Saige was showing Jaide the birthday card she got in the mail from Marie and Creita.  Jaide was kissing the card.

Clint was gone all day today picking up his truck that has been getting worked on.  The kids were excited all day about going trick-or-treating and kept asking when we were going to go.  I rushed around and got them some supper and tried to get them dressed.  I didn't do any special costumes this year.  I just let them pick from what they already had.  Clint got home and we took the kids to town.  Saige wanted to be a princess, Sloan was a cowgirl, Judd wanted to wear his camo clothes and be a hunter and Jett wanted to be a cowboy (which means he just wore what we wears every day).  I put the pumpkin princess outfit on Jaide that Sloan wore a few years ago.  The kids had fun trick-or-treating.  Jaide learned pretty quick that people were giving out candy.  She didn't take a nap this afternoon and was pretty fussy, but as soon as we would get to a house, she would want down to go reach in their bowl of candy (and she usually won't go near a stranger).  Saige had a fever and Jaide was fussy and we already had plenty of candy, so we came home about 7:30 pm.

Clint and I went on a date this afternoon.  Well, it wasn't really a date, but we went somewhere alone together.  After lunch, we dropped the 3 girls off with Larry and Diane and took the boys to school, then Clint took his army truck back up to Dodge to get the new bale bed put on it.  I went up in the Santa Fe and we ran some errands, spent some money at Walmart and ate Wendy's on the way home.  It was fun to just be with him.  It's nice that I still like him after 15 years.
It felt so good for all the kids to run up to us when Larry and Diane brought them home.  They were happy to see us and gave us hugs.  Jaide kept giving me kisses and snuggles.  I love my babies and their Daddy.

I love being at home with my kids.  Cooking for them, cleaning up after them, teaching them things, playing with them, snuggling them...these are a few of my favorite things.

It has been a struggle for me to get Jaide down for a late morning nap.  She gets tired, but I have to be fixing the kids lunch so they aren't late for school and it's hard to get her to sleep.  I just can't make myself lay her down and make her cry it out.  We did that with the other 4 and it was hard, but it worked fine.  Sorry kids, Number 5 is getting spoiled a little.

It was another hot, late October day.  Clint started hauling milo again all afternoon.  I took the kids to town for the school carnival.  They had fun and were well behaved.  We came home and had supper, then they wanted to go out to the pond and play so we went out in the Ranger.  They had fun picking up sticks and making a pile by the pond for a bonfire (at a later date).

Clint planted the wheat on the 110 acres a week ago today.  It has been so warm that the wheat sprouted and has been really growing fast (as compared to this time of year normally), which is great so we can get the ground covered to keep it from blowing.  Don't I sound like a knowledgeable farmer's wife?  I'm really just practicing the "fake it 'til you make it" mentality.

Today felt like a summer day.  It was sunny and in the 90's.  We spent most of the afternoon outside.  The kids played in the sprinkler on the trampoline and soaked up the sunshine.  We followed that with slushies and a movie.

Saige didn't want to play in the water so she just sat and watched the other 4 play.

Jaide loves being on the trampoline with the other kids.  She was just laying and letting them bounce her.

Drying off in the sunshine.

After playing in the water, the kids ran around in the yard.  They love to have races to the big grain bin and back.

Saige fell down while running and Jett and Sloan helped her up and made sure she was ok.  It was very sweet.

Yep, she is fine.

My football player

This evening, Clint took the portable corrals to the pasture in Oklahoma so he can sort off the heifer calves to wean.  We all went with him.  He dropped us off at Dian's on his way down.  The kids had fun feeding the horses and getting spoiled by Dian.  It was also nice to see her parents who were there visiting.

This week sailed by.  I did a horrible job writing anything down and remembering what happened this week.  Clint was on the tractor day and night to get the wheat drilled, so I felt like a single parent for some of the week.  I babysat a friends two kids 3 days this week, which kept me even busier.  I tried to take time to just lay on the floor and snuggle with each of the kids each day.  Parent-teacher conferences were Wednesday evening.  Clint went it to meet with the teacher and I stayed home with the kids.  The boys are doing well at school.  For the most part, they enjoy going, but they are always ready for the weekends, so they can be at home.  Today I got caught up on laundry.  I had about 15 loads of laundry piled up to fold and put away.

Yesterday, I took a video of Sloan singing 'Doe, a deer' from The Sound of Music.  She can sing every word.  She amazes me every day with something she says or does.  I know I am very biased, but Sloan is smart.  And funny.  I love her.  A lot.

Jaide is changing every day.  She is so grown up already, and not even one year old.  It amazes me how a baby can't verbally communicate, but can understand everything we say.  She loves her Daddy and waves at him when he leaves or comes home.  She adores her brothers and sisters and loves to lay her head down on them and just snuggle.  She also likes to hit them and pull the girls hair, which is not favorable.  When I hand her a brush, she puts in on her head and I will say, "Oh, you are so pretty!".  Therefore, every time I tell her she is pretty she reaches up and touches her head.  She is so tall and is walking/almost running everywhere.  She has the cutest little giggle.  She likes to find my basketball and bring it to me, which usually happens multiple times a day and I find it amusing.  She knows which blanket is Saige's and which one is Sloan's and she likes to take their blankets to them.  Good golly, I love her.

