{TAG}

I was tagged by Karen and Lynn!

Name: Taylor RyAnne Beightol

Age: 10

Nicknames: TayTay, Little Bug, Chicken, RyAnne, Sis,

Favorite Activities: Basketball, swimming, listening to music, reading, writing, texting

Favorite Foods: Pizza, Shrimp, Mexican Food, Clam Chowder, Ice Cream

Least Favorite Foods: cooked veggies, mom's enchiladas,

Favorite Music: anything on XM Channel 20 and 30, Pink, Flo Rida

Toys: Wii, bike, basketball, guitar

Books: anything Fantasy, Tangerine, The Giver, Bud Not Buddy

What Makes Me Happy: spending time with friends, reading, shopping

What Makes Me Sad: seeing other people sad, when mom and dad tell me no

TAG: Michele (Chelsea), Julaine (Brandi), Wanda (Trevor)

Pumpkin Carving Party

We received an invitation last week to attend a Pumpkin Carving BBQ on the crush pad of Double Canyon facility in West Richland. The invitation and party was put together by the daughter's (McKayla and Matilda) of the winemaker, Ned, for Double Canyon.

It was like Christmas morning

where the kids keep asking "Can we start NOW?

McKayla waiting her turn to carve.

Matilda ready to dig in!

After realizing that Ned wouldn't be able to have time to carve pumpkins with them this year McKayla and Matilda decided to have everyone come to the facility to carve pumpkins together.

Suzie found a new technique, from "good ol' Martha Stewart", to cut off the BOTTOM of the pumpkin instead of the top. It helps in keeping the bottom from rotting and is MUCH easier to deal with the candle!

So, this afternoon Will, Ryan, and I (Taylor's still in Florida) headed up to West Richland with food to bbq and pumpkins to carve. McKayla and Matilda greeted us with smiles on as they were so excited for the party to happen!

The "Witches Brew"

We had great food, conversation, wine, and

PUMPKIN CARVING!

Anyone who knows me knows I HATE HALLOWEEN!!!!!! I can not tell you why I hate it...I just do. It might have something to do with I HATE being scared though!!!! So, I put on a happy face and tried to look like I was ready for a good time...I (as well as everyone else) had a wonderful time!

Ryan did insist that I carve his pumpkin with a design which came out of a book. I taped the page onto his pumpkin and started poking holes in the darn thing. I only agreed to do it because we were in public. If we'd been at home I would have told him NO WAY. The design was very complicated and it took a LONG time to just punch the design into the pumpkin but THEN I had to use the cutting tool to finish. I was still working LONG after everyone else finished! In the end, it didn't turn out too bad...the image was suppose to be a wolf...and the wolf ended up having only one eye cause I accidentally make a wrong cut and off came the darn eye! Mind you Ryan ran past me maybe twice while I was working on HIS pumpkin. He didn't stay long enough to even see me make a cut in the darn thing.

The "free handed" R2-D2!

The painstakingly UGLY wolf!

After I was finished with his pumpkin I called him over and he was much more impressed with his dad's pumpkin which Will did free handed! He made R2-D2! I could have killed them both. There I sat working on a massively complicated ugly wolf and Will cut out R2-D2 without hardly blinking.

The finished products lit up. The pic really doesn't do them justice!

They both did turn out pretty neat!

Matilda's already looking ahead to the next party...

All in all, we had a great day with friends and family. As we were getting ready to leave Matilda said to her dad Ned, "I think we should have a Christmas Party out here on the crush pad Dad." We think Matilda has found her calling...Party Planner!

Early Birthday Present...

For Ryan's birthday Will ordered him a football (youth size) to help him learn to throw and catch better. Well, Ryan's birthday is not until NEXT Saturday and as you can see from the pics Will couldn't resist giving it to him last night.

Okay, so I can't put all the blame on Will...I encouraged him, when he mentioned it last night. This is soooo why I don't start Christmas shopping until December because when I buy something for someone I CAN NOT wait to give it to them!!! I get sooo excited to see the look on their face when getting a gift. A MAJOR weakness that I totally get from my mother. ;)

When Will placed the box in front of Ryan and had him open it Ryan was shaking from head to toe with excitement! As he pulled the deflated ball out of the box he knew instantly what it was and was ready to play catch. Mind you it was pitch black outside...sooooo...yep you guessed it; my living room turned into the playing field.

There are MANY things that drive my CRAZY but playing catch with the football INSIDE the house isn't one of them. In college Will and I used to play catch in the hallway of the SAE Annex. I LOVE throwing the football around. It totally relaxes me for some strange reason.

Watching Will and Ryan play catch with the "just right" football was so much fun. Ryan was giggling the entire time. I'm telling ya, that football was the trick to help him learn to catch better. After just a couple throws he was catching the ball with good form and not dropping it!

It was good for the two of them to have father/son bonding time. During harvest there really is never enough of that!!!!

She's Leavin' On A Jet Plane...

Miss Taylor left yesterday afternoon with Nana Cheryl for their long awaited trip to Florida. Tay has been getting ready since last weekend by laying out her summer clothes and gathering up things to do on the plane. She and Nana are going to have such a wonderful time together!

While they are down there the FlO RiDA Beightol's have TONS of fun things planned. One of those fun things is going to the opening day of High School Musical 3!

