(I found the lost memory card! I am a little excited about it- I hate lost or broken things!)

We had a really excellent time at my sister's house this Thanksgiving Weekend. It was Justin and Rosie's first time to host a holiday, and they did it wonderfully- the two little ones get along better and better every time they're around each other. I have many more pictures, but I managed to get the flu, so I am off to bed.

Our other news? Josh and I were discussing whether or not to have another child- Josh said no, I said yes, and then...God chose to bless us again! Baby number four, due late June or early July. Pretty soon this picture won't be of the two little ones...

Once in a while when I am out with Lisa and she is holding Jack, she is questioned as though she is the mother of this blond child and I am her helpful friend.

After this, maybe I need to rethink his origins. Birthed from my body, surely, but he certainly loves Norway.

I may miss the pizza parties and last games, but show me all three of my chicks playing together and the camera comes out.

Jack has finally entered the playmate mode. It is wonderful, with the usual drawbacks like crying and accidental injuries.

You wonder, "What do those Tate chilluns look like now? I haven't seen them in weeks! What have they been doing?"
Not much...and a lot. I underestimated the things we would start doing when Bowden started kindergarten, and Lucy began preschool. I love my time with Jack at home, and I love the activities that have jumped into our schedule, but am I tired. Bowden ended just yesterday his first (and possibly last) soccer season with a first place trophy- for every team- and a pizza party.
I breathed a hundred sighs of relief, and put that battle behind us. Bowden tells us that he does not like soccer. We made him finish what he started, but it is good to not have to do that for three(!) hours a week. Lucy and I still have our Mommy and Me dance class on Wednesdays, and our recital is coming up- get ready to see me in PINK. I'm supposed to be one of the Glendas. It may be your only chance.
With that, I give you....van pictures. Bowden

Lucy

Jack

My camera was full for a while, and I took my time emptying it, but recently I feel like it is just more of the same over and over. Enjoy!

I want to post, but I am just SO TIRED.

The Saturday after Halloween was uneventful, and the kids were still pretty wired from the craziness of the night before. We had made paper plate masks with Bowden's class since they were not allowed to wear costumes (!?). Bowden wore his all day, and then Lucy wanted one. Bowden made one for Daddy- it is a buck.

Lucy made a kitty-cat...with teeth, of course.

Bowden added the red teeth to his mask.

I made this mask for Jacky, who liked to hold it but hated to wear it. It was the easiest thing to do ever- especially since all of the parts were cut out- the strings tied on, the pieces ready to glue.

What you see through the foggy plastic is the fruits of my Halloween labor- popcorn-ball monsters, made with help from my very own Lisa Richard for Bowden's Halloween party in class. Why? I am the Room Mom. I also made this lovely bean bag toss robot...complete with three of the "sight words" the kidlings should know. (A, I, and The)

It was fun- I had a really neat time in the class, although Bowden acted up quite a bit. We played the bean bag game, carved pumpkins, had a party at snack-time, and made masks out of paper plates. It was really fun, and I really like Mrs. Adler, Bowden's teacher.

I took a little nap at home, and then at four we met the Whites up near Cafe Aroma for the Idyllwild Parade. This is the first year we've joined the masses for the street long trick-or-treat, and I think next year we might miss it. It was crazy, and fun to do...once.

Here they are- Lucy the Unicorn, Bowden the Ninja, and Jack the Lion. Some year I need to find him a fox costume!

Ninja and Unicorn, waiting to begin.

My little Lion.

He hated it when I put the whiskers on, so I hurried and did not touch up.

Bowden, at first, did not want to be in the parade.

"But we trick or treat in the parade!"

He was having none of it. I told him that he could wait in the car, and finally he came...and then asked every two seconds if it was time to start or not.

Fellow mother, Rachel Teegarden was unrecognizable in this...and kind of gross, too.

Ben took out his teeth to smile, and then wouldn't once we told him to keep them in!

Baby Bumble-Bee, Madi Cunnigham.

Once the parade began, it was a mad rush to the Heating and Cooling Shop. They had a TRASH CAN FULL of candy, and threw mad amounts into everyone's buckets.

Lucy's bucket was THIS FULL after that first stop!

The crowd before us!

Teacher Kathy with baby Branson.

Josh saw this and said, "You have to get a picture of that!" You may not recognize Our Lady of Angels with that little devil in front...

Bowden caught up with some kindergarten friends..

Wilton, the doctor, and Ninja Bow.

I think that the other child is a Brian, but I'm not sure. There are 33 kindergartners, and one afternoon was not enough to remember their names!

We got home, and I let the kids pour out their buckets to see their stashes. Josh was sad to see that there was not a single Almond Joy in the bunch.

I was sad that there were not Bit O' Honeys. The kids were not sad at all.

Jack got a lollipop, even.

The sugar made him buzz.

The pumpkin Bowden's table carved at school.

It was excellent. I hate to make too much of Halloween, but it was fun, and I like the excitement of it.