Fall 2011

I know I can't be the only one out there that just can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone already!  Just when you think that time can't pass any faster, it does!  We had a good fall.  We made our usual couple of trips to the apple orchard to pick apples.  The kids always enjoy the outings and Marie continues to be more and more helpful throughout the process.  Joey on the other hand wasn't so much helpful, but did pick one apple that he happily munched on for the rest of the time among the trees.  The last stop before heading back to home is always to pick up some doughnuts and apple cider.  The powdered doughnuts are the best, just ask Joey and Marie.  After making it home with all our goodies, there were a couple of messy days in the kitchen as we made and canned applesauce.

In addition to our family trips to the orchard, this year we made an extra visit because Marie's class went on a field trip there.   Almost all of the kindergartner's moms went and there were also quite a few younger brothers and sisters along.  So, it was a good chance for me to meet other parents and get to know a few of Marie's new friends.  Joey and Stevie were able to tag along as well. The weather was beautiful.

We arrived at the orchard and finished up our picnic lunches.  Then it was time to listen to the presentation about apple trees and bees.  We then loaded up the hay wagon and took a ride out to the orchard.  All of the kids (including Joey) were able to pick one apple.  Another short ride on the hay wagon brought us to the pumpkin patch, where the kids were also able to choose what pumpkin they wanted to take home.  Boy were our hands full by the time we got back to the barn!'  Thankfully, we were able to find a way to enjoy the donuts and apple cider that was waiting for us when we got there!

Other than that, we were busy carving jack-o-lanterns and doing "experiments".  Marie has really enjoyed learning about solids, liquids and gases and figuring out just how many helium balloons it takes to lift her "airplane".  We had our first snow of the season on November 10.  It didn't stay around long, just enough to excite the kids and get a couple of requests for hot chocolate.  We also have survived our first sickness bug.  Thankfully, it wasn't the throwing up, stomach bug variety.  But, all five of us ended up with some combination of sore throat, stuffy nose, cough, ear infection, and/or sinus infection.  Thank goodness for Kleenex and Amoxicillin. 

 

Marie has finished the first quarter of school and is actually a couple of weeks into the second quarter.  Her grades were good and the parent teacher conference went well.  She reportedly is one of the top in her class academically and is pretty good at making friends.  She has settled into her routine a bit more, though still doesn't like having to get up so early in the morning.  Her favorite part of school is still recess and quiet time.  Her favorite days are Monday, because it is chicken quesadilla day at lunch, and Friday because not only is it pizza day, but it also means that Saturday is right around the corner and she can sleep in as long as she likes. 
 Joey will be turning three in just a short week!  He is still a pretty busy little guy.  He loves playing (his version of) baseball and football, either indoors or outdoors.  We've been trying to head to the library every week for story time.  He is technically a little young for the Thursday morning story and craft time, but he is doing well and enjoys it.  He particularly liked a recent visit from "Fire Marshall Shoe" when he got to climb into and sit in a real fire engine. 

Stevie continues to be more mobile and independent, whether we like it or not.  He stands on his own for a few seconds at a time, walks around the furniture and train table with ease, and is able to take a few steps if he is holding on to our hands.  He is up to six teeth, four on top and two on the bottom and frequently gives us loving (I'm sure) bites on the arm or leg.  Whatever Marie or Joey are playing with is definitely the most interesting thing for him to have, much to their chagrin.  He certainly has a mind of his own when it comes to what he should have or should or should not be doing, which make bath time and diaper changes particularly challenging.  Oh Stevie, it sure is a good thing that you're cute. 

We will have to update you at a later time on the visit to Illinois to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We will have more to share soon regarding Joey's birthday.  We aren't certain how will will accomplish all of the shopping, decorating, and preparing we'd like to do for the Christmas holiday, but hope that it will be a low-stress time to enjoy all that we have to be thankful for.  We are all, especially the kids, looking forward to a little time off to spend with our friends and family and all those that we love.

Meet Jack

Compared to last year, Marie has been much more interested in all of those fun fall activities this time around. She has been talking about pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns since September.

A couple weeks ago, we caught up with our friends Brian and Laura and their two little girls, Rosie and Lilly on a Sunday afternoon. Marie and Rosie are close in age and got to go to the pumpkin "patch" to pick out pumpkins. The "patch" was a bit comical to me seeing as how we needed to ride a wagon to what turned out to be an open grassy area where others had placed already picked pumpkins. No stepping over vines and the like this time around. But, the girls loved it all the more because then they could run around chasing each other without being hindered by plants, ruts, or holes.



The following Sunday, Marie and I decided to give our pumpkin a face. She knew exactly what "Jack" should have, two triangles for eyes, a square nose, and a big WIDE smile. She even helped to scoop out some of the slimy pulp...though most of that job was reserved for me. By the time we were finished, it was starting to get dark, perfect timing for lighting a candle. She was so excited to see the "glorious sight" and ran to the end of our driveway to make sure that she could still see "Jack" from there.




Marie has really been enjoying our walks lately, seeing all the colorful leaves that have fallen, and making them go "crunch, crunch" beneath her feet. We've been having some rain lately, so puddles are an added bonus. Thank goodness we found some rain boots on clearance a few weeks back.

Joey is continuing to grow. He's got two solid teeth on the bottom, but nothing on the top so far. He is pulling himself up more and taking a few steps along the furniture. He LOVES the stairs and can go all the way up (with mom or dad following closely behind). He has even started to figure out how to come down...sliding down on his belly. He seems to have a little bit of an ornery streak...he knows he's not supposed to go up on his own and laughs in delight when we have to come retrieve him. He loves balls and tackling anyone who happens to be laying down on the floor. He's also started to realize that he can get things if grunts and points, a skill that he tends to use when he wants toys or the ever-popular Cheerios.