Old October

October was great!

We got to play with the Bushman's in between Saturday conference sessions. Maelee was loving it.

I had a post Saturday session conference luner date with some girlfriends. It was game day so I didn't feel silly showing up in my FSU shirt and flip flops sitting next to high heels, cute earrings, and scarves. Ok maybe I felt a little silly but how could I mind when I knew I was matching these beauties at home.Charles spent his month being big and rolling over and then getting ticked off. Eventually it brought some more peaceful naps when he came to terms with his new skill, but more often it brought shrieks of horror that his crazy dancing legs had turned him to his stomach.

Our Charles is one silly happy guy. He spent 20 minutes one afternoon in October singing and talking to the baby on the diaper box.

Here comes the chickens! One beautiful Monday morning Maelee, Charles and I woke up and went first thing to visit my Aunt's new chickens! It was the week of October break so Maelee got to see two of her favorite girls Paige and Kaylee.

Then another glorious Wednesday morning of October break Charlie hung out with BB while Maelee and I had a birthday party date at he zoo. We had so much fun meeting up with Nate and his birthday crew. Thanks Rachel for a very memorable morning. Maelee grabbed a zoo map and headed us for our zoo adventure. Once we got to the splashpad though the rest of our birthday party group had to say goodbye because Maelee was having too much stinking fun.

She loved riding the carousel at the zoo on the way out. Big hit. A good millionaire idea would be to own and operate a carousel business. Kids go nuts for them and I haven't ever seen one without a line.
Maelee got to the go the park with her Dad for DeWy's costumer appreciation carnival. She still talks about the rainbow that was expertly painted on her face that day. Once in a while in the bathtub she asks me where her rainbow went, referring to that day we first had to wash it off.
Maelee continues to be Charlies favorite girl. She is asking to hold him a lot and entertains him in the back seat on car trips. She can do NO wrong in Charlies eyes. Even when she chin buts him, plays his stomach like a drum, and growls at him enough to make him cry.

The look of shocked surprise on my face below is due to the fact that my Charles started to transform this month into a snugglebug. My boy who since he was born pushed away while being held all of a sudden more and more started to snuggle. It is awesome!

We enjoyed the 3rd annual JLB pic nic this month. It is the first year that all of my siblings were able to come and weren't out of state. It was a great afternoon together to remember Dad.

Frank is taking the picture in this one from the pic nic.

We also got a visit from our Papa in October and look forward to seeing him and Nana again when baby Bushman #4 is born in November.

Maelee also got a fun afternoon with Paige and Kaylee at our house. These chickadee's hadn't ever seen Mary Poppins and Maelee and I were shocked so we watched it together.

We were able to get together with some friends and have a pumpkin rolling contest and decorate pumpkins with the kids.

Here I am with Anna racing with intensity to the finish line, both of us trying to not crash into Maelee who was enjoying a footrace along side us.

Halloween came too of course. Maelee got to ride a horse at our church fall festival. She was thrilled to ride it, almost slid off twice, but had a smile the whole time. Oddly enough the horse didn't scare her a bit, but the little kiddie train pulled by the 4 wheeler was too intense.

Maelee and I were witches and Charles and Frank were grouches. Charlie was supposed to be Oscar the Grouch (note the unibrow below) and Frank was his Grouchketeer. I had planned on Maelee being Fancy Nancy since August and even had a gorgeous glamorous tutu dress made. Then the Saturday before the Wednesday our costumes needed to be ready for the party she said "Mom I want to be a witch." Since she seemed dead set on it all weekend whenever I asked her what she wanted to be I went with it.

Halloween day was jam packed with haircuts, shooting practice for hunting weekend, a work meeting, Dalton's birthday party, a Florida State game, pumpkin carving, and finally real trick or treating for the first time with Maelee.Throughout the week and on Halloween we were able to see Maelee's Aunts and Uncles. Here is Ed and Karina. And Aunt Amie and Uncle Jon.

We ended the month with the most crooked witch smile Maelee could muster.