Saige is doing well and seems to be healthy.  She is such a mommy and loves taking care of dolls and helping with Jaide.  She likes to wear this little pink dance outfit over her clothes.  She is getting very good at dressing herself and loves to pick out her own clothes in the morning.  She has the sweetest smile and I can't get enough of her hugs and kisses. 

When Jett got home from school today he randomly said, "The first day we went to school it was fun, but now since we go there every week, it's not cool."  I thought is was so funny the way he said it.

Clint stayed out all night drilling wheat.  He came in for about an hour this morning and ate some soup, then went back out to work.  I didn't take him any lunch because the 5 little carnivores ate everything I made.  This afternoon I made a batch of snickerdoodles for him because I know he likes them.  The girls and I took them out to the tractor when he came in to fill the drills.  Thankfully, the kids didn't eat all the hamburgers I made for supper and Clint was able to get a few.  He was planning on drilling all night long again tonight, but broke down a few minutes ago, so he just came in.  I know the work needs done, but I'm glad he can get a little rest.

The kids and I spent the day at Greensburg today.  Clint is really busy right now, so we just came up last night after the basketball game and had a sleep over.  The kids like to wake up at Grandpa and Grandma's house.  We had a good day with family.  Dad took all the kids to the park and Jaide was napping with Mom, so I got to go down and see Grandma Darlene's (Gigi's) new apartment.  She is still getting moved in.  It was nice to see where her new home is and get to spend a little time with her.  While I know it's a big change, we will all enjoy having her closer.  After supper, we headed home.  I got all the kids and the suburban unloaded then got everyone in bed.

Today was the 6th annual WEPAC Hoops for Hope game.  I was asked to play in the charity basketball game this year.  WEPAC Alliance is a non-profit organization that covers any out of pocket expenses from preventative cancer screenings for any woman living in our 5 surrounding towns.  They have this benefit game every year.  They include high school seniors, alumni, former college players and WNBA/professional players.  I was happy to be asked, but also very nervous.  I had been shooting the ball some at home, but you just can't practice playing against professional athletes.  Cancer affects everyone is one way or another.  It was interesting to hear all the players talk about how cancer had affected their family and why they were playing in the game and supporting WEPAC.
I had a stressful morning getting all the kids ready and taken where they needed to go.  I took Jaide to Diane's.  She cried when I dropped her off, which was really hard.  I took the other 4 kids in to Kissels.  Gayla took care of them all afternoon then brought them over to the game.  Clint worked getting everything ready to plant wheat today, then picked up Jaide and came to the game.  The kids said the game was too long, but said they had fun.  Clint took a few pictures during the game, then a few of the kids and I afterwards.

Kirk and Clint cut milo at our house today.  Kirk is so patient with the kids and he let them each ride the combine with him.  Jett and Judd went first, then Saige and Sloan.  The kids absolutely loved it.  Clint ruined a tire on one of his trucks while hauling milo to town so he had to get that fixed this afternoon. 

It was one of those days when you just wear your jammies all day long.

While the girls were taking their turn, Judd was having fun taking pictures.  I have about 10 of these selfies of him making a sad/grumpy face, then he turned the camera on Jett and told him to make a sad face.

After I took the kids back to the house, they were all itching from playing in the milo stalks and being around the milo dust.  I gave the 3 girls a bath and the boys took a shower.  I told them to stay clean the rest of the evening, but, of course, that didn't happen.  Before bedtime, Judd and Sloan were out playing in the dirt.  I love my filthy farm kids.

The boys have a pumpkin decorating contest at school tomorrow, so I got out a few stickers/markers/crayons and let them put whatever they wanted on it.  The girls wanted to decorate theirs also.  They all used their pumpkins they picked from Papa Bob and Grandma Ann's garden.

Today we just enjoyed being at home and doing normal things (like laundry, coloring, dishes, playing outside, cooking, watching a movie).
 

Last night was Saige's last dose of Cipro.  We did a urine analysis today and it was clear (no bacteria, etc) so hopefully we got the infection killed this time.  She seems to be feeling good and was running around and playing normal.

Yesterday, Diane brought over some of Clint's old football stuff from when he was a kid.  Our kids loved putting it on.  Clint went out and played with them in the yard for a long time.

We went for a ride out in the pasture.  The kids, of course, wanted to stop at the pond to throw rocks in and play.

Clint keeps these in the Ranger to wear when he's shooting.  It's taken 42 years of his life to realize he should have ear protection, but better late than never, I guess.  The kids like to wear them.  This girl is cute.