Friday phone dump

A week of photos and memories, all dumped here with little regard to order and reason...

The local school that hosts Kyler's Boy Scout troop had their annual fall carnival.

Which meant not only did we get to enjoy the fall festival there but we also used it to complete a service project. The boys worked hard scrubbing down tables and cleaning up trash.

I heard a squealing behind me and couldn't figure out what that was about. Until I saw this cute girl, running up to me! I used to babysit little K. when she was a preschooler. I love that she still adores me - she gave me hug after hug, I will love this kiddos forever!  

This week was our schools annual McDonald's night. Which means the teachers and staff become the workers at McDonald's. A portion of the proceeds from the purchased food goes to the school. 

I was laughing when I got home. 

I could not wait to tell John that it is never a good idea to let your kids watch a documentary on fast food.  And then bring them into the very restaurant that you warned them about

In front of the manager, Kyler exclaimed (after I told him to check their menu board) "are you trying to kill me"?

 It's fine, I told him. 

Just order. 

Kayli was halfway gagging about the menu. She said did you know they sell mechanically separated chicken mom? Do you know what that means?

 Kyler asks "are the hamburger safe to eat"? 

"This is so gross" Brooklyn sighed.

Brayden happily mowed down all of it :)

I have gone over and over how fast food chains prepare things and then the documentary about them pretty much sealed the deal for them. 

They weren't being loud or disrespectful, just asking honest questions about what is good for them to eat. 

Have I mentioned how much we love our dog Lily? So much so that Brayden asked to bring her in for show and tell.

She was nervous the first few minutes being in the preschool classroom. And then she settled right down when she saw they were just little people, I think

She has been the sweetest little girl ever!

It was cute when one of his classmates asked what kind of dog she was, Brayden responded a "pound puppy"

Kayli and I have been running together in the mornings. It has been a lot of fun and a great way for us to catch up without any other distractions. Lily has joined us three of the times this week.

I still have a birthday post to do for Kyler. We had an awesome cousin birthday party on the 19th. And this weekend we will get a handful of boys together from school and go to Jump Street to celebrate his 8th birthday!

Kyler absolutely loves soccer.  I woke up Sat morning and he was already suited up with his cleats on!  

(Snack leader--> thank you for free printables, pinterest!)

He has asked for a few years to be on a team. Finally I found a league that was local and not so hard-core.

It's so fun to watch him do something that he loves!  After the last soccer match, we headed into the local school to do their team's service project. Scrubbing chewed up food and what looks like vomit off of tables and chairs. I was gagging. But I really hope that these kids learned that somebody has to clean up the messes that they leave behind at school.

Straight from soccer, we headed to the high school gymnasium for wrestling tourney. I missed Brayden's first match but he ended up pinning all three opponents and winning first place at his first tournament. He was ecstatic.

After some soccer and wrestling action, we cleaned up the house and headed to Glendale for a big gymnastics evening competition. I want to do a post about Brooklyn's gymnastics because it has been such a learning curve for us.

In Brooklyn's first event, she fell off of the beam; I could hear everyone around us gasp. She had never done that before and I wasn't sure what to expect. 

She took a deep breath, jumped right back on and finished flawlessly. 

And then continued in her other three events pulling 9+'s in everything.

I can't even express how proud I was of Brooklyn.  Not of her scores, not of her skills but the fact that she fell down and got right back up. Undaunted by the fact of what that fall just cost her. 

I've seen gymnasts crumble at that very circumstance, even shriek. Cry. But it didn't mentally get Brooklyn down. That's a champion right there, I told her. That's character. And she still pulled out 3rd place overall, medaling in every event. 

We've been BOO'd !!  

Have you?

Love our hood. And this season. 

So much to take in and enjoy.

 If we are purposeful in seeing it