Happy Halloween 2013!

We had five trick or treater's last year.  This year we had six!  Well, barely six.  Jason slept in the stroller a lot but that's alright.  The kids had loads of fun.

Jason borrowed a cowboy hat from a neighbor just for pictures but the darn thing just wouldn't stay up where you could see his face.  So, he looks like a sleeping sheriff.  Later, to go out, we dressed him up as a lil pumpkin.  Yep!  That same costume was used on several of our kids...I think all of the boys, actually!  Crazy how things go full circle.

The girls looked lovely as princess fairies.  I realized from the pictures that Kelsey could have gone as the tooth fairy.  Or toothless fairy.  She's got at least two teeth on her wish list for Christmas and she is so excited!

The boys loved being cowboys (well, little boys).  John wants to be a cowboy again next year.  I think it's the guns.  They did pretty well not shooting everyone that was out getting candy.

Panther? Lion? or something else?

But we had fun!  The kids liked their pumpkins and we enjoyed the neighborhood gathering with friends for Halloween.  Quite different from the chilly ones up north!  Enjoy the pics and hope you had fun on All Hallows Eve with your ghouls! 

Howdy, partner!

John Went Fishing

Today John and his friend, Ryan, went to the Brushy Creek Lake Park to attend a fishing event sponsored by the city.  They had tanks of little catfish set up to teach kids about fishing and how to conserve our natural resources.  The kids had a blast!

John caught this little guy right off the bat and was a little disappointed when he didn't do the typical "waiting" time required of most fishermen.  Ah well.  Maybe when we go to a real lake instead of a portable, stocked pool, he can have all the time in the world to wait for a bite.  Or maybe he just has really good luck!

Even Playful Loves Jason

Everyone has loved having Jason around.  Even the pets.  Here's proof of the cat's undying love and appreciation.  I haven't quite gotten any pictures of the dog, but Ray Ray still comes running when Jason is feeding.  I think the dog's appreciation will come more as Jason starts eating solid foods...and the boy starts handing the dog the undesirable foods.

Jason's One Month Old!

Has it really been a month already?  Jason's been such a good addition to the family.  The kids have been great helping him when he's fussy, or playing with him while Mom makes dinner.  Kelsey has been his best bud but that doesn't mean Jack doesn't try to get some personal time with Baby.

Even Joe likes to try to entertain little Jason.  And Jason loves the attention.  If he's not being held...he's not quite as happy.  But thank goodness we have lots of helpers.

Here's to seeing our little guy growing up!

Not the greatest picture but I tried to get a shot of him smiling.  I guess it's a bit more difficult with little people trying to get in the shot too.  I bring out the camera and everyone wants in the photo!

And if this one looks a little blurry...it is.  But this is my reminder that some of the best photos are like our memories...a little fuzzy when it comes to the difficult times, but bright and clear when the joyous moments come.

First Day of School! First Day of School!

Today was an exciting day for four of our six kids.  John moved up to third grade.  Kelsey started second grade.  Bekah went to full day kindergarten!  And our "little" Jack started half day pre-k!  What an exciting day for everyone!

Jack couldn't wait to go in the afternoon on his bus.  He was found asking Mommy every 20 minutes when his bus was coming and if it was time to go to school.  This occurred for 3+ hours (ever since his siblings departed for school at 0730.  His bus finally came to pick him up at 1145.  And there couldn't have been a more excited guy!

The after school "party" wasn't as happy to see Mommy.  The kids all wanted to show how big they were by walking home alone.  Well, as alone as you can be in a crowd of kids.  What they meant was, without Mommy.  But safety first.

As soon as they got home they had apples, chocolate chip cookies and gallons of water!  It was a hot walk home.  And Jack promptly relaxed to take a nap.  He fights the usual naptime when it's not a school day...but I think today he deserves a little break wherever he can find it.

Welcome to the Family, Baby Jason!

August 6th was an important day in our family.  Jason Allen Colloton joined our family just before the day changed.  He arrived amidst great excitement and wonder.  Well, wonder on the part of our kids because they were off to bed while Mommy and Daddy went off to the hospital.  But they were super excited to know that they were going to get up in the morning to see their little brother.

And speaking of "little" brother, he was actually a pretty big guy.  Our biggest yet at 8 lbs 12 oz!  He's been very alert and already tries to keep his head up.  He wants to see whatever's going on around him.  And I think he loves being held by all the helpers we have around here.

