11.2.15 October Wrap-up

Harvest is the best time of year around these parts. Reed spent many days in the combine. When the little girls got a chance they too hurried out the door to keep grandma company in the tractor. Anna captured their walk home. As they ran fast and sometimes quietly out the door I didn't get pictures in the machines. Reed got pretty handy at making lunches for him and the girls- I've discovered that is the secret to their contentment. A lunch box with snacks! I guess it's an exciting adventure to carry your own lunch in your lunch box to go work when you are little.

After repeatedly loosing and finding Johns Bear book, and then the leaders loosing and not finding the bear book we got his badge completed or re-completed. He is now on his last year of cub scouts! Lots of work to be done this year and the program has changed so we will be learning together.

Harvesting some of the pumpkins. They were really big, I wish I had a picture of Millie when she saw these the first time her eyes got huge and she said WOW! They really were.

Addie's body. I remember tracing and learning terms like leg, foot, hand etc but with the advancing information age they are labeling brains, lungs, chambers and flows of the heart, bones, and muscles. Awesome how education is advancing and regressing at the same time. She has a special student teacher right now who is working super hard to teach in creative interactive ways.

A new keep baby quiet in the car trick! Aliza went to a birthday party and this was one of the favors. Somehow Afton got a hold of it and was happy the entire 30 minutes in the car. She didn't get far just sucked the marshmallow-jello coating but she liked it!

And a close up of some of the Livy's hair cutting expertise. I had chopped Addie's on Friday using a small layering technique and Livy did the same procedure all around Millie's head. There's not much to salvage and I'm not really sure any of my cutting would help so we are just sighing deeply and realizing it's just hair it will grow back and this might happen again. Addie cut her's again and again till we got the drift and have just kept it short. Long hair is only fun on kids who do it themselves!!! (Not sure why everything is an exclamation point must be the extra energy from sleeping in today.)

And my two most dressed up kiddos. I cleaned under beds and the car last weekend and found piles of candy wrappers. This was pre-Halloween. I was shocked and disgusted at how much candy that I had no clue about was being consumed in my home. So I banned trick-or-treating. After two phone calls from special family members I relented. We went and visited and took treats to those who were giving us Halloween goodies. However, that candy is locked up until a movie night or a good day cleaning. I know I'm too bah-humbug about holidays. I just don't like the stress of it all. But I did realize after the family interventions that the visits and dress-up will be part of my children's childhood memories and so I need to relax holidays are not just about my hangup's about entitlements and silliness.
It was nice to visit each family and it was good to break-up the grind of daily living.

Now to get all the stuff done that needs to happen this fine first Monday of November. Best to you today!