Pumpkins!!

We'd never missed our annual pumpkin patch picnic until last year when schedules were just too crazy so we were super excited to have the gang together this year. It's such a nice thing to eat and play among the pumpkins. We had ghost shaped nutella sandwiches, fruit, cheese, chips and juice. We even had fancy Halloween cookies for desert! They kid ran in the hay maze, made silly faces for pictures and even pulled each other in the wagon. I love these kids so much! Happy Fall! Happy 5-years-olds! Hurray!!

Speaking of growing up and fun traditions, the kids each carved a pumpkin this year. I thought they did an awesome job! Riley insisted on a scary skull and Isaac wanted to do a ship wreck, but ended up with a zombie face.

Summer Camp Week 4

Miss Roo

Look what came in the mail this week (from her camp "travels")! I love that she's Hula dancing with a Hula hoop!

The preschoolers learned all about the U.S.A. this week. They even made birthday cards for America and learned a song about fireworks! For the cooking project this week, I volunteered and we made red, white and blue fruit skewers. We used raspberries, blueberries and marshmallows! On Thursday there was a fourth of July picnic!

Red, White and Blue meets Minnie Mouse for her picnic outfit.

This picnic was smaller than the end of the year picnic, but just as much fun! Since Isaac's camp finished last week we all got to be there. I went early to help with fruit skewers and set-up. The boys came when it started. There was sidewalk chalk, bubbles, pizza, fruit and popsicles! It was a perfect way to kick of the long weekend!

Isaac

Isaac enjoying his first reward for Tenmarks work, a Slurpie! . He also completed the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program this week. He earned a free book and chose "How to Train Your Dragon: How to be a Pirate." He read it cover to cover the first day. It's the second book in the series and I seem to remember him choosing either the first or third book of the series when he completed the same reading program last summer.

This was Mr. Isaac's first week with no camp. We had a busy weekend with double birthday parties. Isaac used my dentist appointment Monday to finish his latest summer reading list book. We went to a thoroughly enjoyable library program on Tuesday (you'll hear a lot about that in his video wrap-up). I had been wondering if Isaac was getting to old for the library programs, but he really had a blast at this one. On Wednesday he spent my physical therapy appointment "writing code" for simple basic by hand in a notebook. After therapy we caught up with some family including his cousins at a nearby coffee shop. Thursday was the picnic!

Week Four Video Wrap Up

Weekly Wrap Up Questions
1. What did you learn that you didn't know before?
2. What was the worst part of your week?
3. What was the best part of your week?
4. What was your favorite meal?
5. What was the weather mostly like?
6. What was your favorite activity/project?
7. How many books did you read?
8. What were they called?
9. Which book was your favorite?
10. Where are some places you went this week?

End of Pre-School Picnic

When you're a parent you often find your life revolving around your kids milestones. I felt like everything was leading to this big day. The day we celebrate all the pre-schoolers moving up. There were hot dogs, chips, lemonade, kites, face painting, a wet sponge fight and moth release. A few weeks ago we gave Riley's class a caterpillar for a leopard moth that we found in the backyard. Her class watched it and even named it, Spot. The night before the picnic Spot emerged from the cocoon! At the preschool picnic they released him back into the wild! So. Much. Awesome. It was a good time for everyone.

Pumpkin Patch Picnic

We have a yearly tradition of gathering our Mommy group friends together for a picnic in the pumpkin patch every October. This was our 3rd annual pumpkin patch picnic. I made pb&j's and cut them into pumpkin shapes for the occasion. Cute and delicious (if you like peanut butter). Last year I was only up to bringing fruit snacks so I felt really good about my sandwiches. I can't believe they're all 3! We met when we still gave these kids ages in weeks and now...well they're growing up.

I think traditions are important. Many of my fondest childhood memories are centered around our annual adventures and goings on. When I met these ladies and their then very tiny babies we saw each other once a week at least. Usually more frequently since everyone was still "home with the baby." As they've got older we still all keep in touch, but it's harder now that the kids have busy schedules as well as the moms. This is the event every year where all the kids are together at the same time. It's a wonderful and simple little event.

This year was really special for me just as a benchmark in my healing process. I shopped in the morning, then made sandwiches and then successfully enjoyed the picnic. It was a vast improvement from last year. Don't get me wrong at the end of the day I was feeling it, but it is progress. I just love my friends so much and being around their kids makes me happy. They really are a sweet, smart little bunch. I hope they stay in touch when they're too old for pumpkin patch picnics.

We even learned a song this year. We happened to be there on a day when classes were visiting and in between groups the nice lady came over and taught us "I'm A Little Pumpkin." It goes like this:
I'm a little pumpkin (point to yourself)
Look at me (point to your eyes)
I am as happy as can be! (smile big and sway with your elbows bent and hands bent at the wrist facing up)
Put a candle in me (hold an imaginary candle)
Light my light (light your imaginary candle)
But don't be afraid on Halloween night (shake your finger)

Boo!

At that point the audience says "AAAAAHHHH!" and everyone claps. It's great fun. They had sandwiches, cheese, fruit, crackers and then cupcakes in cones. They explored and even measured pumpkins. They gave each other wagon rides and sang. It was an amazing time. It was totally worth a late nap. Until next year, pumpkin patch.

Picnic in the Park

I requested some books for Riley and they all came in yesterday so I decided to hit the library and adjacent playground this morning. I mentioned it to D. who suggested a picnic lunch. Sounded like a fun afternoon to me. She brought sandwiches (PB&J) and juice boxes. I brought cheese sticks, fruit snacks and Coke for the Moms. Aside from the awful heat and a little hiccup with D.'s keys locked in her trunk at the end it was a lovely time.

Dressed (at her insistence) in her pumpkin shirt with matching barrette and her new Abby Cadabby shoes Riley hit the ground running. Normally, she's a pretty cautious climber. Today she must have swallowed a few brave pills with breakfast or maybe it was the new shoes. She climbed everything! There are no pictures because I had to be on guard. As it turned out, it didn't do much good. She climbed the highest piece of equipment in the playground and, as is customary, got scared when it was time to climb down. She was directly above my head and out of my reach. Luckily a friendly daddy noticed and with my permission helped her down.

I thought about it later and decided I would have tossed the crutches aside and climbed to her if we'd been alone. In the meantime, we shall practice climbing down things. As she was being rescued our friends arrived and it was picnic time.

Freshly coated in spray on sunscreen (best invention ever) and with their bullies full they hit the playground again. They climbed, slid, swung and had a kind word for all the other kids that happened to be there. It was more evidence of how grown up they are now. My favorite was the side-by-side monkey hang.

Aside from a slight sunburn (in March!!!) I had a wonderful time. D locked her keys in the trunk so I read the girls some books while she got help. I have always hated that my front door can only be looked from the outside, but it does cut down on those scenarios. I would have stayed until she was on her way, but Riley was tired and overheated and begging to go home. Everyone got home and I hear that even though it was past nap time the girls "did great."

I do wish I'd brought folding chairs for the grown ups because sitting on a towel on the ground hurt. I also wish I'd been more prepared for Riley's sudden aptitude for climbing, but I will be next time.