Fall Soccer

Carter has played quite a few team sports over the last few years: soccer, t-ball, basketball. And they've all pretty much gone the same way. Carter primarily wants to wear the uniform and eat the snacks, but has no interest in playing the sport. So we stopped signing him up for sports. Which, of course, made him want to play more. We cut him a deal with t-ball this summer. He could play, but he really had to play or else we'd stop going. Also, we wouldn't sign him up for  a fall sport if he didn't participate in the summer sport. Naturally, he made a very good effort in t-ball this summer, so we signed him up for soccer. I actually think the change in his attitude was due more to him being developmentally ready than it was to our deal, but either way, he now seems to (mostly) be as interested in playing the sport as he does in donning the uniform.

Carter's soccer team this fall was the very BEST team we've ever been on! It was really fun for Carter and for us. There are several reasons for this:

1. We already knew the coaches and more than half of the team members (previously, we've been randomly assigned and didn't know anyone).
2. The team practiced and played games at a school that is just down the street from our house, so no messing with driving and parking.
3. The practices were on Friday nights, so we didn't feel the pressure about getting home and getting homework and dinner done by bedtime. 
4. The weather was perfect for every practice and game.
5. Carter really improved his soccer skills! 
6. The coaches were so great. During the first practice, Carter and his friend David found a stick after practice and several of the boys on the team really wanted to keep it. One of the coaches took it home, painted it gold, and made it their "team stick" it came to most games. 
7. Because the practices were on Friday nights, and walking distance from our house, I found myself with a sippy cup of wine or beer, chatting with parents I know and like on most Friday nights.

I think we're going to have to give up sports for good now, because I'm pretty sure we won't have it this good ever again!

The team (pictures, thankfully, before we lost Carter's jersey)

Post-season party on election night

Team cake

Halloween

We were lucky to have Mama Helen visiting over Halloween. She continues to be Carter's costume supplier. Last year, Carter decided on November 1 that he wanted to be Captain America this year. And he stuck to that plan all year long! John used Sammy's hand-me-down Mickey Mouse costume. But everyone thought he was a ladybug. 

Check out Thomas' costume. He wore that to work all day. 

Carter and Mama Helen made a pumpkin cake using two bundt cakes. 

For the second year, we did trick-or-treating with some of Carter's buddies from school

Crazy Fall

So, you may have been asking yourself, "What's been happening with the Fowlkes since mid-October?". Okay, you probably haven't, but if you had, you couldn't have found out here on the blog. And I probably wouldn't have returned your call/text/email. It's been crazy! I traveled almost every week this fall and work would have been extremely busy even without all the travel. Plus, the fall is always busy with school/sports activities for kids and Thomas' work travel has picked up some, too. 

Quick sidebar rant: The week prior to Thanksgiving, we had 3 daytime events at Carter's school for parent stuff (the kind of stuff that is optional but you know your kid is going to be sad if you aren't there) along with about 17 other things (okay, that is an exaggeration, but it felt like that!) that had to be done for his school (volunteer sign ups, fundraiser stuff, etc), and another 3 daytime events at John's school (which is DAYCARE, so everyone that sends their kid there WORKS). This week happened to coincide with my Tuesday return from a 6 day trip to California (4 days work, 2 days play) and Thomas' Tuesday departure to California (4 days) and the kids and my departure for Thanksgiving vacation the following Saturday. In total, Thomas and I saw each other for 18 hours over a two week period, and we slept/laundered or packed for most of that.

Everything is good, but there just isn't enough time in the day (or night). I haven't had time to take care of many of the basics (Carter was overdrawn in his lunch money account by about a week's worth of lunches), so nice-to-do stuff like blogging also fell by the wayside. 

In any case, I'm going to get caught up over the next several days!

Pumpkin' Patchin' 2012

Our 5th year at the pumpkin patch, John's second (but first where he wasn't asleep!)

C's first year to try the pumpkin slingshot (and the corn shooter, not pictured)

MY first ride on the cow train

Stitches, Staples and Glue... oh, my.

When carter was between one and two years old, he accidents that required had both stitches and staples. 

John is continuing the tradition with an accident that required glue... 

1) I definitely didn't realize there were so many ways to put skin back together - until these boys came along. 

2) John's cut is in almost the EXACT same place that Thomas has a scar from toddlerhood. I think someone is feeling sad that he doesn't look as much like Dad as his brother does...

4 kids, 1 parent

I am traveling most weeks in October and November, so Thomas is solo-parenting a lot. This past week, he kept C and J and Anna and Sammy one night while Park and Ashley had evening committments! 

They all seemed to fare well (though the house was a bit of a wreck the next day when I got home). 

Many Sides of Carter

Saturday was a busy one for us, and Carter had many different roles to play

First up, soccer player: fauxhawk and uniform

Next, vocal (and bells) performance at a festival: fancy clothes and "square" hair

Third: Playdate at our house with a classmate (no pics!)

Late afternoon: Hiking on a local trail and errand running with mom

Finally, losing another tooth!

One day, lots of different Carters!

Weekend Getaway to Estes Park

The final piece of Thomas' birthday surprise was a weekend trip to Estes Park where we celebrated Thomas, Marc and Rob's 40ths together. Okay, it was early for Marc and Rob, but they didn't seem to mind. We managed to mostly keep the trip a surprise from all of the guys. Details here. 

We chose Colorado because it was vaguely centrally located, when considering couples from Atlanta, Houston and San Diego. We also liked it because of the beautiful views, hiking, breweries, and some of the features of the house we rented, including the hot tub and wood burning fireplace. 

The boys

View from one of our four decks (plus, mimosas!)

On our hike to Cub Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Cub Lake (did I mention about the beauty?!)

After our hike, we drove to Lyon, CO to the Oskar Blues Brewpub, where they happened to be having Octoberfest, complete with a polka band

Shannon, Rachel and I might have been a little lost in the polka music, had we not had our husbands to share their (apparently vast) knowledge of polka with us. Case in point, before the polka band even started to play, there was a prediction that this particular song would be 4th on the set list. And they were right.

The guy in the band is playing a washboard tie

After Octoberfest polka fun, the serendipitous fun kept coming!  Just around the corner we found this amazing place.

It was so great to spend the weekend together. Our children were well cared for by a hugely appreciated group of family, friends and babysitters. They seemed to have a really terrific weekend, too!

Thomas' 40th

Thomas turned 40 last month! 

Carter helped with the decorating, which included posting a little relevant math he worked on for his dad

Thomas' main present was a series of 4 fun excursions 

The night of his birthday, we went to hibachi with the family

It was the very same restaurant that Cart Cart took Thomas and Park to on their birthdays almost every year, growing up

But back then, they didn't create a personalized cake for you, complete with the picture they took of you with a fun umbrella

The night after T's birthday, we went to see a taping of Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me at the Fox

And then the Saturday night after his birthday, we had a cocktail party for T, complete with ONLY pink drinks, because they are his favorite (and he's old enough to not be ashamed)

Our friends Lance and Stephanie hosted the party (THANK YOU!) and Thomas got to share some of his favorite stories from his 40 years

It was a small gathering, but it included old friends, new friends and family

The fourth, and final, fun thing was kept as a surprise until last Friday when I picked Thomas up early from work... More on that tomorrow!

44 Seconds of Laughter

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