Happy Thanksgiving

Hello, friends!

We have had turkey on the brain around here lately. 

Play dough turkeys in Sunday School. 

The boys and I set up a kids' Thanksgiving crafting party today.

Josiah led the first craft - a project he learned in art class at school. He took his role as teacher very seriously and loved every minute of it. 

We tried to get a picture of the cousins with some of their best work, but Lydia was not having it!

So here are the boys. Just a bit better. That is a just a scratch Josiah is doing there. 

Have the happiest of Thanksgivings!

Starting Them Young

Working in the factory.

Another Library Day

We had another beautiful fall walk to the library last week.

 The kids did great!

 While we were in town we decided to lunch at a charming little establishment with only three chairs.

An adventure we won't be repeating anytime soon.

 While we stopped to admire the creek, 

Lydia took off for home.

And there you have my favorite picture of the day!

Canning with Friends

Today my friend and I did a presentation on canning for Moms4Moms.  I felt like I was back in school again while I was preparing the handout.

Amanda made us rehearse about three times in my dining room ahead of time and it was a good thing because that made me nervous!

This picture is from after the presentation so you missed us in our aprons.  A good time was had by all and now I think it is Jennifer's turn to present.  Any suggestions for a topic for her?  I'm thinking "Cute Parties."

Happy Birthday to Me!

I have just finished celebrating a fun 32nd birthday weekend.

Early in the morning on my birthday (think 3:30 a.m.) Josiah got up (he had already been asleep over 8 hours) and set up a birthday party for me in the dining room.  He put an orange balloon straight from the package at each seat and a 'Happy Birthday' banner down the center of the table.  He said it was a 'Blow-Up-Your-Own-Balloon Party'.  And it might have been a surprise party, only the dining room happens to also be Eleonora's bedroom, and she let us in on the surprise immediately.

Another favorite part of my birthday weekend was when Josiah brought me breakfast in bed.

Two donut holes, an orange, and a cup of water.

I like him.

Now here are a couple of pictures from our big log cabin moving day.

 By the time the logs made it to our house for unloading, 

it was dark-thirty and almost too scary to watch.

Happily there were no injuries and we are now the proud owners of a large pile of logs!

A New Dress

Yesterday while I was watching Lydia, I decided to whip her up a new dress.

 Actually, the dress was created from an old favorite shirt of mine.

 Four little rows of stitches, and voila!  A new toddler dress!

 And here's another hair-do from another day.

Can you tell we're enjoying our mornings with Lydia?

 And speaking of befores-and-afters and hair-dos...

Here we have a shaggy Josiah.

 And a shorn Josiah!

Have a happy, blustery Fall weekend!

Gardening

Caleb and I have been getting a little gardening done before the cold snap hits.

 We used old bricks from the chimney of our log cabin to make borders around flower beds, blueberries, raspberries, and grapes.

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 And the apple trees.

Caleb hauled the bricks in his jeep.

He decided to make the rings around the trees look like apples, complete with stems and leaves.

Lydia-Spittia

Lydia has been spending an hour at our house early each morning while her Mommy-o teaches ESL.

I get her dressed and my favorite part is doing her hair.

She is a good time!

Story Hour

Our local library has a wonderful Story Hour every Wednesday.

Last week we decided to walk to it.

 It was a beautiful fall day!

We made it there, but then it started raining and Chris rescued us with a car to ride home.

Here's hoping we try it again this week, if Wednesday gets here before the Polar Vortex does!

Rocking Out

 Eleonora & Her Daddy

Rainy Day

 Today's pictures are from back in August when Josiah's shoelaces were still blindingly orange.

One very wet morning, Chris decided that maybe his boy needed some protection from all that rain...

so he covered him and his backpack with a trash bag.

Then he thought better of it, and ripped the whole thing off!

Sure was funny while it lasted!

Happy Wednesday

Happy baby.

A Smorgasbord.

Josiah had his first big project for first grade.

He learned about Boa Constrictors.

We had fun (or at least I did) at the library making his poster together -

while Heather saved the day and entertained the two younger youngsters.

Last week Josiah's school had dress up days to 'celebrate a Drug-Free School.'

Just happened to coincide with Halloween.  Hmm.

The first day was Career Day.

He wanted to wear his astronaut costume, but since there's no chance of being a Lego Astronaut man, we made him think again.

In the picture above, he is an Ampoid Builder/Scientist.  

Ha.

Caleb told him that if he wanted to be an Ampoid builder, he needed more holes in his pants.

Double ha.

Caleb entering into the spirit of things.

The next day was Nerd Day.

(Seriously, who comes up with these days?)

Note how he and his walrus both have their spectacles fixed with tape.

Here are the three amigos on Halloween night.

And Eleonora hanging out at the library waiting for pumpkin decorating to begin.

'Pooky Party

Guess who is turning 5!

 The boys love to look through a book of cupcake designs that we have.

Caleb picked out this chocolate haunted castle months ago 

and has been planning his 'pooky party ever since.

And now for an exclusive interview with the birthday boy himself.

Caleb, how does it feel to be five?

Good. I will like to be taller, because used to, I was so tiny I had to stand on my tippy-toes.

What are you thinking about doing when you grow up?

I am tinking...I want to be...a dinosaur bone finder.

He finds bones by digging.

He makes 100 money.

I will be married, but not soon.

12 kids.

I will buy that house next door.

 Jenn had the great suggestion for a toilet paper mummy game.

If you could have any pet?

A hamster named Rocketer.

I would make him ex-ter-cise in a spin-wheel.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world?

This house.

A bouncy house.

I'd go to somewhere else far away in Tennessee.

I would jump off a plane with a parachute.

I'd be at Great Grandmother's house.

I'd take Mommy and Eleonora.

What is your favorite book?
All of those Peter Pan books.
Winnie the Pooh.
All the Narnia books and The Hobbit, but NO WAY Moby Dick.

What is your favorite thing to play?
Twain twack!



We love you, Caleb-bo-baleb!