Fall Fun in Summer Weather

With the weather so nice yesterday I had to seize the opportunity before it is gone for good. After Ethan was done with school we grabbed some lunch and then headed to the coolest park to play. The kids have such a blast there. The past few times we've gone it has been pretty quiet, so the kids can run free without too many obstacles. Their imaginations run wild. We were dragons for a while and then bees trying to sting each other. That park's structure is great for playing hiding and chasing games. We just have a great time there. Because it is November, though, the Parks and Rec. have turned off the water. So, due to the warm weather and all the running, the kids were thirsty and we had a 1/2 cup of leftover soda to share among the 4 of them. As we were searching for a water fountain, the kids saw a pile of leaves on the ground under a huge maple tree. Nobody said a word to anyone, but simultaneously the kids all ran to the leaves and gleefully started to play in them.

After the leaf fun we had to get some water. We did a little shopping and Aaron met us at the mall on his bicycle. We played with the train table and Barnes and Noble and then headed to the bluffs to hike. We hiked up our usual "difficult" trail. The trail Ethan loves. But, yesterday, he hated. He cried most of the way up. Brayden came with us, too, and he and Emmett loved the hike. We ended up on a rocky face of a bluff. I, of course, didn't take the camera along to capture that shot. Needless to say, the kids were pretty exhausted after all that physical activity and no naps.

My Sick Baby

This morning Emmett and I took Ethan to school. Afterward we headed over to Piggly Wiggly to stock up on the $.99 chocolate chips and candy. We stopped by Mathew's to share some candy with Aaron and when he kissed Emmett he mentioned Emmett felt a little warm. When we got home we did an activity book together and I realized just how hot he was. I came downstairs to check some stuff online and he fell asleep in my arms. This is a rare thing with a 2 1/2 year old, and I soaked it up. A snuggling little boy sleeping in my arms. Can it get much better than that?

Home Depot Project

My friend, Merranda, told us about the Home Depot projects for kids. The 1st Sat. of every month Home Depot has a little project for kids to make in the store. I really wanted to take the kids, but we had other appointments to make and projects to do. My brother stopped by to grab a stroller on his way to LaCrosse. When Ethan saw them he wanted to go along. As they started to drive away he turned on the tears and wailing. Brad stopped and said Ethan could come along. I quickly told them about the project and mentioned they could do if they had time. Well, they did. April took the boys to Home Depot to build fire trucks. Here is Ethan reluctanly letting me snap a picture with his fire truck. It is the one fire truck made of wood that I let him play with. He has some in his room as decor, but they are off limits, so it is pretty special to him.

I've Still Got It

Ethan was in another room today and I walked in to help him. When I walked in he started talking and then looked up at me. He stopped what he was saying and said, "How did you get so pretty?" He melted my heart! All day I had my hair down with a black sweatshirt on and had just taken it off to reveal my plain white t-shirt and pulled my hair back in a ponytail. I said, "maybe it's my ponytail." Being the boy his is, he said, "What's a ponytail?" Then he looked at my sock-covered feet and said, "I can't see your toes." I said, "they aren't pretty right now." "Why?", he asked. I said, "because I am not wearing flip flops very much now that it is cooler." He thought about it and insisted I should still make my toes pretty, because he likes them that way. He asked if I put pink stuff on my toes if I would wear my pink flip flops. What a little sweetie!

Bee Sting Catastrophe

Wanting to be a good mom and daycare provider, I wanted to take the kids outside before lunch. I was hungry already and Ethan really wanted to stay inside, but I thought they really needed to be outside on a nice fall day. So, I insisted. As the kids got their shoes and coats on they went out the garage. Zach, Cruz, and I were the last 3 out to discover the other 3 had dumped a wagon full of dirt and weeds on the garage floor. I told them to start cleaning it up; they tried to do so with plastic shovels and hoes. Then, they darted off to the trail to play. Zach, Cruz and I stayed behind sweeping up the mess. Cruz decided he'd have more fun in the trail and joined the other 3. Zach and I started making our way toward the front of the house to hear screaming and crying. Initially I thought they were crying over unshared toys. The first thing I heard was Ethan screaming, "I poked my eye." Then, I realized they were all crying and saying their poked their eyes. I was trying to figure out how they could all have poked their eyes. As soon as they come out of the trail one of them said they were stung by bees. Sure enough. Cruz still had some on his sweatshirt. In my attempt to get them off I was stung twice in my leg. I ripped off my pants in the front yard! Quickly we all ran to the garage and started ripping off clothes. I didn't even know what to do. I was so overwhelmed with so many kids (all but Zach) screaming and I didn't know who to help first. I called April's cell and just said, "can you come here?" while she was hearing screaming in the background. After a few minutes I realized we didn't need to be standing close to naked in the garage, that we could actually go in the house. April came and helped out, bless her heart. Cruz's mom came for a while, too. April told me that on her way over she didn't know what to think that had happened--a finger severed, a nose broke (her real thoughts).

