Fall Fun

                             
 
This afternoon while Michael was at church, I took the kids to a pumpkin patch in Simi Valley.  Having driven by this particular pumpkin patch several times, it just looked like something the kids would enjoy.  In the past we always made a point to go to the pumpkin patch in downtown Rockwall, and they loved every minute of it.  So when I told the kids that we were going to go to a pumpkin patch, they were thrilled!

This particular pumpkin patch has lots of things to entertain the kids - petting zoo, bounce houses, slides, rides, and pumpkins.  Carson kicked off the fun with some jumping. . .

He was a little scared of jumping too high and was not about to attempt a flip.  I kept telling him to jump like he was at Tyler's house.  That made him smile.  

Calleigh took a turn on the "tea cups". . .

 

She is fearless!  She loves the fast rides, the high rides, the daring rides.  I think I have a little risk taker on my hands.  But her smile throughout the ride is worth a million bucks!

We left with pumpkins in hand and came home to paint our pumpkins and set them on the front porch.  In many ways this was very similar to our pumpkin patch/pumpkin painting tradition we started in Rockwall several years ago.  Regardless of the geography, it is still great fall fun!

Good Advertising

Setting:  Downstairs watching a movie while the children sleep peacefully upstairs.  Or so I thought.

Enter Carson

Andi:  What's up buddy?

Carson:  My toe hurts.  (he scraped it outside earlier this evening)

Andi:  Well, then, let's go upstairs and doctor it.

Carson:  Let's put Neosporin on it because the commercial says "Neosporin stops the pain and heals 4 days faster than any other medicine."

Now that is good advertising.  At least he listens and remembers something.  Maybe next time he'll remember to put his dirty clothes in the laundry hamper.  But wait.  There's not a commercial for that.  Oh well.

Rainy Day in Simi

All week the weather forecast has called for rain on Saturday.  And since it doesn't rain here very often, this is BIG news.  Kind of like when Dallas has a wintry weather mix with ice in the forecast and it consumes the headlines of the newspapers and every news broadcast.  Everyone is talking about the pending rain.  The L.A. Times mentions the "Early Fall Storm" heading our way.  Even the moms at school were full of conversation about the upcoming rain.  "You know it is going to rain on Saturday."  "Can you believe it is going to rain on Saturday?"  "The weather is calling for rain on Saturday!"  

And so we awoke this sleepy Saturday morning to none other than rain.  A slow every-now-and-then sprinkle is more like it.  But since there has been no precipitation of any kind since I've moved here, I'll joyfully take the little sprinkling of rain.  The mountains look stunning with rain clouds hanging low over the tops.  The air feels cool (high of only 67 degrees today).  The city seems to have come to a stop in awe of the rain.  It is good.  It is very good.

Carson's Letter

In Carson's class, they are learning the art of letter writing.  What follows is Carson's letter.  My reason for posting it is that I think in very simple terms, it wraps up what we are all feeling as a family as we adjust to our move.

Dear Nana and Papa,

It is great here.  I am having lots of fun.  But I miss you.  I wish I could come to your house on Mondays and Thursdays.  I have some friends and their names are Dane, Wytte, Roaman, Tanner, Andrew, Angel, Madason, Abby, Sara and Colin.  They are all very nice.  I miss you alot.

Love, Carson

Praises from a Songbird

Calleigh is my little songbird.  She constantly sings.  Her playtime is surrounded in song - sometimes a wonderfully creative made-up tune of her own and sometimes a song from church or God Rocks.  She even sings her conversations and prayers.  I guess she gets that last one from me.  I am always singing around the house and I firmly believe that simple conversation sounds so much more fun when it is said in song.  Regardless, she is my songbird and tonight she wanted to sing a song for me.  I couldn't resist pulling out the video camera simply for her outfit (notice the little pink tutu) and for the performance.  Little did I know what song she would choose.  Sweet, simple, praises.  Words of truth.  Words that are frequently sung by children yet are often lost in the fullness of their meaning by adulthood.  Thank you, Calleigh, for singing a song for me.  Thank you, God, for your sweet reminders through the innocence of a child.  

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Today was a glorious day at the beach.  It was an abundantly sunny, 80 degree day in Malibu.  The beach was not crowded.  The waves were mild.  The sea weed was minimal.  It was a great way to spend our day off from school relaxing with Celeste and Colin.  In the midst of playing in the sand and surf, several humorous things were said by the kids.  I want to pass along these sayings in hopes that you will smile as much as Celeste and I smiled.

Andi - You went out a little too far in the waves last time.  Please don't go out so far this time.

Carson - I go farther than that with Asher!  I've been to the next layer of the ocean!

Colin - I hear the Ice Cream Truck!  Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da (to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel)

Calleigh - Mom!  There's a sand crab in the bucket!  Wanna come see how whooje (huge in Calleigh-ese) it is?

Calleigh - Mom!  Colin shared his N and N's with me.  (that would be M&M's, my love)

Carson - I know a good joke if we were on a pirate ship.

Andi - Okay.  What is it?

Carson - If someone asks how things are on the ship, we'd say "ship shape!"  Isn't that funny?!

Andi - Yeah.  That would be a great joke.  IF you are on a pirate ship.

Colin - I know how to speak Spanish.  K comprendo!

Thank you Memi

Today the kids came home from a Monday at school and I knew they did not need to jump right into homework.  So, I thought we would do one of my favorite pastimes - bake!  

A little while back the kids each received from Memi a themed bag of cookie mix complete with cookie cutters and icing and sprinkles.  Carson's bag makes a couple dozen cookies resembling baseballs.  Calleigh's bag makes a couple dozen Princess cookies in the shape of stars and sprinkled with fairy dust.  The kids enjoyed baking, but mostly enjoyed eating the fruits of their labor.  So, Memi, this post is for you to say thank you for the afternoon fun.

Busy at work - rolling and cutting

 

The final result. . .pink cookies with pink icing, and shiny sprinkles.  Lots of laughs and tummies full of icing.  Yummy!