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.

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?

Our Eventful Saturday

This morning Aaron ventured off to a football game with is dad, brother, and brother-in-law. The game was a birthday gift for Aaron's dad. So, the boys and I set off on an adventure of our own.

First, we followed my brother and his 2 kids to a pancake breakfast in a neighboring town. After the breakfast, we looked at antique tractors and FFA farm dioramas. The kids did GREAT not touching these very intriguing items. My boys and I then went by ourselves to walk around a car show.

After all that BOY stuff, I wanted to do some shopping. Before shopping, though, I thought I would take them hiking for a bit. This of course would burn some of that run-around-the-store-and-touch-everything-including-mannequin-private-parts energy. Not so! They did have a GREAT time hiking. Ethan took off up hills and was gone before I could warn him to wait up for Emmett and me. Every walnut they found was just as exciting as the last. They wanted to keep going on new trails, but I was afraid I'd get stranded a 1/4 mile or further from the car with two kids too tired to walk. So, I cut it shorter than they thought they wanted.

Next, we headed to TJ Maxx. Not the best store for kids ... they did okay, though. Then to Old Navy. That is where the mannequin fondling took place. It may sound funny or weird, but really it is just pure embarrassing!!! I don't really know why they do it or where they came up with the idea of touching private parts--real or plastic. Whenever it happens we scold them and explain whey it is bad. They just feed off each other, really. One more stop and then a good swift swat on their bare legs with a spanking spoon gifted to me from my mom to carry around in my purse. After all that they thought we should go to Chuck E. Cheese! No way! So, instead, I made them eat at Wendy's.

I was brave enough to stop one more place and it went fairly well considering it was close to 3:00 and they woke at 6:00. The whole way home Emmett protested with me that he wasn't tired! When we got home I put them in their beds and instantly they were both asleep!

It was a very fun day, but very exhausting for me! I don't even have any pictures to share, because my camera's desire to work is really hit or miss.

Weekend Camping Trip

On Saturday afternoon we embarked on an overnight canoeing and camping trip. We stopped along the river so the boys could get out and play on sandbars and climb sandy cliffs. They love to play in the sand. We snacked on trail mix along the way. Emmett was fearfull of falling out of the canoe, so he sat between my legs for a long time on the first day. Around 4:00pm we stopped at a sandbar to set up camp for the night. After Aaron built the tent, the windy conditions caused it to blow around. Thankfully, the wind gradually died down as evening approached. After gathering firewood, we started a fire and roasted hotdogs. Aaron gave the kids a bath in the river with biodegradable shampoo. Soon the sun fell behind the trees and darkness descended on our camp. At 8:30pm, we exhausted our remaining firewood supply and headed for the tent for a game of Pass the Pigs. We had a rough night of sleeping. It started out okay, but then discomfort set in. Then the temperature dropped to 45 degrees. In an effort to be minimalists, we brougt only 2 blankets and 2 pillows. At 2:30am we frantically tried to make a fire. Aaron and I trudged across cold, wet sand to gather dew covered branches. Ethan and Emmett woke immediately and joined us. We had a fire going for about 2 or 3 minutes and then we were cold again. The wet wood was impossible to ignite. We returned to the tent disheartened and frigid. We cuddled closely and slept for an hour and a half. Then we tossed for a while and just waited for the sun to rise. As the sun peeked over the trees, the temperature inside the tent rose quickly. Our spirits warmed. We ate breakfast and headed back on the water. By noon we were finished canoeing. Overall, the trip was a great family adventure. We can't wait to do it again...with more firewood and bedding.