Fantastic Fall (Part 2)

October finished up nicely. We did some playing, waiting, and trick-or-treating!

Three days a week I get mornings with just Evie. It's a pretty cool time. I don't usually have the camera with me but this sunny day I did.

She told me this was a "giant rock"

The big kids got to come with me on our late night airport trip to pick dad up after a business trip. I opted for the mustache instead of a "welcome home dad" sign. That night he was on the look out for the "little girl with the mustache".












It's amazing how dad can increase bravery around here tenfold. As of the end of October Katie is training wheel free! This photo was on her first day without them. She did really well but since then has preferred her little scooter bike (no pedals). She definitely takes after her dad in the bike riding department. She is a little firecracker on that thing!

First day with no training wheels!!

This year was out first real taste of Halloween. Up until now we've been pretty sheltered from the chaos festivities that lead up to that magical night.

One of my favorite things we did was attend Rowan's school Halloween parade. Instead of simply wearing their costume for the night (though I think a lot of outfits did double duty) the children were asked to dress as a favorite book character. There were quite a lot of disney princess books out there but I also saw some very creative and cool book characters (even from a couple non-fiction books!) Amid the princesses here one of Rowan's classmates appears to be riding a dinosaur and of course we have Rowan. He was Farmer Seed from The Giant Jam Sandwich. A family favorite book from Goddy and Gremmy!

Before I'd realized it this year I had explained (and therefore hyped) trick-or-treating to the kids. We did trick-or-treat a bit last year but this year it really felt like a big deal. All three kids were super excited. Evie even cried just before we headed out that night because no matter how many times she said "trick or treat" to us we wouldn't give her any candy! (we tried explaining that the houses had all the candy but she just didn't get it, poor little thing)

The costumes:

Miss Evie mouse

Miss Katie Fairy Princess 

 

and Rowan . . . Mr.Goofy-For-The-Camera

tough guy

silly dancing guy

Finally! A nice smiling "Pirate Knight"

Trick or treat!

I wish I had a recording on here of Evie saying, "'Appy 'Alloween!" it was adorable! (So adorable in fact that a number of people let her take a couple handfuls of candy).

NOVEMBER

Ah! I loooove November first! Halloween is done, we get to look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas, and most awesome of all . . . it's Rowan's birthday! It was on a school day this year. Logan and I visited Rowan at school during lunch with donuts for him and his class. Which was fun and he just loved. After school was the big deal though. We had author extraordinaire Gremmy on hand and she knocked it out of the park with a challenging, fun, and amazing scavenger hunt starting as soon as Rowan was off the bus. I missed his first few clues in the excitement. But here he is about halfway through, he picked up his first gift, a sword ala the Hobbit movie, with the promise "you'll need this" written on the wrapping paper.

Drumroll please . . .

I wasn't fast enough to capture the moment he saw the pile of present "guarded" by a red dragon (instantly named Smaug ala the Hobbit)

Rowan hugs Smaug

Rowan forgot himself in a moment of excitement but quickly realized there was work to be done and he had received just the weapon for the job!

Rowan smites Smaug

The gift opening was a blur of activity . . . literally. I was using Logan's camera and I mistakenly was taking the pictures in the automatic setting which was explained to me and I've mostly forgotten. The long and short is low light pictures = blurry pictures.

I kind of dig it though. Especially the one where I was able to catch his ear-to-ear grin. It's such a picture of a six year old boy's birthday.

Pure joy and manic energy

The evening brought an extra helping of excitement in the form of a birthday party

I sort of forgot to take a lot of pictures during the party. Partly because I was without my camera (its battery was lost behind the fridge just before the festivities) and also partly because I was so enjoying the party! Oops, maybe there will be more pictures next year ;)

Ninjas, and Captain Americas, and Darth Vader oh my!

The party was a huge success. I only went a little crazy over the details and our socks were blessed right off by Gremmy who stepped in with sage advice about dessert plates, decorations, schedules, and more! Not to mention her top notch food prep and plating skills! Our tables have never looked so festive and well prepared!!

And so our October was rounded out and our November began with a bang!
Coming up next: more of Goddy and Gremmy's visit, leaf pile fun, and family photo time.
See you then!

Fantastic fall (part 1)

Well folks, I think we made it. The last few days have chilled us with temps in the 40s and 50s. I think we may have finally left summer behind us! In the last month I admit I despaired a moment or two about never being rid of the 70s. Not that I mind a lovely sunny day it's just... I love a good fire in the fireplace!

So, either way we are now firmly into autumn and well on our way to winter. Free of the stifling humidity I can now embrace Virginia and its beauty with good cheer. We have basked in the beautiful colors and sunny days we've been blessed with here and I am all about enjoying a chilly, blustery day from the comfort of my couch curled up with a blanket and a magazine or ipad. By the crackling and blissfully warm fire, preferably.

