Who Needs a Blow-up Water Slide

We were planning on buying the kids a big blow-up water slide, but it went off sale before we got around to it. We've had one before and although they are expensive they are worth it to me. So the kids decided to put Ally's kiddie pool at the bottom of the slide and slip down into it. It worked like a charm, at first. They soon realized that the yard was turning into a huge mud puddle and oh what fun it would be to wallow around in it.

Emmy and Elise started out by dancing in it, but by the end they were wallowing too.

I can remember playing in the mud when I was little. It was so fun. I'm sure they'll remember this when they are adults too. Who needs an expensive water slide? Not the Barnett children.

Childhood is awesome.

Boys in the Mud

It didn't take long for Ian and Charles-Allen to follow the girls lead. They didn't seem to get as dirty as the girls, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.

Just rolling around in the mud wasn't enough, they had to rub it all over their bodies.

Carried Away

The girls totally got carried away with all the mud play. I mean really, who would think that our prissy Emmy and Elise would slather mud all over their bodies?

I have pictures to prove it.

This was Emmy's reaction when I told her I was going to save these pics for their wedding videos. Priceless! She didn't appreciate that. She even asked me later if I meant it. I told her it would all depend on how her teenage years went. I'm mean like that.

Ally in the Mud...

...or I should say Ally out of the mud.  She is trying to figure out what these crazy kids are doing in the dirty mud.

She is so prissy. She's just walking around checking things out.

Here she actually stepped in a mud hole, trying to see what all the excitement was about. She clearly wasn't impressed

Nothing to Do With That

Ally wanted nothing to do with the goings on over in the mud with the big kids. She's too much of a princess to play in the mud

They keep trying to talk her into it, but she's not hav'n any.

She thinks they must be crazy.

Just a Swing'n

We got a "new to us" swing set for Parker's birthday. The kids love it and so do I because they would spend all day on it if I let them. It has a tire swing, an acrobat bar, two regular swings, a clubhouse, and two slides. Oh, and let's not forget Emmy's favorite, monkey bars.

When Ally and Charles-Allen wake up it's the first thing they want to do. They don't even bother to change their clothes.

Here are Ally, Julian and Ethan at Parker's birthday party. These stairs lead up to the monkey bars. I wonder how they think they're going to get across them?

Charles-Allen waving from his camp.

Fort Barnett

This is what my living rooms has looked like almost everyday for the past several months. We refer to it as Fort Barnett. It consist of our arm chairs being turned down and then my kids find all of the furniture they can move and bring it to the living room so they can expand their forts and me having to drape every quilt, throw, and blanket that we own over the furniture.  Then they have to go and find every toy from the upstairs playroom that they have to have in their camp.   Emmy has one and Charles-Allen has one.   And heaven forbid for Ally to decide she wants to visit with one of her siblings at their camp or try to play with the 500 toys they have brought down.  It drives me c-r-a-z-y. I can't bear to look at it. It's so messy and unorganized. But what can you do. It's been to cold to go outside and at least they are playing. However....

can I just tell you how happy I am with the weather we're having today. It's like heaven. They can finally go outside and play. Whohoo!!! And maybe, just maybe my living room won't have to look like this for another 8 months.

Fall Fun

My kids decided that it would be a blast to rake leaves and jump in them. It must have been fun because they played in them for a couple of hours, even when it got dark and Charles-Allen hates to be outside when it's dark.

The first time Charles-Allen jumped in he got hurt. I think he overestimated the softness of a pile of leaves.

They loved throwing the leaves in the air, I think it made for really cool pictures too.

Happy Fall Ya'll!(Emmy's new favorite saying:)

Is There A Doctor In The House

My kids love playing doctor and now they have the perfect little patient. It would appear that Parkey Pooh has a fever, but she sure is a happy little patient.

I guess Charles-Allen is keeping her from injuring herself further. Such a helpful big brother.

Isn't She Lovey...

This is one thing that will keep our little Lovey busy, busy, busy...oh, and messy, messy, messy. She should have been Aunt Kristen's baby because she loves makeup sooo much.

The fireplace is her vanity. That way I can keep my eye on her and make sure she doesn't decorate other things with her makeup.

Tah-Dah. Isn't she just Lovey:)