Imogen is majorly upset due to being restrained in her stroller. We let her walk around the pumpkin patch initially, but she kept heading straight for the parking lot so....by the time this picture was snapped, she's been put in a safe spot but none too happy. 

It was SO heavy!

Hadley tried really hard to show off her pumpkin and smile at the same time. This is what we got. 

Pumpkin Selection 2006

This past weekend we went to a local pumpkin patch and picked out our pumpkins. It was fun! 

 

Last Year's Pumpkins

From left to right, Imogen's pumpkin, which Eric carved, Eric's pumpkin, Tatumn's pumpkin, Hadley's pumpkin (she designed it), and Danielle's pumpkin. 

Happy Halloween, Everyone!!!

This is Tatumn today before school with the pumpkin she carved over the weekend (a cat). We've gotten a little more creative with our carving over the last couple of years. I try to post last years pumpkins too. 

Tatumn gets squished

The most recent picture I have of Tatumn is her unfortunate position of being in the middle of her younger sisters in the car after coming home from the beach. She's looking over my shoulder right now and mad I'm even posting this picture, but I had to show off her darling face. Is it me, or does it look like her seatbelt isn't in the proper position? We'll have to work on that... 

Trophy Presentation

She was so proud.... Imogen got a trophy as well but she wasn't impressed as much by it :). I should explain that Imogen finished her lessons 2 weeks ago. She, unlike her sister, is not fearful of the water and seems to be almost like Tatumn in this regard. Tatumn, at this age, would jump into the pool with no fear whatsoever, even when she was unable to resurface. And that, was a little scary. 

The Float

 

 

She Swims! They float!

It's official, Hadley graduated from her ISR swimming lessons (so did Imogen)! Hadley was terrified of the water six weeks ago, but NOW, she floats and swims! We knew there were mixed reviews concerning exposing children to swimming lessons at a young age (giving a false sense of security to parents), but it's just too dangerous for our kids not to have any way to protect themselves should they fall into the water. Swimming is the #1 cause of death for children in Florida. So now, if in that split second one of the children should have an unfortunate accident, they have the ability to swim to safety, or, in Imogen's case, float (she can do this for a LONG time), until someone rescues them. So it's not a ticket to unsupervised exposure to water, just something that could save their life if an accident occurred. Every six months or so they go back for refresher courses to make adjustments for growth and development. 

Some things you NORMALLY wouldn't do...

There are some "rules" that have gone out the window having multiple children, like willingly giving an infant a choking hazard. To keep Imogen happy during the final weeks of Hadley's ISR lessons, I offered a lollipop daily. It worked, she's still alive, but I'm getting a Bad Mom of the Month Award, for sure. 

She looks like....

Okay, I'm really seeing it now. I really think Hadley looks like Eric, doesn't she? 

Many Faces of Hadley

 

 

The First Shot Among Many

Hadley had to be fully dressed for her swimming lesson today to simulate falling into the pool and likely being in regular clothes opposed to a swimsuit. So, after getting her all dressed and ready, she looked SO cute and I decided to try to get a few pictures of her outside. She wasn't into the photo shoot in the least, but then I started saying, "Oh my, Hadley, you've turned into a giraffe!", then took a picture, then, "a elephant!", took a picture, but then it just got more ridiculous and I think we ended with, "You're a peanut!" Well, it must've been encouraging because she ended with beautiful smiles and silly giggles. It was fun for both of us. 

Last one, I promise!

Thought I'd post this too. I loved it and wanted to share. 

Imogen Post Bath

Just thought I'd post a post picture from last night's bath. The hair was more wild than the picture would reflect. 

Staged Candle Blowing

Oh yes, one more thing. I wasn't able to catch the "real" blowing-of-the-candle action in a picture BECAUSE Hadley, decided to help. We just told Tatumn she was returning the favor to Tatumn for those years Hadley was suffering from candle blowing incompetence, you know, first and second birthdays just don't tend to be successful that way. Unfortunately, Hadley helped Tatumn blow out four, not three. 

Tatumn Turns Ten!

So last night we had a birthday in the house. Our little Tate turned 10! It's hard to imagine, I know, but she has gotten SO big. We went to her favorite restaurant, which also happens to be Hadley's. Statistically, I think it's probable Imogen will continue with this tradition. But yes, we went to Red Lobster so Tatumn could enjoy her beloved crab legs. :) It was a wonderful time and she loved all of her presents. Her Dad is coming to visit this weekend and we are hoping they have a special time, especially since this is the first time he's visited Tatumn in Florida. The weekend after that, we're having a sleepover/ice skating party. So we will be VERY busy having lots of fun.