Hollaway Halloween

Hmmmm...I never realized how many letters our last name shared with this day of fun. Interesting...and catchy.

Surprisingly, the kids didn't really badger me much today about when the hour would approach that they could go trick or treating. We had them all ready by 6:30pm and they were ready to hit the streets as soon as the last shoe was put in place. It was a beautiful evening for trick or treating. Much more pleasant than the frigid temps we've had in years past.

 

Patiently waiting until I gave the "let's go" signal. It was cute because they were lying there trying to make small talk. "Drue, what's your favorite food?". "Macaroni and cheese". "Ok, now ask me one....".

 

A lucky shot of him right in the midst of actually saying "Arrrggghhhh". Tate has been telling everyone he is going to be a "pidate" for Halloween turning his r into a d.

 

They look SO BIG to me in this picture!

 

We had a great night. David stayed home to pass out candy while I corralled our group around the neighborhood. This is the first year they have all three gone trick-or-treating. They did pretty well. We always practice a little beforeheand going through different scenarios. "What if someone only gives you one piece of candy? Do you stand there until they give you more? Do you holler cheapskate and egg their house? Or do you politely say, thank you, and be on your merry way?".

I helped scoop up dropped buckets of candy at least half a dozen times. Reese has been sick ALL WEEK long and was ready to head home before the other two. We dropped her off and I had the good idea to dump out the candy so we wouldn't have to scoop up so much when the buckets plummeted to the concrete. We no sooner left the next house, and Tate dropped out the ONE candy bar that was in his bucket!

The girls did great and remembered to say "thank you" and "happy halloween" to everyone. Tate could have used a bit more practice. A lot of people just held out the candy bowls for the kids to help themselves. The girls politely grabbed one piece and bid their farewells. Tate thought it was a free for all, and would continue to grab pieces until I jerked him off the porch. Tate also liked to run ahead for the first part of the night. But he soon got too scared of the skeletons and strange looking decorations and was content to walk next to me and even hold my hand on occasion.

I still walk up close to the doors with them, simply because the houses in our neighborhood all have a bazillion stairs leading up to their front door. Time after time Tate would be looking back at the house as he started to leave, and would almost miss the steps completely!

We really had a lot of fun. The night was over too quickly. And my little ones are now sleeping as visions of mini snickers bars dance in their heads...

Hannah Hoopla

I don't know where I've been for the past 2 weeks and why I haven't posted anything! I actually did this post one night, then lost it when I went to publish it. I just haven't been back to rewrite it I guess.

After going through a few choices for her birthday theme this year, Reese finally settled on Hannah Montana. This beat out American Idol and Littlest Pet Shop. She made a cute little Hannah. I asked her if she just wanted to straighten her real hair that night, or get the wig. Silly question. Of course we got the wig. Which she wore for about, oh, 5 minutes of her party.

 

Hannah and a fan.

 

 

 

I wasn't thrilled with how all her decorations turned out this time. I messed up the foam board limo, but stuck it out on the porch anyway for arriving guests. The gold tablecloth and stage curtain looked a little brown to me, but Reese kept assuring me that she liked the way it looked, so that's all that really matters.

Was I sad she donned jeans and a rocker tee for her party, instead of a frilly princess dress? A little. But we had a fun time.

Happy Birthday Reese!

 

Reese is 6 today! I don't know why, but that just sounds so much older to me than 5...and I am being totally serious. She can no longer flash her age with one hand, it now requires two! And I think I am also thinking about all the many changes that have occurred, or will occur, this year that will make her seem so much older also.

She'll be reading soon.

She'll be losing teeth.

She goes to school 5 days a week.

She has opinions about how she wants to wear her hair.

The list goes on and on.

Thankfully, she is still my sweet little Reese. And sensitive. We took the kids to see Beverly Hills Chihuhua a few weeks ago. A funny, quirky movie with talking dogs. It was about a lost dog trying to find its home and each time something happened to set it back, I would look down and see tears streaming down Reese's face.

She is a lot of fun to be around. I enjoy taking her out just by herself sometimes to run errands, etc. And she's always excited to go. She grabs her little purse and we're off.

She still likes me to carry her from time to time, especially first thing in the morning when we are headed downstairs. And I will...as long as my back holds out.

We love you Reese. You are so special to us!

AWANA

Another year of AWANA is in full swing at church.

 

Reese has moved up to Sparks this year and really likes it. It's way more challenging because she is learning more verses each week. It is so sweet to hear her recite John 3:16, I've got to record it. Don't mind her outfit please...it was camoflauge night, plus they have to wear tennis shoes for game time, so this is how it all came together.

 

Drue started Cubbies this year. She has actually been learning some of the verses right along with Reese since she was 2. She has a great little memory. She was trying to curtsy in this picture.

 

Tate will get to start Cubbies next year. But he just likes to be in on whatever the girls are doing at the time. So after I had taken both their pictures and was getting ready to load them up in the van, I looked up and there was Tate...posing for his picture.

Homecoming

 

This past weekend we headed to SBU's Homecoming/my 10 year reunion. We really didn't go for me, however. A bunch of David's friends were getting together and I thought that would be neat for him.

It was kind of a crazy, whirlwind of a time. We just spent Friday night, and Saturday morning there, then headed home. But it was neat to walk the campus again. With our children. It was strange, in a cool way, to have those 2 worlds collide. Remembering back to when we were footloose and fancy free, in charge of our own time, just hanging out together, yet now running after our 3 little offspring on the very same grounds.

