Game night with the cousins

The beginning of Notre Dame Game Night revelries. Sundaes Uncle Dave-style means ice cream in a pot, bowl, tupperware, or anything unconventional around the kitchen.

Pre-game Yahtzee.

This proves you can be a hipster in truck pjs. Go Irish!

Skerls and such

What better way to welcome a new day than with an early morning story from Grandmommy.

Lady and the Tramp (and Baby Dumbo, who is never more than five feet from his Mommy).

This afternoon around naptime, I heard Rose from the back yard calling me. It wasn't a cry of distress, so I took my time, finishing my lunch over my latest good read.  It must have been ten minutes before she came inside, still saying the same words: "Mommy! Skerl!" It didn't register until I put her down for her nap (and changed her damp shirt) that maybe I should go check the backyard. My stomach turned as I witnessed Rose's source of angst: in our little kiddie pool floated... a dead chipmunk (or "skerl" as Rose put it). Ewwww. Poor little guy. It took quelling everything in my nature to bury the dead little creature (Dave, you're off the hook- I know you're shocked). Rose watched as I buried him asking, "Where is it? He can't get out." Indeed. A word of warning to green-thumb Grandmommy: the grave is behind the azalea near the shed.

We're so enjoying this breezy autumnal weather. The girls continue to be enthusiastic about school (especially ice cream Wednesdays and pizza Fridays), and Frankie will go to her first birthday party of a classmate this weekend.  Dave will conduct an important townhall-style meeting (the first of its kind) at our parish this Friday night- so please keep that in your prayers. We're hoping it doesn't turn out like this. Dave, Hilary and I are excited to attend the diocesan Risk Jesus conference this Saturday where a wonderful blogger we follow will be speaking, along with a holy priest who's a family friend. Thanks, Grandmommy and Pop Pop, for watching the nine grandchildren while we're there. Happy Wednesday!

This month's recap

We could spot Rose a mile away walking around with this bubble umbrella at a little friend's birthday party.

David and Dave bond over a nap.

It's that time of year again. 3-0, baby. Go Irish!

Remember the Elmo incident last year? It is a thing of the past. David finds this costume and dons it on his own now. He just needed a year to mature into Elmo.

Our hopes for homegrown jack-o-lanterns were dashed after getting many, many stalks and flowers, but no pumpkins. Then one day late this summer... pop! This sweet little guy appears. He's such a character.

She's sweet, sharp, and she's not afraid to tell you what you should be doing. You're not a close friend or family member? Doesn't matter. Rose is rife with commands for all of humanity. She recently told a little boy at the park to stop being so loud, and she frequently approaches strangers with "What's your name?" or "Hi!".  She's our first choleric child....parenting advice welcome :)