The Cat And The Hat Or Something Like That....

Today these kiddos enjoyed being read "The Cat in the Hat" and a few art projects this morning at a local bookstore. Both of them had chocolate all over their mouths from us spoiling them with hot chocolate and then the bookstore giving them cider with whip cream and peanut butter and jelly donuts.. Two words.. SUGAR RUSH!
Here is Thing 2 eating a hot chocolate.. yes I said eating. This was more like a sundae. This is what you get when you flirt with the barista..all men could learn alot from this kid...

Finding BIG pretty Fall leaves at the courthouse by the Saturday Farmers Market. Many leaves came home with us today to be dried.


Checking out the piles of pretty red leaves... wanting sooo bad to make a gigantic leaf disaster.
A nice Rainy Saturday All and All...

Another Insect Grasping For Life

Ok, there aren't many of us who can say we haven't killed a few insects in our day..either by stomping, squeezing, magnifying glass, drowning.. you know what I'm talking about. I am the most guilty, I quickly recall the caterpillar slaughter of 84'. It was Fall on a Saturday morning. Me on my Huffy, catching fuzzy wire bristle orange and black caterpillars as they made the terrifying crossing of our dead end street. Their were tons of them and my neighbor and I would compete to see how many we could catch or trap til their death(let's be honest). I decided to take my 20 some pets on a "trip" in my white basket on the front of my bike. Why I decided to take a trip down the most extremely bumpy field I could find, I dont know? (I was young, let's say that) As I sped down the field and hit bump after bump, caterpillars were flyin' to high heaven(literally) or maybe they were just jumping out of the basket as one last attempt. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, I was devastated. My basket was full of a caterpillar massacre. The horror was washed away from my bike with an outdoor hose but not from my memory(obviously..) So I stiffened a bit when I heard Fieldin cry."mommmmy! bug on bubble mower!" this morning.

Last week it was a praying mantis named "Buddy" who was quite happy until he was fed a yellow jacket that stung him. He ate bumble bees so who new? We freed him shortly after to let him lick his wounds of pain and ego.
Today it was ladybugs which reminds me of the ladybug Greta slaughter of 2007...another story. Fieldy chased them today saying "on thumb?" as they tried to escape. They weren't stupid. They ran for the plants. Fieldin gave up and said "bye bye, I take picture" Lucky for them cameras are safer than pudgy strong fingers..

The ladybugs lived to see another day but he is out there now prepping his bug netting for what he might find tomorrow... poor, poor bugs....

One Final Vroom Around A Parking Garage

Everyone knows how much we love Jeff's little red truck. If you don't know about this truck, I am sure you have heard it without even knowing it. I am sure it can be heard all the way to the Dakota's..

Tonight we hugged it (literally) good bye as it starts a new life in a wonderful home. Greta shed some tears, Fieldin kept pulling on the door saying "Daddy, I ride home"...it was heartbreaking. The kids ADORED this truck, but probably not a much as Jeff did. Lil Red Truck gave him almost 20 years of faithful service and adventures. Lil Red truck was cool. Real cool, and Jeff had just put a new bumper sticker on him too. Sadly, it was time to part ways..and like in any break up, it wasn't him, it was us. It was time to get another vehicle that can haul the two munchkins.

I forgot my camera at home, so I wasn't able to document Lil Red for the last time but I will never forget the memory of Jeff driving the kids in Lil Red around the parking garage for one final farewell lap.

Godspeed Lil Red. We'll Miss You.

Around The House

The little man's new thing is wearing armour. He loves it. He runs around with his shield in one hand and a soup ladle in the other (his sword) His main job as knight is to chase around Maiden Greta and occasionally hit her with his ladle....
Third day of school. Morning hugs. They miss each other. If you look close, he is holding her pajama shirt that he carries around in the mornings for comfort. Then after she is safe on the bus he hands it to me... He loves waving at her good bye each day and waiting for the bus to pull up in our driveway each afternoon. He waits at the front window for her and yells "bus, mommy, bus!"

Gret's new thing, bandz. They are pretty cool. Can be used as bracelets and rubberbands and always return to their normal cool scooby doo shapes...

And more of our little Knight. As for other news, Fall is here and we love it!, my roses are still blooming, the school bus is the talk of the house, Greta says her teacher, friends and bus are the best things about school....., The sweet little red truck has found a new good home, my favorite bakery is closing...so sad, Fieldin is mastering his little three wheel motorcycle but can't turn(my poor plants!) he runs over everything in his way. Lots happening around here. Most of all we all have been thinking about my mom. We miss her. And last but not least, a lot of pulling of Thomas the Train and wearing his train conductor hat out for errands...

Day One Of Formal Education.....

So Excited to ride the bus. We went to pick her up at school but she was SOO excited to ride the bus with her friends we let her go and met her at home.
At the bell ringing ceremony. So cute.

Right before class. She was very excited.

Day one.... 13 more years to go....then college, my love! So Proud of you!

Goodbye Summer

You would never know that these pictures were taken yesterday, looking out the window today. The weather is rainy, Fall clothes were pulled out of the closets this morning and the kids were excited to see a school bus pass by our house...Summer is officially over.

Greta visited her school today but didn't actually start her first day. The excitement was all there though. She dressed all up, grabbed her backpack and school supplies and we were out the door for an interview with her teacher.
Yesterday was spent catching fish at the ocean with frisbee traps.

Chasing birds and splashing...and even though there isn't a playground on the beach we find a way to make our own...driftwood teeter-totters...

Weekend

So far the weekend has been about getting a few things done while trying to take it a little easy. A trip to the Farmers market for produce ended with me returning home with garden plants and pretty bouquets but no fruit....whoops.
The kids made themselves a rockwall train that kept them entertained for a little while. Not long enough for us to watch much of the cougs game but it wasn't really worth watching anyway... in all honesty. Poor Cougs!
The rest of our time has been focused on school shopping, finally done I think! and doing a little work around the house...and of course some dancing and jumping. Fieldin and Greta were having fun saying "ready, set, go!"