September

Here are some pictures from September happenings around the Holden House...

Avery (1 year, 1 month) - Avery has mastered all the main baby party tricks: the wave, high-five, kiss, hug and clap.  She is very proud of herself when she can do the one you ask for.  She is doing well in her new class and loves music and story time.  She is working on walking unassisted and is close until she realizes she isn't being held.

Playing Peek-A-Boo with Andre at the Library

Trying to decide which book to read

Playing in the jeep

Parker (3 years, 10 months) - Sweet Parker... Despite the occasional grumpy rubbing off from his brother, Parker has been the sweetest thing lately. He gives random " I love you's" and always says please/thank you/I'm sorry.  We've been focusing on reading a lot with Carter and some of it is rubbing off on Parker.  He's even asked to practice his reading -  Go Parker!

Parker asked to have his picture taken with the Lion at Carter's school

One shaved ice - two straws - first date material

Carter (5 years, 4 months) - Carter had a great month at school (which he adores - hopefully it stays that way for awhile).  He has been super busy with sports and after school activities so we're trying our best to get lots of sleep to keep the grumpies at bay. His teachers have been focusing on reading a lot at school and you can tell a big difference over the course of a month.  Go Carter!

Horseshoes with dad on a day off from school

Proud he could climb to the top of the jungle gym

Siblings - These three have been spending more time hanging out and playing together.  Avery has taken to following the boys whenever they run off and they adore having her around.  She can be the typical little sister at times and topple their newly built tower but they are liberal with hugs and kisses anyway.

Avery sharing her snack with her brothers

I said they hang out everywhere...

Delta Flight Musuem

We had a low-key, rainy weekend and the kids were getting a bit stir crazy, so we decided to get out of the house and take the kids to some place they haven't been before - the Delta Flight Museum.  It is housed in two old hangers at Hartsfield Jackson in Delta's main campus and despite being small had plenty to keep the kids entertained for awhile.

Checking out an old mail plane

There are two boys in this picture

Practicing their baggage handling skills

Parker the flight attendant

Little sis - not to be outdone

Water break

Playing hide-in-seek with dad

This Week at School

Here are some photos showing what the kiddos were up to at school this week

Avery

Avery's door for Country Week

Art time

Doing the dishes

Parker

Music class fun outside

Making yellow goo in Science class

Parker's class had a performance this week to celebrate culture week at school.  They sang "It's a Small World" and did a dance.  Parker did a great job and did the whole routine.  Afterwards we made South African flags, had Milk tarts and played in Parker's room.

Waiting for the show to start

Proud of his door

Carter

Celebrating Mrs. Stark's birthday

The class put on a play of the story of the Gingerbread Man.  This is Carter's scene - he was the Gingerbread man trying to avoid the wolf.

Weekly community activity - stuffing programs with the team rosters for the football game

Math class in the compute lab

Lovett had a home football game this week and Carter had a few friends in the Jr Cheerleader program performing so he insisted we go watch.  There was a pizza party before the game.  At the game Carter sat as close to the cheerleaders as possible.  The boys enjoyed practicing running races on the track and watching the Lions win.  Carter's friends cheered on the field for a half and he stood on the front row to watch.  After each cheer his friends ran over and gave him High-Fives.  He was so excited!

Front row seat

High Fives from the Junior Lions

A Day at the Apple Farm

This Sunday, Mom needed some time to catch up on some work items.  So its was Dad's turn to find a way to entertain and occupy the three littlest Holdens.  With the start of fall being a few days away, it seemed like the perfect day to head to the foothills of the Appalachians and go to the B.J. Reece Orchards in Elijay GA for some apple picking and fun on the farm.

The farm was nestled in an elevated valley

To get ourselves orientated to the large farm, we first took a wagon ride around the south orchard seeing all eight different apple varieties (only ones for picking this day were Golden Delicious, Red Rome Beauty,  Rome Beauty and Stayman Winesap).

Tractor wagon ride

First up after the wagon ride was the cow train.  this was pretty funny, and Dad and Avery had a great time watching the boys get pulled around the fields in this crazy contraption.

Avery wanting to go... but was too small

The boys are off!

There were many fun activities that occupied us all for the morning. Avery had a blast being outside and watching her brothers get up to their normal crazy antics.

Corn Maze and Scavenger Hunt

Bouncing Pillow

Quick water break on our second wagon ride

The boys favorite - pig races

After a long morning (we didn't stop for lunch until 1:45), we headed to the North orchards and found even more fun activities.

Apple Cannons - like aiming a knuckleball

Parker's turn

Of course, being at a U-pick orchard, there was some apple munching and picking going on

The apples were delicious

Learning to milk a cow

Parker's technique was a bit more effective

Pony Rides!

Last stop was the petting zoo full of goats, cows, chickens, pigs, and bunnies

This may be Blue Bear's eventual replacement

All had a great time and the boys and Avery were very well behaved and had a blast.  They keep talking about wanting to bring Mom the next time and teach her to milk cows.