Our Very Busy Week

I feel like our life and our schedule has been non-stop.  This past week especially.  Here are the highlights starting last Friday.

• Our Homeschool Fall Festival

I volunteered to plan this party a couple of months ago, way before I knew what my life was going to be like. But I was excited to plan a fun time for the girls and give them an opportunity to be around other kids their age.  I enjoyed planning the activities, it reminded me of my teaching days.  My friend, Lisa, helped me organize the party and we divided up responsibilities.  We met at a park and planned on decorating cupcakes, painting pumpkins, had fall themed color sheets, a bean bag toss and a bounce house. Sounded good, right?  Well when we opened the front door on Friday morning, it was freezing and the wind was blowing like crazy.  I didn't think much about it, I just made the girls put on a sweatshirt.  Then when we got to the park, the wind was insane!  I was so discouraged, to say the least.  We couldn't put up the bounce house, everything was blowing away, even the paint on the pumpkins didn't stay on.  But the moms were so encouraging and the kids had so much fun!  Noelle even said, "this is the best Fall Festival I have ever been to."  The perfectionist in me doesn't come out all the time, but this was one time I was struggling with everything not going according to plan, but I learned to just go with the flow and try and find the positive in everything.

• The VanBrunt's Pumpkin Carving Party

This was the second year in a row that we have been invited to and attended our friend's neighborhood pumpkin carving party.  They so generously provide pizza, snacks and drinks for all of their friends and neighbors and then have tables set up to carve pumpkins.  They have a contest for the kids and a separate one for the adults, with prizes for the winners.  This year Joleigh and her friend Audrey worked together to carve a haunted house themed pumpkin together and Noelle worked on her pumpkin by making a happy face.  I enjoyed watching the girls work hard and watched them play with their friends, while I got to hang out with my friends too.  I left Naya at my parent's house so I could enjoy myself even more. Joe joined us for a little while after work.  It was a very fun night!

• Visiting the Nursing Home and Jaelyn's Preschool Halloween Party 

Every year on Halloween the girls' preschool class has had a Halloween party.  They get to dress up in their costumes, enjoy some party activities and then visit a nursing home where they sing songs and go trick or treating.  This year they reversed the order and we met Jaelyn's class at the nursing home first.  I snapped a picture of the girls in their costumes before we left.

Once we arrived at the nursing home Jaelyn decided to be grumpy and shy.  This is a new phase of hers and it can be quite annoying.

Once inside her class walked around to the "grandmas" and "grandpas" and went trick or treating.  Then sang a couple of songs.

Then the part that warmed my heart and made me cry was after the songs, Jaelyn's teacher told the kids to say good-bye and give the "grandmas" and "grandpas" hugs if they wanted to.  Joe told Noelle that many of them don't get a lot of visitors, so they don't get very many hugs.  Next thing we knew Noelle was going around the room hugging every single person.  She had the biggest, most sincere smile on and made everyone she hugged smile too.

 Joleigh and Jaelyn saw how happy Noelle was making everyone and joined in on the hugging too.

I was so proud of my girls!

We then went back to the preschool for a Halloween party.  Joleigh and Noelle got to be special helpers.

• Noelle decided to cut her hair

After the party we all went and had some rest time.  I let the big girls have some computer time.  After the little girls got up from their naps, I wanted to walk up to the store.  When we walked outside, I immediately saw Noelle's chopped up bangs.  I was so mad!!!  Joleigh has cut her hair twice now and I couldn't believe that Noelle would do it.  I was especially upset because her birthday is this week and we have family pictures next week.  I eventually calmed down and we had a good talk.  I didn't want to end our day being mad at her, especially since I was so proud of her earlier in the day at the nursing home.  Oh well!  Just hoping it grows out quickly.

 Before

After