Kyle and the Rudest Pumpkin Patch Ever!!!

I'm just going to say it. 
Some Pumpkin Patches are monstrously witchy. 

Kyle had his first field trip yesterday! It was super fun. We watched as stone faced woman told us kindergartners about the many wonders of gourds. Many many wonders.

Then we walked around a field while the granite faced woman told us of the many wonders of pumpkin plants. Many many wonders.

Some (ahem...who shall remain nameless whilst humiliated) parents got yelled at for stepping out into the field to take pictures. Because at a pumpkin patch you are absolutely not allowed to get near a pumpkin, lest the rampaging children follow your "bad example" (literally straight from the woman's concrete face herself) and destroy all. See how......that bad bad parent caused a stampede?

Then we walked seven feet into a corn maze, turned left and walked seven more feet, turned left again, walked seven more feet and emerged from the corn maze. Kindergartners on a field trip are not allowed to have fun, you see.

The piece de resistance was the herding of said children past the petting zoo. Almost running past four cages of animals that -flash- (was that a...llama?) were almost hidden by practically -flash- (was that a turkey? Or a hog?) opaque chicken wire and probably had never -flash- (ok, last animal, that had to be either a goat or a chicken) been petted in their lives.

Then back to the buses! Each child got a baseball sized pumpkin and each mother got an argument as to whether or not she and her other child paid for two more precious baseball gourds. (They had. They weren't given a sticker though, so the bad bad parent reputation continued.)

Then, on the the absolute funnest (only fun?) part of the trip! Lunch at the park!!!! This was really fun

. Friends and swinging and fellow moms and many many labor and birth stories (no sarcasm, those are really fun to listen to and tell) and LUNCHABLES! Kyle and Daisy had a ton of fun. I am grateful to be a stay at home mom so I get to do stuff like this with him. LOVE YOU LITTLE MAN!!!

Declaration of our Independance! (Day)

Happy 4th of July! This is my favorite holiday. 3rd, that is. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and then the 4th of July. I love it, because I love our country! I am grateful to live in a country with 13 major holidays. I get to look forward to doing something fun every month! Not to mention the six birthdays this family has (all of which constitutes a huge celebration)! This 4th of July, we did not party with friends or extended family, we set out to gallivant as just us. And what a fun day it was!! We have the next town over 4th of July freedom festival, but the weather forecast called for 96 degrees and no shade at all! No way. We headed for the mountains! Big Bear Lake, and "the best fireworks display in southern California!" (It really was, too.)

I start taking pictures in the car, that's where the adventure begins.
Look at my arm. Have you ever seen a more freckled arm?
I might not be a redhead (sniffle) but I freckle like one!

Daisy is so funny. She frequently sits like this as we are driving along, her legs never getting tired!

When she's not being hilarious, she's just a sweetheart, grinning at every one! (She also acts like a diva a LOT of the time, but I don't photograph those moments. I should, though!)

Traditionally, (addictively) we head for the Alpine Slide. It has so many fun activities.

The day always begins in the game room, of course. We could actually forgo all the other activities, just play video games all day, and the kiddos would be ecstatic!

Kurt can burn through quarters like our Excursion burns through gas!

Kyle loves the shooting games! He's getting pretty good, too!

And Cleve loves the driving games! I think it's pretty cool how all my boys have their personal preferences with EVERYTHING. I tried Mrs. Pacman. It took me three minutes to die.

While Dad took the boys in turn on the go-karts, I did miniature golf. I watched as my children bashed the cement, swung their clubs in the air, played in the river and pond, threw their golf balls, ran crazy all over, and did everything but play mini golf. : )

Dad and burning down the road!

Daisy did actually attempt to be like the big people and play some golf. She was so adorable trying to do it! I love this girl so much!

Dad and Kurt. Kurt is almost tall enough to drive by himself! I wonder how terrified I'm going to be when he gets a real license? Gray hair in a week scared, I think.

Dad spent a few minutes with each boy, teaching him how to (direct quote) "drive dirty."

Little did the other drivers know. Cleve and Dad smoked 'em! (At one point the ride was stopped and Dad was advised that 'driving dirty' was a little frowned upon. Come on, that's all part of the fun!

Kyle, dear heart, is potty training. The good thing about that? He no longer pees his pants. The bad thing? He is still learning to go find a restroom and in a mini golf park will pull his pants down to his ankles and pee into the pond.

Ah, the day finally came. Daisy met a dog named Daisy.

Cleve didn't want to hit the waterslides, he was content to lounge on the deck and chow on skittles!

Our little fish here had a blast on the slides!

He had to climb to the top of these stairs over and over, and he did it so fast! Heaven help me if he ever challenges me to a race to the top! It'd take me an hour. Kurt loves the waterslides so much, he'd happily do it all day!

Until Daisy gets a wee bit bigger, she spends a lot of time here. Note how happy she is about it.

The piece de resistance, the Alpine Slide!

Waiting for the fireworks! We walked and got mexican food for dinner and then we parked our buns until the show began!

This is a terrible picture. But the fireworks were BEAUTIFUL!!!! This really is the best show in So Cal. God Bless the USA!