October was filled with lots of Halloween festivities and fun, which I'll do a separate post on, but here are the pictures from the rest of the month. It has not felt like fall here since the weather has been pretty warm still but I won't ever complain about having to wear shorts in October.
Saturdays have been filled with soccer games! The Black Widows have only won 1 game but they are having a good time which is what really matters, especially at this age. The games end up turning into being at the park for what seems like half the day since after the games everyone stays and plays on the playground so it has been fun getting to know the other kids and families. Joseph is number 8 which he was so excited to tell me about when he first got his jersey since that is my favorite number. For being the youngest on his team he is really playing well and learning a lot. 
The girls hang pretty well during the games and have learned to bring plenty of things to keep them busy since I won't let them play on the playground until after the game. It looks like Ella is listening to headphones here but really she has on part of an old Halloween costume that is a head mic from when Rich and I were the P90x instructors. I found it hilarious that she wore it around!
Joseph had Sugar, his classroom bear, at home with us on the first weekend in October so we brought him to his game.
And then Sugar went swimming that afternoon with him.
And then enjoyed pancakes the following morning before church.
On October 4th I had Charlotte's 1 month appointment and Julia's 2 year doctor appointment and they both did great. Julia received the flu shot and surprisingly she didn't cry at all!!!! About 15 seconds after the shot she did get a few tears in her eyes and said, "That hurt me" in the sweetest, most innocent voice ever which broke my heart but she was a champ! I think telling Joseph and Ella that Julia didn't cry made them extra brave to receive their shots a few weeks later.
These two girls are such sweet friends.
Looking sharp for picture day on October 4th. He continues to only have good things to say about school and is making so much progress. He is constantly asking us how to spell words and is sounding out words constantly. We love everything that he is absorbing and being exposed to...well, for the most part. We know that we can't keep him in a bubble but one day after school we were playing at home and he says to me, "Mom, can I call Ella f&*k?" I didn't know if I should laugh or cry and was able to hold it together enough to say, "Umm, no, you can't call Ella that." He then asked me what it meant and I said something along the lines of it not being a kind word and that it isn't appropriate for anyone to say. I asked him where he heard it from and he got a little embarrassed and I didn't want to push it so I just dropped it and we haven't heard it again. Since I am friendly with his teacher I did mention it to her the next time that I was volunteering in the classroom and she said that she had a pretty good idea as to where he picked it up from and would follow up. It really seemed so innocent when he said it since the way he asked about it wasn't in the right context but definitely made us realize that even in kindergarten they are being exposed to such a variety of things. It made me consider homeschool for about a half of a second :) but really did just enforce our belief of doing our best to build a strong foundation for him to make positive choices and to provide him, as well as the girls, with the tools that will help them deal with difficult situations with grace, kindness and integrity. Ahhh, and so it begins!
Westwood Elementary has a run club program that gives the students the opportunity to run laps around their track every Tuesday and Thursday during recess and then they earn ribbons for every 5 mile marker that they reach. Joseph LOVES run club and was the first in his class to earn his 5 mile ribbon. He was SO excited!!! On October 25th I got a call from the nurse at his school about five minutes after I dropped him off because she was concerned that he might have pink eye and I went to pick him up and he was in tears because he didn't want to leave school, especially since there was run club that morning at recess. After taking him to the doctor and confirming that it was not pink eye, but just allergies (which I was 99% sure it wasn't which is why I sent him in the first place), his amazing teacher was nice enough to let him run laps during the afternoon recess and counted them for him. Joseph was really happy and we were touched by her kindness since she knew how much that meant to him. The kids all pin the ribbons on to their backpacks and he was thrilled to get his first ribbon!
I know I have commented on this before but we just love our cul-de-sac!!! We are out at least 3 days a week after school playing with the other kids and it is just a perfect way to end the day. Julia loves hanging with the big kids and they just all play so well together. Julia has been doing a great job without diapers this month-honestly, I am still kind of in shock that she is potty trained! She was fighting a cold one week in the middle of the month and had a few accidents that week but other than that has been great. During that week she was walking around in a pair of my high heels (that I rarely wear but love) and she was standing in front of me while I was feeding Charlotte in them and all of a sudden had this look on her face and sure enough she had an accident...let's just say she was standing in a puddle of pee in my heels!!! So gross!!! Thankfully (I guess) they were not ruined and I was able to clean them really well so I feel comfortable in wearing them again but I am sure that every time I put them on I'll constantly be thinking about the puddle of pee in them...yuck!!!
Aiden is the little boy who lives directly across from us and is one month older than Julia.
My friend sent me this picture of Joseph and his buddies hugging it out one morning before school. He has adjusted so well and has a good group of friends.
Nani, Poppa and Bubba came to Joseph's soccer game on October 8th and the girls had the best seats in the house.
Later that day, Joseph was working on making a card and just couldn't put it down! I was cracking up when I walked by and saw this so had to take a picture.
The moms at pick up from Joseph's school always get such a kick of Ella's ensembles when we arrive. Often times she arrives in a dress up costume but today went with a Christmas dress, hat and backpack, with the sheep attached!
Stealing the oranges from the soccer team during halftime on October 15th.
Nothing says the middle of October better than a swim in the pool! The pool water is pretty chilly now but they love heating up the spa and going back and forth.
Hanging in the pool bin after while we were grilling.
Sweet sisters on October 17th.
On October 19th, Julia, Charlotte and I had our first run at Lake Miramar which felt great!! I've been trying to go once a week and we always finish the run with feeding the ducks.
My running buddies!
Happy little running buddy!
Another weekend of soccer on October 22nd.
The girls definitely find ways to keep themselves busy during the game.
I have noticed that I take a lot of pictures of these two from behind but I just always think it is so cute when they walk together and just talk with one another. We had just finished going for a run and were walking over to the playground-they both grabbed their dolls and walked ahead of me so I had to snap the picture.
I put the leg warmers on Charlotte and the next thing I knew the other two girls had them on, too!
I love the way how Julia is looking at Ella here.
Then I realized that Ella wasn't fully covered in the previous pictures so got her all covered up and a few more smiles.
And by this time Charlotte was getting over it-can you see the start of her little pout here?!? She has mastered the pout over this past month and it is just so sweet. I laugh every time I see it coming but the best part is when you can make her smile and get her out of the pout-it just stalls the cry from coming because she normally ends up going back to the pout but at least now she gives you a bit of warning with the pout before the cry comes. Sweet girl.
To finish out the month of just random pictures, here is a great one of Uncle Bubba and Aunt Hollie with the girls at Joseph's soccer game. It has been so fun having so many spectators come to cheer him on and to keep the girls occupied!
I have to include that on October 21st our family experienced a tough and very sad loss. My Aunt Gloria, my mother's brother's wife, passed away after a heroic 18 month battle with stomach cancer. Aunt Gloria was one of the most positive, selfless, and genuine people that I have ever met. Ever since my family's move to California in 1992, her family made it a point to visit us every single year and then I became even closer to her during my 4 years at Geneseo. I loved looking through my grandparent's window seeing if her living room curtain was open yet and then rushing over to have coffee and breakfast with her. She surprised me at my bridal shower and of course made it to our wedding. She loved getting to know our kids and we have fonds memories of our trip to the Outerbanks with them as well as visiting them before Rich's Ironman at Lake Placid and having her there to cheer him on. Charlotte was born on her birthday and I love that we decided on her middle name as Grace since Aunt Gloria lived her entire life with such grace. She touched the lives of so many and will be missed dearly. We love you, Aunt Gloria.
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