Autum



Last Wednesday we headed out to find some leaves to fill our pumpkin garbage bag.




Our 6 year old cousin from California was in town for a visit.



Everyone wanted to help rake the leaves.

This guy took a break.

There he is in the back ground climbing the tree.

The bag was so full we actually popped it and had to tape it up when we got home. (Cheap bag.)

When given the time...

Each day the boys have plenty of time to play.  Uninterrupted, quiet, focused play.  They usually never all do it at the same time so it's not like the house is magically quiet, peaceful and serene for a period of time each day it just happens randomly.  For a few days the 5 year old has been busy in one of the play rooms setting up all his little figures into a humongous epic battle.  It's so amazing!  I'm not sure if I would have done that when I was little and I certainly wouldn't have the patience for it now.  But I find it fascinating.  Children are fascinating.  I could observe them for hours. (Behind glass, in a quiet room, sipping my tea and taking notes.)   Often I think I should have gone into some type of early childhood education or O.T.  But when I was young and going to college, children were the last thing on my mind.

Time with Papa

I picked up this Lego Creator game at a home school swap meet last year. I figured the boys would enjoy it because they like to build with legos.  It ended up being a little too simple for the older boys but our 5 year old sure loves it.  He's always asking us and the grandparents to play it with him.  Thankfully it's not as dull or mind numbing as Candy Land.  That game makes me want to bang my head on the wall over and over until its over.     

Wedgits

I love a good deal but these toys never seemed like a good deal at the price they retailed for.  So for two years I've just looked at them in the box, in the stores, shaking my head at the price they were asking.  That was until a couple weeks ago and I was doing a quick looky loo through Pace Salvage and found a couple boxes of Wedgits Junior 15 piece starter sets way in the back.  They were originally priced at 19.99 and Pace was selling them for 9.99.  I picked up a box, brought them home and WOW, the kids really liked them.  A week later I went back to Pace and bought the last box.  Now with two Junior sets we have 30 pieces which makes the deluxe set.  I purchased two boxes for less than what one box sells for in LSLS.  I love a good deal!  The only thing that bothers me is that they are sooooo noisy when they fall.  Plastic falling on a wood floor,  ug!  My aching ears.  Here are some of the creations. 

The 7 year old enjoys recreating the pictures in the book, my 5 year old enjoys making his own things and the 10 year old occasionally builds with them.  He has sensitive ears like me and I think that may be one of the reasons he stays away from them.

Apple Picking





I really like this picture.

   It's apple harvest time again.  Last year was a busy time filled with getting settled in our new home, grieving over a lost loved one and starting homeschooling.  We didn't get out to the U-Pick farms which made me determined to get to them this year.  Our favorite is Apple Creek Orchard in Ferndale.  The owners live on site and tend to geese, chickens, turkeys and a garden along with the rows and rows of apple trees.  I'm always amazed at how welcoming they are to strangers on their property walking around, taking pictures and having a throughly grand time. 

This was Josh's first time picking apples with us.  I couldn't believe it.  The first time in 8 years. 

It was great having Josh's hight. 

I have years of pictures of my boys at different ages picking apples.  Some weren't born yet, others were in a sling.  Now they all pick apples them selves.



My Mom is awesome!



Scary Potatos

Darth Spidey with a fat lip.

I'm not sure this is what the makers of Mr. Potato Head had in mind when they created this toy.