This weekend, we went camping at Jordan Lake. This is our second camping trip this fall and the kids were pretty into it this time. They were excited to sleep in the tent and spent a good 15 minutes organizing the sleeping arrangements when we arrived. Then we had marshmallows and went for a Halloween train ride on the nearby New Hope Valley Railway. We were joined by two other families, which made it extra fun for the kids. Kaya called out from her bed last night to ask when we can go camping again – I think that means it was a success!

We rode the pumpkin patch express train to the pumpkin patch this weekend and everyone got to bring home a pumpkin. This is a yearly tradition which Kaya remembers quite well and was really looking forward to. And it’s fun to see Laney be old enough to really enjoy herself as well. Grandma Baba even got in on the action. My happy little pumpkins.

Laney and her best friend Molly are chomping at the bit to play on the own soccer team – one day soon ladies! In the meantime, they’ll busy themselves in the soccer net. Photo credit to Molly’s mom.

Okay, I know I already made a soccer post. But this team picture is just too cute not to share. Go Team Grey Thunder!

Although we have had beautiful blue skies the last couple of days, the weekend was filled with Hurricane Matthew. Soccer practice was cancelled for the second week in a row, and although the Duke game still happened, we decided it probably wouldn’t be enjoyable in a hurricane. But the rain didn’t stop the girls from suiting up and heading over to Gramma Baba’s house for some rainy afternoon play. Luckily the flooding has mostly stayed east of us and we are all dried out now in Chapel Hill.

We joined Gammy and Pop-pop and some friends at Farmer Ganyard’s Upchurch Farm in Cary for some pumpkin patch fun last weekend. While it’s not nearly as lovely as his old farm in Durham, we still like to pick our pumpkins off the vine and see all the different varieties. Plus the kids love the corn pit and the hay ride. And look how tall this fall!

Last weekend the family took in the annual Durham Pride Parade. The girls loved getting handed candy and beads, and Kaya even got her first condom! (which was quickly confiscated). Happy pride!

A bunch of Kaya’s old school friends are on a soccer team together and she said she wanted to sign up. They’ve had two practices so far – compared to last fall, it’s a raging success. But she still asks me if she can go back to swimming instead after practice. I’m not giving up – these kids will love soccer, I tell you! (And I don’t think I qualify as a tiger mom for this pressure, because I don’t care if she’s any good at it, I just care that she loves it. Maybe half tiger mom)

I never thought I’d be one of those moms that signed their daughter up for gymnastics right after the Olympics. But I am. Simone Biles and team USA resulted in Kaya asking, “Can I do balance beam?” incessantly since the Olympics. She also runs around the house “vaulting.” So, we signed her up and she loves it. Her favorite events include trampoline, bar flipping (pictured below) and fake pizza making (a warmup that is not featured in the Olympics, for some reason).

We are now officially season ticket holders for Duke Football – we’ve been to two games so far. The first was rainy and we barely made it past halftime since the kids needed to go to bed (it was a 6:30 game). The second game Duke played pretty terribly and it was too hot for football. We made it to the beginning of the last quarter though. Luckily the team is away for a few weeks so the kids will get a break from football (Kaya actually asked on the way home last game if next time we could go to a baseball game instead – admittedly the Bulls really have figured out how to make the little ones happy and Duke could use some lessons).