 

Kelsey's been the biggest help.  She's wanted to put him in his swing, put him down for a nap, burp him, get him for Mommy, etc.  She even gets a little sad when told "No, you can't hold Baby Jason right now."  But she's super excited about helping out with the baby.

 

Bekah and Jack want to be helpers too but need a bit more supervision than their sister.  It's fun to see them try to be grown up around Jason.  And Jason's been a good sport as he's been passed from arm to arm.  Such a good little brother already.

Mom's doing fine considering it's the second c-section.  Maybe in a couple of weeks she'll be back to feeling more normal.  For now, the kids and Daddy are taking excellent care of her so she can rest.  The only thing she wishes is when they all make her laugh that her tummy wouldn't hurt so much from the bruising.  She needs the laughter...not the aches.  So, send some smiles our way, 'cause we're thinking of you too.

Our Newest Wolf Cub

John received his Wolf badge at Pack meeting this month!  He's worked very hard and is very proud of all he's accomplished.  He loves attending Cub Scouts and can't wait to show us some of the stuff he's learned.  He earned several belt loops (archery, astronomy, wildlife conservation, and some others I can't remember off the top of my head) at scout camp last June.  He earned so much that he was able to get one gold arrow point with a silver attached.  That's like 20 extra achievements in addition to his Wolf Badge.

He'll probably be done with mostly all of his achievements by the time he turns nine years old.  That's okay with me!  It'll give Mom a good reason to keep getting out the sewing machine to put those arrow heads on his uniform.  Good job, John!

Summer Water Fun

We've been "enjoying" the heat of Texas and are still amazed that the kids' lips turn blue after a few hours in the swimming pool.  But they've loved every second...until the water restriction goes into effect on August 1st.  Ah well.  I guess that's alright since the dog thought the inflatable pool was his personal chew toy too.

Guess too much fun was happening.  We'll just have to enjoy summer another way.

Joe was definitely okay with the pool.  He couldn't get enough water time.  Gone were the fears of last summer when he couldn't float or swim.  There was very little fear as he dove and splashed amongst his siblings.

Kelsey's friends gave her a bunch of pool toys.  That inflatable alligator was a favorite with the kids.  Everyone wanted a ride.  It fit really well in the pool too.

Anyone up for a game of catch?  There were two balls that were in constant motion.  Every now and again we'd have to stop and refill with air; but that did little to hamper the fun.

Break time to thaw out!  This didn't last too long, though.  Everyone was more than willing to get back into the pool...even with shivering chins and blue lips.  It was just too much fun to miss.  We'll be moving on the the local splash pads once August hits.  It'll be "illegal" to have inflatable pools and slip-n-slides.  So goes life in a drought.  Let's pray for rain!

You're Four Years Old, Jack Jack!

So what would a four year old boy want for his birthday?  A monster truck birthday cake, of course.  But what if the birthday boy (+family) doesn't really like to eat cake?  Well, let's make some French Silk Pie and put a monster truck on it.  That sounds like loads of fun!

Jack really has enjoyed his gifts!  He's even been polite enough to share with his siblings.  From Play-Doh to a Robin cape, everyone has enjoyed Jack's birthday!

There was quite the discussion as to which super-hero this cape belonged to.  Daddy has been working on convincing the kids that this is one of the capes Robin wore.  I guess with there being so many different Robin's, they've gotten it into their heads that Robin wears something different.  Ah well.  It's flashy, easy to put on, and new.  Who doesn't love it?

Where would Jack be without some form of truck for his birthday?  Thank goodness Play-Doh is mixing it up a bit so we can have the best of both worlds.  An excavator (Jack's favorite heavy equipment) that can make bricks and smash things too.  Very cool!

And finally, a dinosaur pillow pet!  Jack has wanted one of these ever since Christmas.  It's rideable, huggable, and so soft to snuggle with.  So curl up with the green dino, Jack, and let's take a nap!

Happy Birthday, Kesley!

It's not that we didn't mean to post this sooner, but the weeks before, during, and a little later than Kelsey's bday were "filled" with illness.  It seemed like one by one the kids and then Mom and Dad came down with a touch of the stomach flu.  Kelsey got hers on her birthday.  So, her special day was stretched out over the course of a week to let her recuperate, and also let others who were getting over being sick enjoy it with her.

