Sunday, March 8, 2015

Pumpkins, Strawberries & Apples

Since I recently covered last Halloween ... might as well continue with last fall and our antics.

There was pumpkin picking at a local farm... 


(the kids each searched for the most absolutely perfect, tiny pumpkin)


...which we'd never done so close to home before.
In LA it was a drive to hit a pumpkin patch.


And to boot, we picked strawberries.


Buckets of strawberries.




And the next week, Abby's Daisy troop took us to Apple Hill.
We'd been meaning to visit and we just hadn't gotten to it. 
It's a thing here.
Picking apples at Apple Hill. 
Apple donuts.
Apple pie.
Apple cider.
Apple gloriousness.

First, Abby was matched up with an older Brownie Buddy, Raina.
She was enamored.


Then our little Daisy got to peel her picked apple with this cool peeler...


While Fordy and Grandma hit the orchards.



Abby and Raina settled down with dough, cinnamon, sugar and apples.
Making apple pie. An individual apple pie.


And while they were baking, the girls ran in the orchards as the sun set.


With Fordy racing to catch up.
Soon, he'll be leading the charge. Just you wait.


1332. a few more apples to pick
1333. grandma coming to play
1334. a close drive to another world
1335. finding our home at church

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Dressing Up Now and Then

These two have been switching clothes lately. 
Down to their undies.
Even with booboos...



Or dressing each other in "matching" outfits. Here are their soccer uniforms:


I gotta say, when they disappear for 10 minutes, whispering, and I don't hear fighting and arguing up there ... and they come down kissing and hugging each other -- whew. We might as well head off to bed. The day can't get any better than that. 

There was also some dress-up time a few months ago...
Halloween!

We had ourselves a Rainbow Dash pony and a Spiderman.


 I mean, of course.


Ford's little class...


Abby's sass at her Halloween parade...



And the night before, we had a cousin-fest covered in pumpkin goo.



Aunt Stacey. The party-leader. The best.
"Raise your hand if you need a flashlight to go outside and see your pumpkin."
Look at cousin Sloan's little hand....


Voila! 



And at our neighborhood Halloween party, we reached a melt down point ... 
with Ford dressed as a Packer. I'm not exactly sure how he heard that word.  Packer. 
But there he was. A melting down Packer. And this was after he won "cutest Halloween costume."


Yay for Halloween! 

1328. no rain during trick or treating
1329. no noise machine
1330. dogs sleeping through the night
1331. Ford loving eggs again

Monday, February 23, 2015

Summerfest 2014

Many many moons ago.... #blogslog.... this happened....

Last summer we went to Summerfest with Uncle Kev, Aunt Christi, Katy, Grandma and Papa. 
Blast!

I mean -- snow cones. Duh. Total blast.


And  uh, we drove the golf cart over. So, there's that too. 
I think that would've been enough to blow my kids minds.



But there was also ferris wheeling with Papa...



Flying above the big top because you're big enough to ride....


Little trains for little guys....




Carnival games for pennies...


A fun house that made me think of the movie Grease....


and bumper cars....



Whew. It was nothing short of epic. 

1323. naps getting skipped
1324. water misters
1325. golf cart towing
1326. big enough to ride
1327. no barfing

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Typical Winter Day, Typical Fall Day



A day in the life winter-style...
Usually on the way to school, there's some comedy. 
It's all of five minutes so between silly glasses, singing, fighting, crying about something begin too tight and telling jokes, it's a quick trip.


Once there, she stashes her snack pack and takes off for the structure (Ford beats her to it everyday) for a few minutes of play before her teacher rings a sweet little bell and they line up, like Madeline. Just like Madeline. Except there are boys. 23 of them.
23 out of 30.
She might thank us in high school for this ratio, but it took a month for her to get used to it. Now, we're loving the small amount of drama with this group of sweet girls.


As we leave, Ford wall-walks, jumps and is right at home. He'll be ruling this place when it's his turn in two years. He can do more on that structure than our girl can. But then again, he's adventure boy.



Some days, we do crazy name banangrams. He's able to write his name now... but don't ask about the letter P. He's not so sure about how to do that one yet. 



Other days, we run errands where he climbs and shuffles and runs along any open space he can.


On days when he has school, he shows me his treasures after he runs at full speed down the slope (with all of us moms holding our breath that he doesn't fall), and then throws his arms around me. He's the best snuggler after school. 


And on another note, he now loves sushi.
Just like his sister.
#expensivehabit




Rewind....
Back in the fall,  there are shorts, braided hair and school was new and fun.



We were getting used to the snack pack everyday, the library book return every Friday in it's special bag (before Gunner literally ate it and we got to use the excuse that the dog ate her homework), the Friday Folders returned on Monday...


And whether fall, winter, summer or spring, there is always lots of talking, explaining and retelling...


With Ford acting things out behind...


Ford running ahead, Abby cruising along....

In the fall, Ford was obsessed with bare feet in the sandbox at Abby's school....


And most days we hit the park


...and this guy was so happy.


After school, there is usually a dog walk. 
When the days were still long and lovely, we could catch the sunset over the lake.
This was pre-Gunner!


And there was often snuggling before bed.
Sigh.
These days are starting to go fast.


And on the very best day of the week, on Sunday, when there is no school and no schedule, I get to watch my three favorites go into the Middle School....
for church. 



And after that, all of our hearts are full and we're ready to do it again.
All over again.


1319.  never asking "why do i have to go to school?"
1320. making friends
1321. sweet moms
1322. shoes that don't hurt