End Of Summer

School has started so the days of swimming have been lessened a bit. 
It's still 90 degrees out so we have been swimming a few times after school.
The girls go to a school that was built in 1950 so there's no air conditioning.
I know, unheard of in this century.
But it's true.
And it's hot.
So, to cool them off we pop into the pool and the sweat drains away...

Zoe has mastered the front flip.
She learned this from her friend Isabelle last summer and she has finally gotten brave enough to do it on a regular basis.
Practice makes perfect I say. 

We also do some hop scotch.
Gigi doesn't get the idea of rules, so she just jumps wherever which infuriates her sister to no end.

Sometimes the "hopscotch rock" is actually a walnut and the dog or dogs steal it to chew on.

I'm anticipating Fall.
I'm ready for cool weather.
I'm ready for homemade chicken pot pies and pumpkin scones.
My favorite candy store Dels Popcorn Shop has announced that they are selling caramel apples already!
I guess that means I can make a chicken pot pie!
Sweet!

A Pirate and Her Parrot

The pirate and her parrot went out for a stroll.

Not on the plank, though, that's saved for you!

Don't begrudge this blithery, blathery pirate.

See what happened to the last poor soul to mistake her for a boy?

The many faces of a parrot...

the look of shenanigans to come,

high on the crisp night air (and candy, too), 

and the parrot that either got into the pirate's

booty of spirits or is just done for the night.

Take your pick...



Irregular

Sometimes it's the regular (or in our house irregular) things in life
that make things interesting and less mundane.

Such as mixing brownies up with Gigi...beware those that eat these. 
Gigi kept sticking her tongue on the mixing spoon, mixed some more,
tongue, more mixing, tongue, you get it... 



There's story time...
The rest of this story involved two children in the woods who upon
hearing a "trit, trot, trit, trot" from behind were met up
with none other than The Headless Horseman.  Scary stuff indeed. 

Be careful where you put your mechanized Thomas the Train Engine...

Pumpkin carving can cause temporary blindness...

It's a gooey affair. 
Mom does not stick her hand into a pumpkin
unless it's a life or death situation.

 Broken ankle and granny walker at hand, a girl gets the job done.

You Know It's October When...

October means to our family, and many more around here, pumpkins. 

And this means a trip to Arthur to The Great Pumpkin Patch.

The Great Pumpkin Patch, as seen on the Martha Stewart Show
and on the front lawn of the White House.

It's quite a sight, really.

Pumpkins and squashes out the ying-yang.

Pumpkin flavored food of a behemoth range.

Zoe went last year, just a month into her
diagnosis and with a pick-line in her arm.
Riding in the wagon because she was weak.  
It was nice to see her so full of life this year,
running through the hay maze and
picking out pumpkins to take home.   

It's a delight to go and it's been a ritual for us since 2008.



The huge "sculptures" made out of hay... 

The pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, popcorn and cider... 

The pumpkins range in size from small and portable enough for a
2 year old to carry to a ginormous 962.5 pounder named Ellen. 

There are face cut-out doohickeys everywhere...

 

Another delightful annual visit to
The Great Pumpkin Patch is behind us. 

We can't wait to return next year.  

Have a pleasant Fall y'all! 

Spooks

Eighteen more days until the witching hour is upon us. 

The night where ghosts and headless horsemen are out in abundance.

Where spooks swoop down out of the night sky to steal you away...forever... 

We love scary stuff in our house. 

Chad is a connoisseur of horror movies, something he can't wait to pass down to his daughters. 

Zoe stated a few weeks ago that she wanted to watch something really scary.  

We tried to start out small with The Sixth Sense. 

We thought that she would get a bit bored by all of the dialogue and not get too upset. 

There were scary parts indeed, where she was hiding her face under dad's arm, but for the most part she did fine. 

We explained things as the movie went along. 

No harm done. 

We have always told her that movies are just fun stories with actors and then explained what actors are. 

She knows some of our friends are actors, so she gets it. 

Maybe we will move up to something scarier around Halloween.     

 

This year's costumes have been decided. 
We found Gigi's first and Zoe developed her costume idea after seeing what Gigi wanted.  
Last year they had a theme (Zoe was Cleopatra and Gigi was her cat)
and this year's theme should be just as fun. 
I hope they continue this way. 
Doing something together.
It's so sisterly. 

We have pumpkins and cats on our real porch. 
Always a kitten longing around the front door.
Just waiting to get scared and strike the perfect Halloween Cat Pose...you know the one, right?
Back arched, hairs standing up.
It's hysterical to see them play fight with one another and hit that pose.
They are truly frightening...tee-hee.

So you better watch out...

Keep the spooks away and beware of sounds in the night.

Do you hear that wailing from afar?  What's that shadow to my right?

BOO! 

Halloween is coming!  

Witches and Pumpkins

The Fall decor is up!

Drive by our house during the month
of October and you will see our
witch and her black cat traipsing through the cemetery... 



we will wish your pumpkin harvest well... 

 and see this pile of logs covered by weeds?

With a little creative maneuvering of logs followed by 
weed removal and some spray paint...voila! 

 A pumpkin!

A cheery log pumpkin to see coming up our drive or to glimpse as you pass by on the road.
Now go back up to the witch picture and see if you find the log pumpkin.
See it?  How fun, huh?!

And with the hope of a great season the Bears flag is up.
Every year we just KNOW they will make the Super Bowl.
Maybe this year will be it!  Maybe...

This is not really a Fall decor picture,
but the cool weather does bring out
the "jump and fall" in the goats and the girl.

Happy Fall to You and Yours

Falling for Fall Again

Autumn begins September 23rd this year. It can't get here soon enough in my opinion. I do enjoy summertime...drinking lemonade, swimming in the pool, eating homemade ice cream, late sunsets...but fall is by and large my favorite season.

The weather gets cool enough to don a jacket and a light scarf. Who doesn't like looking dapper with a scarf around their neck?!

Apples are in season and I can't wait to try out a new recipe I saw today for apple pie pops (a mini apple pie on a stick!).

The colors of the trees surrounding our farm turn various shades of yellow, red and orange...gorgeous!


The deer come out in droves to fatten themselves up on tree leaves and grasses before winter comes.

The squirrels and chipmunks are busy gathering their walnuts and acorns for a snowy day meal.

We like to go for hikes in the woods in the fall. The bugs have disappeared and it makes for a much more pleasant walk when you aren't constantly swatting at yourself because something is buzzing by your ear or trying to get a blood meal out of your calf.

I began the task of cleaning off all of the boots to prepare for the fall season. They have lined the steps of the basement since the spring and they got a thorough washing in preparation for our upcoming hikes.


Fall is also the time of year when we like to build lots of bonfires in our backyard and have weenie roasts, complete with hot dogs and s'mores, all while dressed up in cozy jackets, sweatshirts and hats.


Pumpkins are in season and I LOVE to make, eat and buy pumpkin flavored foods...cookies, pies, bread, lattes, risotto, pasta...my list goes on and on.

We always head to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, IL. We are growing our own pumpkins this year so we will probably buy mums and pumpkin flavored foods this year, leaving the pumpkins for others to buy.


Halloween and Thanksgiving are fun holidays when you have small children...the costumes, the crafts, the food.

What are your favorite fall activities or foods?