Missy: 2 thigh stings
Ethan: 1 upper cheek/below the eye sting and 1 wrist sting
Emmett: 1 ear sting (pictured above hours after the swelling started to go down)
Brayden: 1 or 2 on his front below the shoulder and 1 or 2 on his shoulder blade
Cruz: 1 on his finger and 1 on his chin

It really sounded just awful here. Everyone but Cruz ate lunch shortly afterward. We put clothes back on and watched a little Thomas. Cruz fell asleep instantly watching the show. Brayden, Ethan and Emmett helped make Halloween sugar cookies (the bribe for Brayden to let April go back to work and him stay here). I think we'll be looking at an early bedtime today!

Just Like Grandpa

It has been said for a long time that Ethan resembles Aaron's dad, Dan, when he was boy. We have a picture to prove it. When we ask kids who it is in the picture, they say Ethan though it is Dan.

Emmett, however, clearly resembles my side of the family. Many people will tell us that he looks like my dad, Gene.

Within 24 hours this week we heard this again from people who don't know real well.

On Sun. when we were at the pumpkin patch, my parents' neighbors, Adam and Melanie, also happened to be there. From across the hay ride wagon, Adam said to me, "I never realized how much your little one looks like your dad!"

Then, on Monday morning as I was dropping Ethan off at school, one of his teachers came out and said, "I just have to be nosey." "Okay", I said, a little apprehensive of what was to follow. "Is your father-in-law Dan?" "Yes", I said. She said, "I figured it had to be! I'll just look at Ethan sometimes and the look on his face just looks just like Dan." She, too, doesn't know the family real well. Her dad and Dan were friends, I think, and Dan played music for her wedding.

It always shocks me when it is someone who doesn't know us real well who sees the resemblence. And, I thought it was funny that the two boys were pegged for their grandpa resemblences within 24 hours.

Fall Fire

After arriving home from the pumpkin patch, we went to work at planting an ornamental grass garden by our garage. My brother is on a hunting trip, so I called my sister-in-law and told her to bring the boys over to "help" us dig and she could go for a run. When she arrived back the sun was setting quickly and the boys got the idea in their heads to have a fire in the trail.

Aaron, once again, told one of his fireside tales. This one was about the boys being washed ashore a deserted island after a shipwreck to find no food in sight other than a lone apple high in a tree. In this tall tale the children also found nourishment in centipedes, worms, and beetles creating belly laughs from all the kids.

I must say, Aaron is the best storyteller. I don't know how he comes up with the settings for his stories, and he really grips the attention of the boys. For example, he told a story once that went on and on and pretty much was about a stairwell and Ethan kept going down and down and down to a door and then down and down and down to another door. That was the bulk of the story. I can't remember the ending, but Ethan listened intently to the end. What a great dad!

Pumpkin Patch

Today we went to a pumpkin patch in our town. Ethan will be visiting this same patch this week for school, but Grandma B. and the cousins all went along today, so we joined in the fall fun.

We started out by browsing the pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn. Then, we all hopped in the wagon for a ride out to the cow pasture to feed the cows corn. This year Ethan enjoyed this and Emmett did not. Funny thing about that, is last year it was the opposite!

After the wagon ride we went out the patch and let the boys pick their pumpkins. It was such a beautiful day for being outdoors! Funny how last year we were so cold and bundled up and this year we were in shorts!

Oh, and I got a new camera and LOVE it.

Fall Fun

After picking Ethan up from school today, we went to a neighboring town in a neighboring state to buy some apples. Ethan, Emmett, Cruz and myself headed out in our car, and my sister-in-law (Amber), mom-in-law (Julie),Jonas, Kennedy and Logann went along in Grandma's car. When we arrived at the apple stand, the kids were ready to go! They had fun sampling apples and watermelon and even raspberries that weren't to be sampled! We then went through McDonald's drive through for lunch which we ate at a great park. The kids played and played and played at the park for a very long time. We had the whole park to ourselves, which was very nice. Before heading home I wanted to let the boys hike again. It is so nice to hike in the fall weather. We had such a great time last weekend that I wanted to buy up the opportunity again. The only problem ... we were all wearing slip on shoes or flip flops (the adults, anyway). The kids chose a difficult path. It was fun, though, but a little steep and slippy at times. We had 3 adults and 6 kids. Great ratio since each adult has 2 hands! The kids LOVED it! On our way home I couldn't resist stopping at a local bakery to get cookies. It just seems like the thing to do after an all day adventure like we had. The boys were SO tired that they crashed at 8:00 ... and that is pretty early for my boys!

Again, I have no pictures ... this post would be much more fun with the pictures.
My mother-in-law took pictures, but I have yet to get them from her.

Now that I have a variety of apples, I am itching to make some apple crisp, or apple dumplings, or apple pie, or applesauce or baked apples ... What is your favorite apple dessert? Do you make it or someone else?