelled one day and released early another day. It rained a ton for a few days but the kids could care less. Gemma spent as much time outside splashing in puddles and playing in the rain. One mom on our street had the great idea of just having her kids wear their swimsuits in the rain, which was exactly what I needed to do. Then I didn't have tons of sopping clothes to wash all day.

Before the storm hit, the ice cream truck came to visit. We typically buy ice cream from the truck about once a year so the kids were thrilled with it. $7 is pretty pricey for ice cream so Gemma just got a popsicle from the freezer while the big kids picked out a fancy treat.

Ashton had Columbus Day off from school and we enjoyed a fun day with the three kiddos. It's odd; before Ashton went to kindergarten, I often had some anxiety about the three kids home all day with me (like days she didn't have preschool). But now, I welcome the nice break from the school schedule. I can see me liking summer break for about a week or two and then wanting the routine back. It was nice to have a day home with her. We celebrated by heading to the Y so Ashton could play there too and then went to Chick-Fil-A. Because the kids had free kid's meals, I spent a dollar for the entire lunch meal. Gotta love a cheap meal with three kids.

After naps that day, we ventured out to a new church for a pumpkin "patch." The kids picked their pumpkins for painting and had fun.

We spent one Sunday afternoon exploring the lake in our big subdivision. It is a little further than our pool/park area so the big kids rode their bikes down to it. We saw an alligator and a bunch of turtles and jumping fish. It was the perfect weather for a nice bike ride and then we spent lots of time at the park. For once, there were several other families there to interact with so the kids enjoyed it.