A True Picture of Fall

I love leaf pictures. And to brag on Bradford--he did a *lot* of work helping to rake leaves and pile them up here. He's serious about helping when he focuses and he is a hard worker. McCance is still at the stage when he wants to help, but spreading and scattering the leaf pile is really what he does best. (By the way, the pile is really a lot bigger than it looks in the picture.)

Costumes, Halloween, Family Fun, and Sugar Overload

First of all, thank you to my friend, Lamar, for our family costume idea. Her family used this last year, and I thought it was too clever to pass up. It's not often that Scott and I dress up anymore.

(In case you can't see the picture well, I'm an oven--with a bun inside.)

We went to our church's annual Trunk or Treat to avoid the neighborhood Halloween traffic and see all of our church friends dressed up. (Few people walk to Trick or Treat anymore. Lots of cars from other neighborhoods dropping kids off at each house. What is the world coming to?) The kids got to taste cotton candy for the first time (and would you believe not even McCance liked it!? So I ended up eating two small bags.). Jumped on the moon walk and loved it (which I must say I hated as a child. My balance must've been poor because I usually spent the time on the floor trying to get up.). Practiced throwing and knocked "Goliath" over several times, bowled with gourds, and tossed Indian corn into a bean bag target. Oh, and of course received plenty of candy, which they are still eating daily.

Bradford might be the first child to refuse more candy. Not only did he tell someone, "No thank you. I already have enough Tootsie Rolls." (Personally I didn't think that was possible, but I'm pleased nonetheless.), but he also read the ingredients on the candy and reminded me that it had corn syrup. I explained that most candy does and that it was okay since it's a special treat and we don't have it very often. He did give the Teddy Grahams to Scott to give away at school when he saw they had hydrogenated oil in them as well. I guess he really is listening.

Pumpkin Painters

Last year we chose to carve, but seeing that it takes a sharp knife and touching slimy stuff, I did that all on my own, including separating the seeds to roast. So this year Bradford and McCance painted their pumpkins. They loved it. As much as I love scooping out the slimy pumpkin stuff, so we made a good choice. I didn't get a shot of their finished works. Bradford painted a piece of candy corn with a spider on it. McCance a police car--with monster truck sized front wheels.

Oh, and a side note--I let them use my real acrylic paint, but made them use their own brushes. I wasn't that brave.

The Apple Farm

Clockwise, starting at 12: Cameo, Fuji, Goldrush,
Red Rome, Granny Smith, and Arkansas Black

During a visit with Grandma and Grandpa H (before Halloween), we drove up to get some apples and pumpkins. Bradford tried out the Bush Hog. McCance just hung onto the cart in the market area and pretended to be a garbage man as we checked out.

Two pumpkins and a bushel and a half of apples later we have--

2 painted pumpkins
2 apple pies (already eaten! Planning on two more.)
8 quarts of applesauce in the freezer (With more to come.)
And lots of yummy apples munched on.

We have yet to do baked apples, apple crisp, and carmel apples. We'll see how long we can stretch them. . .

Imaginary Play

Is always rampant at our house. I love it. Here is McCance a few weeks ago dressed up as Super something. (I don't recall exactly, but he kept the outfit on for quite some time. This reminded me of Uncle Evan around that same age. He'd often pretend he was Super Grover, complete with a blue stocking cap, a blue towel for a cape, and a bunch of balloons tied to a wiffle bat. It really was the cutest thing ever--and I don't say that to embarrass him, but just that my boys come by it naturally.