Pumpkin Patch

We always plan a trip to the pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins and have a little fall fun. This year we went to a patch near Fargo as we were there visiting during the MEA break. The weather was near perfect and grandma was along so it was a great day!!
Pumpkin picking is starting to get a little bit harder as they have to find the right one. It has to have the perfect stem and stand up just right and have smooth flesh and on and on. This year Eli wanted a tall and skinny pumpkin. This is not the pumpkin he got:

Sadie searched and searched and searched (to the end of mom's patience) to find a perfect pumpkin. Her criteria for the perfect pumpkin: one she could carry. After what seemed like an hour of searching we finally spied a cart full of little pumpkins and that is exactly what she wanted.
The rest of the pumpkin patch had the usual fall fun stuff: plenty of opportunity for photo opps, haybale mazes, haybale lassoing, wagon rides, and barrels pulled by a lawn mower. Good times.

Happy 4th Birthday, Sadie!!!

Happy birthday to one of the happiest little girls in the world!

Brokenhearted

Our little kitty, Jewel, went missing on Friday. The kids and I were out of town. Dennis was here but was working and on-call so he wasnt' really around. She went out Friday morning and didn't come back home. We checked with neighbors, roamed the back woods, called every possible place someone could have possibly taken her if they found her and did lots of finger crossing hoping that she'd find her way home. Well, today I got a call from our neighbor across the street telling me that she found Jewel's body. The crazy thing is that it appeared that nothing was wrong with her. She didn't have any broken bones or blood or signs of rough play. We can only assume that she got into something that she wasn't supposed to get into. My neighbor, who I didn't really get to know before today, was such a sweet man. He cried with me and offered to get her ready for a burial. We're all so sad at our house and trying to answer all of those hard questions that kids ask and that parents pretend to know the answers to: where do you go when you die?, what's a soul? what happens to the body? why do we bury her? Is she with Trouble (my parent's cat who recently passed away) now? And then there are the lighter questions: can we get a dog now? and when can we get another cat?
It rained all day today. Hopefully, the weather will be drier tomorrow so we can say our final good-byes. Jewel was a great cat. I've never met a cat so gentle and cuddly and patient with the kids. We're really going to miss her.

It's a Niece!

Eli and Sadie have another cousin, but this one lives in Bemidji so we got to rush over and cuddle her. Welcome to the world Anissa Elizabeth!! Born on October 23 at 4:49pm. Weighing in at 7 pounds 14.5 ounces and is 19" long. She is a beautiful baby!! And I couldn't be happier for Talia, Darren and Reid.

School: An Update

Eli's K1 picture. He selected the outfit.

I can't believe that Eli has been in school for almost 2 months now. His life has changed so much. You all know how much I hemmed and hawed about sending Eli to K1 instead of Kindergarten, well, I can say now that it was the best decision ever. He has matured so much and he is taking risks in ways that he never has before. He has found some independence and he likes it. And the good thing is that he can make all of these emotional milestones without having to worry about academics. Next year, he's going to rock kindergarten because emotionally and socially he'll be ready.

So, here's some of his huge HUGE milestones. First, he told me that he wanted to ride the bus. We arranged it so I drop Eli off at school and that he would ride the bus home (with Zoe whom I watch until her mom gets her after work). Second, he decided that he was too big to have his mom walk him to his classroom. I drop him off in front of the school and he walks to his classroom by himself! He has also decided that he can go to the restroom in public by himself. (I really monitor this though, because I still don't like him going into the men's bathroom without Dennis. Way too many weirdos.) I could go on and on and on. Truly, he's like a different kid. Not that all of the changes have been good. He has had lots of breakdowns at home. The whining is pretty amazing. Tattling and saying "I'm not going to be your friend" are all new. So, there have been ups and downs but mostly ups. And luckily, none of the downs have been at school, only at home in the safety of his mom's watch! I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.

A Hike in the Woods

Sunday was a beautiful day for a hike. In fact, this whole week is going to be in the upper 60s. This, my friends, is my favorite time of year. Oh how I love a good Indian Summer.

We've just started getting a little bit into geocaching. It's a good family event--mom and dad love the hike in the woods, Eli and Sadie like the mission and holding the gps... Here was our find!

It wasn't even cold out, but I love my hat.

Artsy Fartsy

Here are some more artsy things that the kids have been up to.
Eli took this picture earlier this summer and I forgot to put it on. Doesn't it look spectacular? I love how the cars are all lined up in the light.
Eli is going through a landscape phase. This is" pyramids in the moonlight". Right before this he painted a desert scene with saguaro's that was also awesome and had cool purple birds, but he gave it to Zoe and I didn't get a picture of it.
This isn't the best shot, but Sadie and I did this little art project the other day. I thought it turned out so cool I framed it and put it up in the kids' art center.

Fun With Whipped Cream