Pumpkin Carving Party

The rain held off for all of us to enjoy a fun filled day.  Chili, pumpkins, apples, chips, popcorn, country ham, Octoberfest Sam Adams, and a featured film!  I love this party, I love the excitement on the kids' faces when they scoop the gooey guts of the pumpkin, chase eachother in the leaves and while voting for the spookiest-goofiest-most creative-classic pumpkin! 

Preparations

I feel like I prepare for a lot of things and a lot of preparation seems to be involved in each one.  However, when the event takes place everything has gone well.  We have been preparing Mary Kate for a colonoscopy and endoscopy the last four days (not pretty) and yesterday was the big day.  All went well and our little girl is truly a fighter and one tough cookie.  Running on tip-toes to the surgery room, decorating her "sleepy mask" with stickers, wanting to run/walk to the car all by herself, eating a hamburger for dinner, nothing seemed to phase her.  Yesterday, as we were driving home after picking up Charlie from Mimi's and we were listening to the kids in the back seat arguing about how Patey is not big yet and she begged to differ.  We both laughed and N asked me if the thought ever occurred to me (knowing the risks of surgery and possibly the worst outcome of results) what would happen to Charlie if he lost his sister.  It sounds dark, but yes, the thought would occasionally creep up on me and then I would push it out of my head.  I told N that I have been praying a lot.  Putting my faith in God and my savior and giving them my worries.  I feel that I have learned to not ask God for anything, but to pray to him to bring me peace and the people I love peace in whatever comes our way.  I don't think he has control over what the outcome may be, but God can certainly take away fear, pain and suffering.  As far as the outcome for Patey Girl, swollen Lymphnodes that, at this point, are not abnormal.  We will slowly reintroduce dairy and Mama will make her a delicious-full-of-dairy Birthday Cake with ice cream on November 2nd!

Other preparations that have taken place...
Pumpkin Carving Party this Saturday (featuring, carving, Chili, Movie showing "Great Pumpkin  Charlie Brown", and bobbinng for apples)
Pirate bedroom decor for Captain Hook himself
Numerous assessments in Kindergarten for upcoming conferences ( can you sort by size, shape and color, then graph it?)
Patey turns 2, shopping at yard sales and thrift stores for gently used toys.  Found a great shopping cart for her down the street at a yard sale.  She is going to love it!

preparing for fall fires

Autumn Adventures

October Fest, Harper's Ferry, West Virginia

We stayed at a our friend's cottage just down the road.  Check out the webstie!

River Cottage

The Waterford Fair is a favorite for everyone!  Thank you Mimi for the gift of our timeless Silhouettes.  The kids loved being serenaded by two colonial musicians.  It was a beautiful day!

This past weekend, N and the kids went to see the Morvan Park Steeplechase.  A family tradition for years!  A brisk Autumn day, food and winnings.  I spent the day at Heidi's celebration of life memorial service.  I have never felt so blessed to be apart of a funeral.  Heidi spoke words through a written passage that confirmed and revived my faith in God. 

Perched on a Whim

A very special young girl lost her battle to cancer at 27.  Heidi fought for 7 long years but in the midst of her fight she found love for a husband, love for crafting and love for children.  Her blog was inspiring to me and many others.  Her smile was contagious and her style eccentric and unique to who she was.  I am so blessed to have known her for a very short time but only wish I could have come to know her better.  Her family and loved ones are hurting right now and my heart is so sad for them.  I am sure God is hearing a lot of WHY's right now.  So, my prayer for Heidi's family is to find peace and comfort in their hearts and know that they were so blessed to know an amazing young woman.  Heidi, may you rest in peace, craft in heaven and guide children from above. Please take a look at her blog "Perched on  a Whim" found on my side bar and see what a wonderful life Heidi had in this world!

Stealing

Just a few ideas I have been stealing from catalogues.  Fancy smancy catalogues that have items I will never be able to afford.  However, I can afford to steal their ideas and make them my own.  Check out these links of what is in store for the next few holidays!
A note from Santa

Autumn Fairy
The Autumn Fairy will hopefully happen.  If not this year, next year!

Happy October!  I love this month.  My sister Kelly's birthday, pumpkin carving party, soups, fall festivals!!

Save the soup, not the poop!

The past few days have hit me pretty hard. I could easily blog about all the bliss and joy I have had but in between all the bliss and joy there has been chaos in my life.

A lovely day in Kindergarten...soon over when we realize we are going on a field trip in less than two weeks and haven't sent a thing home SCRAMBLE, SCRAMBLE, SCRAMBLE! N says to go grocery shopping, he's got the kids. I have a brilliant idea to snag burritos from Moe's for dinner after the grocery store, so I can make this vege puree soup I have been dying to make for 3 weeks. I guess I just tried to do too much. This is what my evening looked and sounded like.


Kids talking, Mommy talking

Mommy, mommy you're home, yeah!!! Let's eat guys! What was your best of the day? Mommy cutting veges after veges while kids finish dinner. Daddy's mowing the lawn. I want to go outside! Cut veges, cut vege, cut some more veges. I want a snack, I want pretzels. More milk please Mommy. Mommy, there is a star in an apple. (Mommy was very excited that my boy new this). Let's make apple stamps with paint. Get paint out, stamp apples. Paint everywhere! Clean up paint. Cut veges, cut veges. Tub time. No Charlie, you need to take a bath with Patey. We don't have enough time. SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH. Mommy, Patey is splashing me! Saute veges, saute veges. Mommy, Mary Kate has POOP! Uuuuuugggghhhh!!! Patey, NO! You poopy on the potty! Get out of the tub, don't move, don't move! Uuuuuugggghhhh! Clean the tub. N, turn off the stove (soup). Scrub kids, scrub tub. Ready to lose it! Put TV show on for kids. Finish soup (almost, just need to puree). Rinse tub. Brush teeth, read stories, snuggle,  breathe and love my babes even when they poop in the tub.

I think I tried too much. I should have just not done another thing but chill after scrambling to get a field trip letter and information packet together. Lesson learned. Keep it simple!!! Save soup for the weekends.

Bluemont Fair

A beautiful Sunday morning was spent in Bluemont. Our visit began with a trip to the Art Gallery where our little man's perfect little turkey hung so proudly with a blue ribbon. A stop at the train depot was the highlight of the day! My three year old was like a ping pong ball watching these toy trains chug across a bridge, through tunnels, stop and load lumber and of course tooting a train whistle. We drug him out kicking and screaming (twice). His attention was diverted with fishing for books, making noodle "naked"laces, bowling and balloons. A great little fair that truly provided fun for the whole family. I splurged on an irresistable dress for my Patey girl, green beans and an annual shirt for N! Babes took a great nap (not without a fight from our pirate of course) and the day was beautiful!