Apple Orchard

We headed over to the Luce Line Apple Orchard on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  The weather was perfect and we had a great time exploring.  A few highlights:

 Brayden, Kaylee, and Kaitlyn

Being goofy!

Brayden and Gavin

Kaitlyn holding Lenny the pig.

Trying to get a group picture.  Our best attempt!

Cousins!  Kaitlyn and Brady!

Best Friends make the best swinging buddies... until they start fighting over who's turn is next. 

Kaitlyn and Kaylee

Tractor ride... Everyone fit!

Kaitlyn, Brayden, Kaylee, Gavin, Ashlynn, and Brady

Brady did awesome on the ride.

Finding our way through the corn maze!

Aunty Anny and Brady!

Daddy and Gavin in the corn maze

We had a great time with the Eggiman's and Aunty Anny and Cousin Brady.  I wish I had taken more pictures, but there was a lot of running around and pulling a wagon.

Cousins are Best Friends

As Gavin has gotten older he has really started to interact with his cousins.  Labor day weekend we went camping at Two Rivers Campground with all the cousins.  Gibson (3 1/2) and Gavin (2 1/2) are really starting to be best buddies.  We went mini golfing at the campground and the boys had a great time playing together.

Gibson watching for Gavin's ball to come through the tube.

Gavin trying to help get Gibson's ball unstuck.

Gibson and Gavin still trying to get the ball.  It was pretty stuck so I had to help get it out.

We tried to get a cute picture of the boys on the dinosaur, but neither were cooperating.

Hailey and Kaitlyn

BFF picture take 2

BFF picture take 3. Perfection!

Gavin trying a Hot Tamale for the first time.

Yep, he didn't like it!  The funny part is he kept trying different ones with the same face each time he tried one.

Big Boy Bed

No more crib.  It's been over 6 years that a crib has been in set-up in Kaitlyn and Gavin's room.  Saturday evening we took it down forever.  (No more babies in this house.)  We did some rearranging and Gavin is officially in a big boy bed.

Gavin trying out his new bed.  We bought him new sheets, but are still on the hunt for the perfect quilt or comforter.

Trying out his pillow and temporary quilt my Aunt Sandy made him when he was born.  I just wish it was a little bit bigger.

Gavin did great the first night in his bed.  He never got out and called for us in the morning when he was ready to get up.  Same for his nap on Sunday.  Yeah to an easy transition into a big boy bed!

Horse Back Riding

Ever since vacation Kaitlyn has been talking about horses.  She was only able to ride the ponies as you have to be 10 years old to go on a trail ride on the "BIG" horses.  She talks about wanting her own horse a lot. We told her that horses are expensive and that we can't keep one at our house.  It needs to live in a barn and have a big area to walk around and run.  She started thinking and asked if maybe Bobpa, or Grandma and Grandpa would buy a barn so she could have a horse.  Than she asked Nate if he could buy a trailer for her horse too.

I have a co-worker that keeps her horse at a farm in Chaska and that her friend had open slots for riding lessons for children.  So, this past Saturday Kaitlyn had her first riding lesson on a "Big" horse.  MaryEllen is a great instructor.  She taught Kaitlyn all about being safe around a horse, where to pet a horse, where a horse can see, and how to talk to a horse.  We learned a lot about how to watch a horse's ears.  Their ears can tell us a lot about what a horse is thinking.  At first Kaitlyn was a little nervous.  She whispered to me "Mom, that is the biggest horse in the world."  After a little bit Kaitlyn started getting comfortable being around Rowdy.

Kaitlyn learned how to brush a horse before putting the saddle.  How to put on a saddle and bridal.  She also learned how to lead a horse.

Kaitlyn learning how to lead a horse around the barn.

Leading Rowdy to the training arena

I am not very familiar with horses, so I even learned a lot from just observing.

Learning on how to get on a horse by herself.

Learning about the reins and how to use them.

"Rowdy Walk on" and than you give a little bump with your legs.

She learned how to turn Rowdy left and right.  Than after the lesson Kaitlyn learned how to get off a horse without a step.

Walking Rowdy out of the arena.

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Walking Rowdy back to the barn.

On our way home Kaitlyn tells me.  "Mom, horses are a lot of work... I think I will wait until I am bigger to buy a horse."  I guess the lessons worked.

Kailyn loved it!  She can't wait to go back for her next lesson. 

Gavin's Eye

A few weeks ago I rec'd a text from mom of a picture of Gavin face and the text saying "Kaitlyn in Trouble".

I guess what happened was Gavin was on his scooter when Kaitlyn decided she was going to take Cody on a walk.  At some point Cody's leash got wrapped up around Gavin's scooter and he ended up falling and landing on the handle bar of the scooter.  His eye never turned black and blue, but it did get pretty swollen.

Kaitlyn's First day of First Grade

At the dinner table after Kaitlyn's first day of 1st grade we asked her about her day.... Here are parts of the conversation...

Us: Kaitlyn, how was your first day of school?
K: Fun.  My favorite part of the day is Recess.  The playground is so much fun.  They have a tire swing and monkey bars.
Us: What else did you like and do?
K: We played and I got to type my lunch number into this cool keypad.  Now, can we go back to talking about Recess?
Us: (Laughing) okay what else do you like about recess?
** She further explained about Recess and how much fun she had.
Us: We continued to ask her more about her day...
K: I really don't like my bus teacher.  (aka: Bus Driver)
Us: Why?
K: He makes us sit down when the bus is moving.

Another interesting conversation happened a few days later while I was getting Kaitlyn's lunch ready.

Me: Can you bring your water bottle to lunch with you?
K: Yes
Me: Okay, good... can you buy milk if you wanted to if you bring home lunch?
K: Mom, I am really trying to like chocolate milk!
Me: Oh, you know chocolate milk isn't that good for you.  Why don't you just get white milk?
K: Because, everyone else gets chocolate milk... Like everyone in the whole world.
Me: Oh, but you don't have to drink chocolate milk if you don't like even if everyone else is.  Just get the white milk since you know you like that.
K: Okay mom!
** I asked her the next day and she did get white milk the next time.
*** I guess peer pressure or conformity starts this early.

Kaitlyn's First day of 1st Grade

Where did the summer go?  I can't believe it's time for school to start.  Kaitlyn headed off to First Grade this year!  She was also headed to the Elementary school since last year Kindergarten had their own school.  We visited her new school, classroom, and met her new teacher Ms. Johnson last week.

Showing off her new Lolaloopsy backpack!

Waiting for the bus to come!

Off she goes!

After she got on the bus I had a little "Crazy Mom" moment.  We are in a pretty small district, so all grades ride the same bus and it stops at all the schools to drop kids off.  I panicked because we talked about what to do when she got off the bus, but never talked about getting off at her new school.  I was afraid she would get off at her old school.  So, I called the bus company and explained my craziness!  They ensured me that they would let the bus driver know to make sure Kaitlyn got off the at the Elementary school.