Fall Roundup

I feel like this blog is picking up steam again.  Before long, we're going to be caught up through Christmas!  This is a quick look at our fall highlights:

 Emery got to play soccer.

The highlight of the season was when she scored a goal and the entire cheering section went nuts, all the other parents included.  Emery scoring a goal was just like she just scored the winning goal at the World Cup.  Awesome.

A quick trip to Sea World and San Antonio, where Emery was no longer terrified of the giant Sesame characters.

Alastair had his field day at school.  

He also had several Scouting events, including three campouts where it rained.  Every.  Single.  Time.

This was the weather just before the second campout was cancelled well into Saturday afternoon and our garage was taken over by soaking tents and tarps.  Poor Kim has lost his sense of humor about camping in the rain.

The last campout of the fall was the Raingutter Regatta, where the boys (and siblings too) made boats and raced them.  

Alastair was delighted to win his den's race.

This was also the first (and last) campout that Nell got to attend.  It was kind of muggy but we couldn't figure out why she was having quite such a hard time sleeping that night.  It was a night full of crying every hour or so and I cringe to think of all the other scouts that could hear her, even though we intentionally pitched our tent as far away from the group as we could.  In the morning, it was clear why she was so miserable:  Without being able to swat at them, the mosquitos had been feasting on the poor baby all night.   We're going to wait awhile before we revisit camping with her.

Then there were all the Halloween festivities.

First up, we visited the pumpkin patch:

 

I include this, um, weirdness to prove that they aren't always feeling that photogenic... 

Then Halloween!

 Emery, as Merida from Brave.

Alastair, missing out on most of Halloween last year, wanted to be a Stormtrooper again.  Fine by me.

 Nell as a pony, complete with pink bow so people would know she was a girl, even though they still kept calling her "he." 

A tail!

The whole crew before the trick or treating started.

That's about it for fall.  Next up:  Christmas and house reno.