Event Filled Fall

The blog posts are getting intermittent at best.  I have been on Facebook more recently and it seems that I have used that as more of an outlet to let others know what is going on.  After the most recent election results I had to take a break from it.  It has been painful to hear the ridiculous if/then rhetoric and blanket statements and I have to take a break.  If I don't, I think I may unfriend so many people that I would be left with about 3 people to follow, and maybe that is a good thing.  Entitled liberal thinking and media is driving me crazy.

 

Jim and I once again participated in the annual speedster endurance run.  We did not win this year, but we got fifth out of 24 or so cars.  The car ran good and we had a blast cruising along the winding roads and navigation was much easier this year.  I think there was only about 70 turns to take as opposed to last years 200 turns in 200 miles.

James finally started Kindergarten.  I am not one of those weeping parents who cant believe their kid is growing up, and that is because I was not there to see him off on his first day of school.  Through this process of raising kids I have become much more empathetic to fellow parents and all of the milestones that kids reach.  Parenting little ones is hard, but it may be harder to see them grow up and reach milestones you never will be at again.

James in the front of the class....right where I was at first.  Then, once the teacher figured out how much I could talk, they put me in the back corner and a bi-folding door in front of me so I could not see anyone.  Maybe this is why I hate cubicles to this day

Sierra is growing so fast and she is very lovable.  Always laughing and happy, they is the quietest kid.  Smiles all of the time and doesn't show any sign of talking yet.

Sunday morning photo shoot with dad....in an attempt to get them out of mom's hair.

Just look at this toehead

James and Matt  went to the Spokane fair and participated in the tractor pull.  James did an amazing job and it is great they have such fun events for free at the fair.

The kids also stopped by for one night in St Maries where we watched a football game and then they next day I gave them a quick ride on a skidsteer.

Matthew will normally be seen around in his PJ's and changes about 4 or 5 times a day.  Any slight temperature change makes and change from pants to shorts or long sleeve to short sleeve (or tank top) a must.

Bath time with the three hooligans is always a good time.  There is precious little time when there is innocence in a kids life so we take advantage of it when we can.  As you can see there are lots of laughs.

James received the Barnabas award at school for his respectfulness in class.  He never did pre K and a lot of the other kids did so I think he is a little quiet.  I think since he is still getting used to the routine he was shocked to see that some of the other kids don't listen to the teacher and talk all of the time.  I am sure in due time he will be more like me, but I am grateful to see good notes coming home with him and not bad ones that I have to sign.

One of my co-workers likes to duck hunt and I really wanted to go with.  Wow is that a good time.  The first duck I shot at I hit.  I was thrilled to say the least.

Fall means a field trip with the class to the pumpkin patch.

Touch a truck day at the fire station with "free" food and kids enjoying all the aspects of fire fighting.  Matthew had to wear his fireman suit like he has for the past two years.  This is one of his favorite events.

Just look at those chompers.  She is up to 7 and working on number 8.

For some reason the boys love to go outside and work with tools.  I must be nature...or is it nurture?  Safety is always the most important this so Matt makes sure to wear his safety goggles.

Houston, we have a thumb sucker.

What a sweet and adorable child.

I got to go duck hunting a bunch more times and with a friend I work with who has a dog as well.  A hunting dog is a hug help.  This day we had four come in right off the bat and the tree of us each took one shot and each hit a different bird.  That was just of taste of things to come as we got 14 birds that day and had a lot of fun.

Manliness on display.

The boys and I went to indoor flat rack racing the other week.  If you want to see some crazy dangerous stuff and get your allotment of inhaled fuel fumes for a lifetime in 2hrs, this is the place to do it.  I may go again, but even I was wondering if it was really a healthy atmosphere.