I was sad to see Taylor go off without me. But I do know she is in WONDERFUL hands. When I woke up this morning I missed not going in to wake up my little girl with her morning kisses. Then, I smiled thinking of her excitement when she woke up in Portland realizing the day had FINALLY arrived to board that plane to warm West Palm Beach!

Have a great time Taylor and Nana see ya next week!

Future Scientists??

Last night, Height's held their Science Night where a sample of classes from each grade have students doing a variety experiments that they have done in class.

Taylor came home last week and told us that Mr. VonMoos had chosen her along with three other classmates as the presenters for their 5th grade class. We were so proud of her. In the 3rd grade, her teacher had also chosen her for this special event.
She arrived there last night at 6:15 allowing she and Lara time to prepare their table for the evening to begin at 6:30. Both of them took their job VERY seriously! Usually when she and Lara get together there is A LOT of giggling. But they put on their "serious student hats" and were great scientists for the hour long presentations.

Also in Taylor and Lara's class are Anthony and Riley (AKA: Cubbie) which were doing their experiments at the table next to the girls. They too were taking their jobs very seriously. Then it was time to clean up...I found Anthony on the ground, and Riley messing around in the garbage!??? Goofy boys!

It was a nice event not only to see what my own child had been learning in science but also to see other Height's students show off their abilities too!!

My WoRSt FEAR!!!!!!

Ryan stayed out at Nana Cheryl's house on Saturday night. She took him shopping before heading out to her house. I didn't anything of it until we went to pick him up yesterday...he was wearing a HUSKY HAT!!!!! Yes, you read that right! A PURPLE AND GOLD HUSKY HAT on MY CHILD'S HEAD!!!!!!!

He was running around the house yelling "The Huskies ROCK!" I told him those were bad words at our house. He looked at me with huge eyes and asked "Are you kidding mom?" I replied, "No Ryan I am NOT kidding!" He said, "But mom Cody Bruns plays for the Huskies!" I had to take a DEEP breath and admit to my almost 5 year old "Yes, Ryan Cody does play for them and I promised Cody I would watch his games and root for HIM but that I couldn't bring myself to buy or wear and purple and gold." Ryan smiled and said "I can." I guess I have a MAJOR rebel on my hands!!!!!!!!

Back To Basketball

Saturday brought the beginning of another season of AAU Basketball. Taylor's team was placed into the top bracket this session and looking at the rest of the teams we weren't very excited. But Saturday the girls REALLY surprised ALL of us by playing extremely well against the amazing Burbank team! We have never beat those girls and they usually BLOW us OUT OF THE GYM! One of their girls is literally the height of Will! She has ALWAYS been TALL but we all think she grew TONS this summer. Maybe it is just the fact that I have to look UP to a 5th grader that seems a bit strange.The Burbank team has only ever lost games to the Mabton Tournament Team. These girls are very good athlete's with a great coach! I don't mind playing them even though in the end the results aren't good. The Burbank girls have great sportsmanship and never once have our girls come off the court complaining of any of them being rude!

Our girls played their hearts out on Saturday. At one point we were only down by 4 points but ended up losing by 9 points. Not bad AT all for their first game of the season. Way to go girls! Keep practicing and I know you will one day beat that team! We LOVE you ALL!!!

Bunko @ The Beightol's

So Friday Night brought yet another night of fun with the Bunko Ladies! This time it was at my house and we had a full house! After eating, chatting and being entertained by Ryan and Will we sat down to get started rollin' the dice!

Once again Ange kept us laughing through the night and Will kept encouraging her. Will can't resist hangin' with a house full of ladies! He even got to do a little rolling of the dice himself. Wanda was running late so Will sat in as Wanda calling them "Team W."

Michele Smith joined our Bunko group and fit in great adding to some fun times. We did miss a few regulars due to family things that needed to be taken care of. But we hope to have everyone together again next month as we head off to Cami's house for yet another fun filled evening!

Pumpkin Patch Day

Last Thursday Ryan's preschool class headed off to The Schell's Pumpkin Patch. I got the privilege of driving Ryan and two of his classmates. They were so funny to listen to on the drive. I had placed Abby in the middle Ryan and Isaac to keep the boys from leaving her out. But, I should have know...it wouldn't have mattered where I placed Miss Abby she is sure NOT to be left out! She helped me keep those two boys honest! Thanks Abbs.

I myself had never been to The Schell's Pumpkin Patch before and it was soooo much fun! The kids were able to roast marshmallows in the campfire, we went on a hay ride, they climbed up haystacks and slid down slides, we went through the corn maze and lastly each of us got to pick out our own special pumpkin.
Having been a working mom up until this year I hadn't realized how much I had been missing out on my kids lives each year when they would go on these field trips and I would do my duty of going to work to educate Prosser's youth. Not that I don't think Prosser's youth are important!!!!! I now just realize that my own kids need me and that should be and is now my first priority!!!! Good thing the Lord knows what he is doing for all of us...even if we don't agree at the time!!!!!!!!!

After picking out our pumpkins we loaded back up into the cars and head off to the Dinosaur Park for some lunch. The kids were so funny to watch eating with each other and then running around the park.
Watching all those kids running around helped me see that my own young WILD man is a typical BOY! All the things he was doing the other little guys were doing too. I think he has taught them a few things as well as learned a couple things from the others!

What a great day all these kids had. These are the kinds of days that are full of memories that they will talk about forever.

The kids in Ryan's class are wonderful kids and all together a great class. He is lucky to have such amazing kids to become friends with and grow up learning life's little lessons with!!!!!