The girls and I peeked into an empty classroom and I explained to them that was where Daddy and I first met. I could almost see my 14 year younger self sitting nervously at my desk because I knew David Hollaway was not too far behind me in the next row over.

The above picture was taken on the steps of Beasley Hall where I lived for 3 years. David would head over on a study break many nights and we would sit on these steps together and just talk.

It was funny taking the kids in the lobby of my old dorm...it even smelled the same...like laundry detergent because the laundry room is right underneath.

We didn't venture out to try and find the cliff where we got engaged...we'll have to save that for another trip.

Grammar Lesson

Today at lunch, Reese was enlightening us about that sometimes tricky silent "e" in words. Conveniently with regards to that particular lesson, all the kids have a silent "e" in their name.

She was trying to explain this to Drue, who just wasn't buying it. Drue was adamant, "No I don't. I do not have a silent 'e' in my name!".

They went back and forth for a few seconds when Drue triumphantly repeated again, "I do not have a silent 'e' in my name....D-R-U-E....see, I heard it!".

Sweet Afternoon

On Sunday, a rare moment occurred.

David was at work.

Reese had gone home with her little friend after church.

Tate was napping.

That left Drue...and me...together...just the two of us.

I started my seemingly endless task of picking up the house and cleaning bits and pieces, but I just couldn't get those big hazel eyes out of my mind. My middle child who never gets me all to herself.

I snatched her out of the basement where she was playing and we proceeded to play a Candyland tournament. Well, it didn't start out being a tournament. It started out as, "Hey Drue, do you want to play Candyland with me?" and one game turned into another and so on.

There were no squabbles about who got to go first. There was no throwing of the plastic pieces across the room. There were no mini people coming and stealing the cards, then running off laughing maniacally.

It was a peaceful couple of hours for the two of us. Each time Drue got even one space ahead of me on the board she would say confidently, "I am SO going to win this!".

Then my big 4 year old, who no longer takes naps, crawled up on the couch next to me, slithered under my blanket and fell asleep...

Pumpkin Patch

122. That's how many pictures I took at the pumpkin patch! It certainly didn't seem like it at the time. Well, not to me, anyway. David and the kids were less than thrilled when I kept snapping away and would try and pose everyone just so. Drue won my "best poser" of the day award. She was always willing to stop and smile sweetly for the camera. Until the very end of our afternoon there when the sun was in her eyes and I was trying to get a cute one of all of them in a pile of pumpkins.

 

 

 

 

It was a beautiful day for our outing. Last year they were in long sleeves, hats, sweaters, etc. They all loved the huge homemade slides this year. They are built into the sides of hills. Half my pictures were taken of them sliding down these slides. But a lot were blurry and didn't quite catch the excitement of the moment like I wanted them too.

We attempted to go through the haunted barn. But as Tate can't even go by the halloween decorations at the store without getting scared, he only last about a foot into the barn. He, Drue, and I hightailed it back out to wait for Reese and David. Who surprised my by coming out not 5 seconds after us. Not quite ready for that yet.

I am still loving their ages right now. Everything is still so exciting for them. I told the girls we were going to a super secret special surprise place when David got home from work. So, of course, all day they were trying to drag it out of me. I was surprised they didn't get tipped off when I dressed them all in their Halloween shirts. I played it off by saying, "Let's put on our new shirts for Daddy!".

Tate had a constant grin plastered on his face at all times as usual. I hope he stays that happy and excited forever. He tries to be such a big boy...but as the wagon ride lurched us out to the patch, he reached over and grabbed my hand for a little extra support, squealing with delight.

It was a fun afternoon. Just a bit tiring as we were being pulled in three different directions by little hands that each wanted to explore a different area of the place simultaneously.

 

 

This was a zip cord swing or something along those lines. Reese was able to do it by herself but kids under 5 had to have a parent run along beside them. But Tate and Drue did really well hanging on.

 

 

Because of the lack of beaches here in Kansas, we have to resort to burying ourselves in corn.

 

More slide action. I wish this picture had turned out better. They all looked so cute...you can still sort of see Tate's excited expression.

 

I just thought this was sweet. Tate looked so content on David's shoulder.

 

My little stair steps...

 

Those Crazy Commercials

Last night the kids and I popped a big bowl of popcorn and settled in to watch a little TV before bed. I can usually find a show on the Disney channel that I enjoy watching with them, however, last night there wasn't much on.

So I surfed around a bit and found a rerun of one of the earlier episodes of the Cosby Show. I LOVED the Cosby show growing up so I thought it would be neat for the kids to see. They were a bit skeptical at first but liked little Rudy so they decided to keep watching. (Reese and Drue also like watching an occasional episode of Full House when we can find one).

As always, the commercials are atrociously loud so I mute them the second they come on. If I'm not paying attention, or leave to do something, Reese is quick to holler at me when the show is back or just unmute it herself.

We were talking during the commercials last night when Reese glanced up at the screen and announced, "IT'S BACK!". I went to grab the remote as I looked at the screen as well, and was surprised to find, not a young Bill Cosby on the screen, but a political ad for Barack Obama!

During the next set of commercials, still laughing at Reese's mix up, I muted them again. A Jenny Craig commercial came on and she informed me, "Mom...you should listen to that...it's about losing weight!".

And that took care of the laughing....