Between school starting and now we've been busy learning, playing, growing, frolicking, dancing, and just generally being busy. As toddlers and young kids are apt to do ;)

Katie made her first "solo" PB&J sandwich

Rowan lost another tooth

Rowan reads aloud just about every night

Katie's preschool had a family day at the pumpkin patch (I sort wish I'd pulled Rowie out of school for it but ah well, 3 kids would have been a bit of a handful by myself there)

My big girl!

Katie was all about the pumpkins this year!

Evie? Not so much.

But they both loved the little bounce pad!
Evie had a bit of a hard time staying up but after a bit she found her "sea legs"

Tongue out for added concentration

and she's airborne!!

Katie's "spider face"

The little farm was by far Evelyn's favorite!

Goin' in for a hug

Evie is crazy for animals

Tune in next time for part 2!
Happy Thursday!!

Goodbye summer! Helloooo Autumn!

Oh how I have missed the cooler weather! Northern Virginia is currently making its slow, reluctant march into the most wonderful months of the year. I am pretty pleased with it. Though a more even and steady decent of the mercury would suit me better knowing that these last few warm days are fairly soon to be followed by lovely, chilly beauty puts a smile on my face. It's not that I dislike the sun. Sunshine is wonderful! Heat and humidity are the dreaded adversaries that crush my spirit during these long summer months. But to everything (turn, turn, turn) there is indeed a season. And this last month has been quite full as we prepare to welcome back our jeans and boots and scarves.

The biggest news of course is that Rowan started kindergarten and Katie began preschool. They are both quite enjoying themselves and miss Evelyn is enjoying her little pockets of one-on-one time with mama! Poor Katie only has three days of school a week to Rowan's five and she is often asking, "Is it my school day tomorrow?". She is always thrilled when I can answer yes and many times crushed when I have to answer no. She's sort of a heart-on-the-sleeve type of girl. The good news is she's also three years old and emotions are fickle things.

 First day of school!

Goodmorning sunhine!

First day clothes hanging ready

 Ready and set to go!

Rowan on the porch was taken about a minute before I heard the bus and realized that I'd not double checked the arrival time for our stop. That was the first and only time so far that we almost missed it. Quite memorable.

While Rowan was off embarking on his scholastic career the girls and I decided to make a day of it and went to the park!

Swings are a favorite, tire and otherwise.

I love how pleased she looks in this picture

Busywork

They spent quite some time sweeping gravel in between those slats. As well as tossing it out of the little boat thing they were sitting in. Playgrounds are wonderful places for exercising little bodies and minds.


Another day another interesting thing...

Chalk crushed by car totally trumps pile of grass clippings

More swinging

A bit of beauty from the yard

I just love the colors on those hydrangeas.

I've titled this next one "Real Life", messy room, snacking in PJs whilst watching Sid the Science Kid.

 

notice the pointed toe...

 I did not coach this pose whatsoever. I imagine she is going to be dancer and/or in the drama club and/or a parenting adventure.

You can see the few colorful leaves making their debut on this tree. The neighborhood is still predominantly green but these little splashes of color around our house make me smile.

After school activities often include a bit of wii playing but I try to encourage a bit of outside time as well. Rowan didn't really draw much until last year at preschool. I'm so pleased that he is doing it more now. I remember the first time I tried to encourage him to color something for me at around 2 years old I think... he just used the crayons as drumsticks. He's come quite a ways!

This is Dad inside a heart because Rowan loves him.

This next one thrills me because he's depicting himself in relation to objects with fairly proper scale. I'm a pretty big art nerd but even so I think for any mom these little steps forward in understanding and accomplishment are exciting.

 

 

He said, "It's me sitting in a chair"

 After he got to take a picture of his chalk drawing I let him take a few more. On the condition that he put the wrist strap on his wrist properly (you can see it dangling in the previous shot). So he secured the camera and off he went. Most of the pictures were blurry but a few turned out.

I love that last one. I think the subject, the colors, the detail, and the composition are really really cool. I know he wasn't thinking about all that when he snapped it of course. Which makes it very sweet and endearing to me. Though that also might just be because I'm his mom. I like to think it is a little of both.

And there's September for you! Next up October which brings pumpkin patch trips, school pictures, and Halloween, which Rowan informed Katie recently is "not about candy or costumes, it's about love". I later discussed it with him and discovered that by "love" he meant "fun". He was trying to say that we do not have to be scary or creepy in order to have fun and take part in the holiday. I tried to explain that love was not exactly the word that he might want to use to say that but he insisted.

And so it is that this year at our house-

Halloween = love.

I have to say I think it's all rather cute.