Pumpkin Picking

We took advantage of Columbus day to visit our favorite apple orchard/pumpkin farm.  It wasn't 80+ degrees like last year, so we enjoyed a more 'fall'-like experience.  Our old friends Max the Lab and Beau the Bloodhound were still there, riding the wagon and begging for doughnuts.

We loaded up with a great haul of pumpkins and gourds, and then filled our bellies with cider doughnuts and cider.   Bubs satisfied himself with fallen apples.  He's not picky, that one.

Afternoon with Blue Lily

So before my kids are grown and out of the house, I thought maybe some really great photos would be...really great.   We met up with Tyler of Blue Lily at the Daws Mansion and he did a great job of keeping it fun for the ruffians.  

Navy Seal

So E signed up this spring for a navy seal challenge with some friends and neighbors who wanted to use the challenge as a motivator for improved fitness and health.  E signed on.  E doesn't know how to swim.  So that's a 1.5 mile run, maximum times sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups.  And a 500 meter swim in 16 minutes.  Did I mention he doesn't swim?  I don't swim.  I didn't sign up.

He buckled down and implemented a work-out plan, sought out swim lessons, and hit the pool daily for laps at work.  He ate bags and bags of spinach, kale, and Oh! the tuna.  I think our house will never smell the same after all the boiled eggs and tuna.

He dropped 31 lbs.  I'm super proud of him.

 

Ugh. Quick like a bandaid. (School starts)

It had to happen.  I think I realized it on our last day of preschool as I waited in my car in the pick-up line.  I saw him come out, hand-in-hand with his teacher, just marching out with his bumble-bee backpack on like he was ready to take on the world, and I couldn't stop the flow of big, fat tears.   I felt ridiculous and sentimental, but I couldn't stop.

But summer was busy and I didn't spare much thought for kindergarten until this week.  And I've been a blubbering, emotional fool in preparation for this day.  Only privately of course.  I have put on a brave, enthusiastic face for his sake.

The day before school began, Bubs drew me a picture.  He included himself (with Blankie in hand) and me, a house, and an enormous heart, which he told me was drawn "with scratchy lines because his heart is breaking".  It's my own personal miracle of 2012 that I wasn't immediately reduced to a puddle right there on the floor.   This boy has pushed me to the farthest limits time and time again, but he carries a part of my heart with him.

Wonderboy and Miss S took school in stride, excited as usual.  Wonderboy especially so as this is his last year of elementary school.  He insisted on a messenger bag.  He can barely carry the thing all loaded up, but he felt strongly about it.   He did tell me the other night on our drive home from Webelos, "I have to confess mom, I'm a little worried about college.  What will I do when you're not there to help me with my homework?" Between my little one growing up and my big one heading out in the big world nest year, I'll likely be in therapy soon.  Time...please, PLEASE stop.

And the cousins came.

The end of July brought an aunt and uncle and two cousins to amuse us.  They arrived via their monster truck and 32 foot (!) trailer in which they were making their Grand World Tour.   There was also a couple of frog stow-aways, live crickets, and a Venus fly trap acquired along the way.  Almost exactly like National Lampoon's Vacation.  No, not really.  Well, kind of.

We stashed kids in corners to sleep and it was a full house, sometimes a noisy house, and by the time they rolled out for South Dakota I found myself missing the noise.   The big boys and uncles caught a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.  Bummer the Cubs lost, but I think they enjoyed themselves immensely and now I find E is keenly interested in going regularly.

 A conversation with J...
J:  "Aunt Janna, you recognize you have an ant problem."
Me: "J, there's ants on the patio because you tossed your popsicle stick down instead of bringing it in to the trash."
J:  "But dude, you recognize you really have an ant problem."
Me:  "Okay.  I recognize this.  Also, I'm not a dude."

The kids were sad to see their chums go.  And we had a chance to hang with my sister and bro-in-law that we basically never get living so far apart.

Baptism Day

The big day finally arrived.   New scriptures, new dress, new white "Choose the Right" towel from the Primary, a grandpa and grandma to watch, and dinner afterward.   It was a lovely day all around.

A Small Spruce-Up

I think this is the only 'before' of the kids' bathroom I took when we were house hunting.  This was one of only a couple rooms in the house not painted salmon pink/beige.   See that shower curtain, and the edge of wallpaper border above?  I think they let their teenagers 'go wild' in the bathroom with color.  WILD.  Because if there was one clear thing about this house and the people that lived in it, it's that they were BEIGE through and through.  Salmon walls and beige, beige, beige.  I completely wrote off this house because of the salmon walls, orange wood-work and heavy beige furniture.  Lame. Everyone knows you need to go in with a vision, but my vision was clouded by BEIGE.  I wanted to cry great, big, fat BEIGE tears walking through this house.  

So what did I do?  I painted the bathroom beige.  

But it does a nice job of softening the grey cabinets, and showcasing the beautiful crown and base molding E added, as well as the grey trim he framed out the mirror with.  Makes a world of difference in my opinion, and I can almost ignore the ugly ceramic tile because my attention is drawn to the the trim work.

Management sign from one of my favorite Etsy artists, John Golden.  Maybe my favorite thing in the room next to the new trim work. 

 Ugly Shower?  No, cute polka-dot curtain.  

I love that I don't want to nail the door shut and pretend this bathroom doesn't exist anymore.  The kids don't love that I expect them to stop brushing their teeth like primates spitting toothpaste on the fixtures, mirror, walls.