Pumpkin Fun

Earlier this month we painted some pumpkins. We set up on the driveway and they painted away. You may remember this activity from last year . I am very happy to report that this year it went much better.

Last night, Brent and the bigger boys carved our jack-o-lantern. Actually, the boys helped him with the scooping out of the goop, and then Brent did the carving. It turned out great.

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Andrew's class went to the pumpkin patch at Goldbrook Farms last week. It was a fun morning. This is the same patch we went to last year, but it is always a lot of fun. Here are Andrew and his buddy Jack on the hayride.


And here is (most) of the rest of the class. Zoey, Isabelle, Hannah, and Ivy are with Andrew.


After the hayride, we walked over to the "petting zoo." This was a most unfortunate use of that term, as there were no animals to pet. There were several varieties of chickens and guineas in cages, but no petable animals. Here are Zoey, Hannah, and Andrew.

Big tractors are always a hit!

This is the attempt at a class photo in the rocking chair. After about five minutes of good faith efforts, the parents stopped trying for that perfect shot and let everyone climb down.

Our last treat was a bag of popcorn! It really was a fun morning.

We've Been Booed!

Every October, our neighborhood plays a fun game. A little white ghost will appear on your front door, and with him comes a fun treat. Once your family has been "booed" it's your turn to "boo" someone else. We returned home from Toy Story 3 to find that we had been booed!


We looked all around our porch that night, but couldn't find our treat. Monday when I went to get the mail, I found a big, plastic jack-o-lantern in the mailbox. Inside were five apples and caramel wrappers! We enjoyed them for dessert one night. Coleman could not get enough of his apple. Andrew was very excited at first, but I think he didn't like the way the caramel got stuck to his teeth, because he didn't eat but one or two bites of his.

Pumpkins at Jaemor

Saturday we took the boys to the pumpkin patch at Jaemor Farms. There were lots of fun, fallish activities to enjoy. We ate lunch once we arrived, and then headed over to this giant slide. Brent walked with the boys to the top of the stairs. I thought they might be a little hesitant to jump into a big, dark tunnel who's end they could not see, but I was wrong. Of course.

After the slide, we headed over to the Hayless Hayride. They use a big wagon and tractor to give tours of the farm. It was interesting to see and hear about all the different crops they produce each year. I handed the camera to Brent, so my presence on this family outing would be documented. I find the results hilarious. Take 1: Mommy looks exhausted; Jonathan is looking at the camera; Andrew is (sort of) smiling at someone across from him; and Coleman has his eyes shut.

Take 2: Mommy is smiling, but looking elsewhere; Jonathan is pulling Andrew's hair; Andrew is facing but not looking toward the camera; and Coleman is completely backwards.

Take 3: Mommy has an okay smile. However, the yahoos are all looking at someone else and seem to be sending the message that a rumble will soon take place. I can't wait to make our Christmas card pictures.

Brent did better with this scenic photo of the mountains and the farm. Maybe we should stick to landscapes.

After the hayride, we went to the pumpkin patch. Here are Andrew and Coleman.

It was very bright, so they wouldn't look at the camera, and they are all three more interested in the hay on the ground than the pumpkins behind them.

We picked some pumpkins from the market and headed home. And just like the sign says, we had a bushel of fun.

Overheard: Edition Handwriting Issues

Andrew is really doing well with his handwriting. At school they are using a great program called Handwriting Without Tears. He is learning his capital letters at school, and at home we are working on his lowercase letters. Ms. Louise is the handwriting specialist at school. She has lots of great tricks and tips on helping kids learn to write correctly. One of the first and most important things is learning to use the proper grip on a pencil.

Andrew has his own ideas about most things. He is usually very agreeable and obedient, but he can be a bit stubborn at times. We have absolutely NO IDEA where he gets this. Using the correct grip has been a bit of a stumbling block. He likes to wrap his pointer finger around the pencil and put the other three underneath. I am constantly reminding him to use his good grip when we are writing at home. We were practicing his name the other day when this conversation occurred:

M: Andrew, fix your fingers. Use your good grip.

A: Mommy, why do you and Ms. Wouise ALWAYS tell me to use my good grip?!

M: Because we're your teachers and we know the best way for you to write and learn.

A: (while fixing his fingers) Well. When I grow up, I am NOT going to be a teacher and then I can hold my pencil the other way!

One Word Wednesday

TOOTH!

Disney on Ice

On Saturday, we were treated to Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3! It was our first time to see a show like this as a family. Gigi and Papack kept Jonathan for us, and we were off to Philips Arena.


Here are Brent and the boys in our seats.


This shows how close we were to the ice. Brent stayed in our third row seats and made this picture of me and the boys with the rink behind us. And thanks to Gigi for making their shirts!

The boys waited very patiently for the show to begin. Finally, Mickey and Minnie came out to start things off.

As much as we tried to explain what the show would be like, I don't think it sunk in until it began. Here are their faces at the beginning of the show.

Andrew asked questions and talked about the show while the skaters were on the ice. Coleman just sat quietly taking it all in.

The Green Army Men started it off by parachuting into the arena! They were my favorites of the show. Great skating and very entertaining. I liked them in the movies as well.

Even with our really great seats, it was very difficult to get good pictures. You'll see heads, other cameras and blurry shots from here on out. Sorry.

One by one, the characters from Toy Story skated out to lots of applause and cheering. Here's Woody making his debut.

The Potato Heads are such a sweet couple!

Coleman kept asking where Buzz was. He made a grand entrance by descending from the rafters on this sparkly platform.

Barbie and Ken stole the show in the movie TS3, and they were great on the ice too.

Here's Jessie all locked up. Just when I thought I was going to get a clear, in focus shot of her, she started swinging her head around.

It's Ken! (I know there's another hand in this shot, but I know he was really waving at me!)

It was a really great show! And for our family, no trip downtown is complete without a stop in midtown. I tried to get a good shot of the boys eating their Varsity lunches, but this is the best I could do. Brent was making a weird face, and Andrew was saying "Cheese!" with a mouthful of hot dog and onion ring. I decided not to include that picture. You're welcome.

Thank you so much to our "benefactor" who made the day possible. We love you very much!