Anyway, she'd been so excited to get her pink gun and accessories!  What a girl!  She even went into the backyard and shot some "squirrels."  Well, they were targets of squirrels but she was so excited.

Kelsey used her birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa to go get herself a baby doll during a Daddy/Daughter night out.  I didn't get pictures of it, but she got all the accessories with it to make any baby welcome.  It came complete with rubber ducky and sippy cup.  So, Kelsey's practicing for when little brother gets here.  She'll be a pro!  But she had a great day!  Thank you, everyone for your love and well wishes!

School's Out Forever...Or For Summer

In honor of the half day, early out, or a day where I wondered why I even sent the kids to school for three hours, we decided to hit one of the splash pads in a local Leander park.  I was told it was awesome, primarily because it's gated and little ones can't escape.  I was particularly impressed with the shaded area over the picnic tables.

The kids loved the water features, although they did complain that the water was cold.  Ah well.  I guess that just ensures we don't spend hours there and get sick from playing in the sun too long.

You probably can't see it very well, but the anticipation on Bekah's face is wonderful.  You can just barely start to see the water from the overhanging bucket beginning its descent on her.  It was hard to keep the kids still long enough to get a good picture.  And there were (it doesn't show from this picture) quite a few other kids playing the park too.  So you never knew who was going to run into the shot.

There were two water cannons that were John's favorite at the beginning.  He wanted someone to use the other one to fire back at him but no one was really interested.  Once the younger boys caught sight of empty buckets, that's what they wanted to play with.

A still moment.  Well, it didn't last long.  He was off like a shot to get back into the water.  We'll have lots more splash pad pictures this summer as I don't plan on staying indoors all through the hot months.  And the kids have a great time too!

First Garden Pickin's

Our garden has been a lovely treat!  Watching the greenery grow and then watching beans and tomatoes develop on the vines has been great!  If only I could keep out some of the pests (and not all of them are creepy crawlies).

The kids wanted to help with the first big batch of green bean picking.  They were so excited.  I have had to remind Joe several times that the center of our bean patch is not for his stick swords.  Several of the plants have been flattened as he's tossed branches into the middle.  The fence has at least kept him out of stomping on the rest as he's tried to retrieve the swords.

The corn is very short and already trying to tassle.  Hmm...it was an experiment to put it so close to the house.  I thought it'd be fun to try it and had no other place to plant corn.  The zucchini in the middle is a bit of a puzzle to me.  I think the animals/insects are eating the blooms off of the plants.  Could be a possibility as there are ants everywhere.  We're still battling fire ants after the bug company said they sprayed for them.

I'm hoping those beautiful tomato plants will produce a TON of fat, red tomatoes for our canning jars.  I can't stand canned tomatoes from the store and "fresh" tomatoes at the grocery store is almost just as bad.  So here's to praying that lil doggie of our can keep the squirrels, raccoons, and other pests away from the fruit.

Anyway, thought we'd share our little bit of success.  Here's to hoping we can show some quart jars of canning later too!

Memorial Day at the Beach

Those birds are actually hovering in the wind.

We have been slowly exploring the HUGE state of Texas and all it has to offer.  We've found that some of the really exciting places to visit take a few hours of driving.  But that's just fine with our family!  We don't mind a road trip to see this great state we live in!

Port Aransas was a highly recommended island on the Gulf of Mexico.  Highly recommended because it's great for families and has some pretty good options:  fishing, surfing, shelling, and sandy beaches.  We got up early and drove down for a fun excursion in the waves.

Joe couldn't get enough of those white caps.  We did have to keep an eye on him, and teach him how to sputter out the sea water that would inevitably get in his mouth.  But it didn't faze him one bit.

The girls were more interested in building a sand castle with their new sand toys.  I couldn't quite figure out how to get the sand out of the molds once it was inside, but that didn't bother Shawn any.  He just went to work building with his hands.  The kids got a kick out of running to the water to bring him back small bucketfuls of seawater so we could make the castle really stick together.

Luckily we didn't get sunburned too badly.  The wind was blowing too hard for any sort of umbrella or shade (unless you had a tent or something that could stake into the ground).  But the wind kept away some of the other tourists who probably would have lined this beautiful beach.  The kids were immediately asking when we could go back as we drove away.

Not bad for a first beach experience in Texas!