Apple Fest

We decided to take one more trip to Linvilla for the Apple Festival. This is their biggest festival of the year. There were more vendors and activities going on.

 

There was no hayride this time (which Abby was pretty upset about). We just walked out into the orchard.

 

The girls were great helpers. We picked several different kinds of apples and they have all been delicious!

 

Showing off our haul. Abby couldn't wait to start eating. She ate two before we even got home.

They had a big set up of pumpkins too. I can't believe it's already that time of year!

This is called a long-neck pumpkin. You could do some serious cooking with these bad boys.

Sam tried on the Turk's Turban pumpkin.

 They had a cute area set up for a photo-op. As you can see, the girls were very cooperative. The third one is my favorite.

When it came to sampling goodies, they were much more cooperative. We got apple fritters (which I'm sad to say were kind of a flop), rainbow kettle corn (which also wasn't that good but Abby liked it) and cold apple cider (which was delicious).

 

We left the festival and went straight to the dental school picnic. It was a fun day--the perfect way to kick off the fall.

Quiet Time

A sad thing is happening in our home.

Abby is not napping most days.

She will usually lay in her bed fairly quietly for around an hour at which point she calls to me or emerges suddenly.

When this first started happening, I turned into an angry, demon-mom and told her she'd better go back to bed or else... (Empty, empty threats.)

During the past week or so, she has been pretty consistent with the no nap. I've been able to keep my cool (Go me!) and I tell her she can play quietly in her room until Clara wakes up. So far, this has gone over well. (However, she does have a tendency to hum while she is "playing quietly," which can be slightly irritating, particularly if a certain mom is trying to take a nap.)

I know I should count myself lucky that she is almost four and still napping. The fact of the matter is, she needs to nap some days. Ya know, like those days when she wakes up at 6 a.m. So, I will continue to lay her down every day with the hope that she'll find herself in dreamland. But, if not, I'll keep demon-mom at bay and embrace quiet time.

I knew this day was coming. I was just hoping it came when she started kindergarten.

Preschool

Today was Abby's first day of preschool. We are doing a swap with four other moms. We are meeting twice a week for two hours each day.

 

Abby didn't really know what to expect. She was mostly excited to use the pink construction paper in the giant pack I bought at Costco. She kept telling me the pink paper was just for her and Brooklyn.

 

 

These girls have been good buddies for the past three years. Brooklyn is the only little girl even close to Abby's age. The 8-month gap seems smaller as they get older.

 

Got to love a good painful-looking cheese.

I couldn't get a very good shot of all of the kids but I guess that's to be expected with 3 and 4 year olds.

I was the teacher for the first day and it went pretty well. The kids were great but the time went by slower than I anticipated. I'll have to plan more to do next time.

We started off the day with the pledge of allegiance. I must admit, I was worried I was saying the wrong words--it's been a while.

Next, we did calendar time. One of the moms, Laura, put together an adorable calendar so we can help the kids get a better sense of the days of the week, months, seasons, etc.

Then, we played a little get-to-know-you game where the kids threw each other the ball and answered questions about themselves.

We did a coloring activity where they were supposed to color a little person to look like them.

After that, we did some worksheets. This week, we decided to do some pre-writing exercises. From here on out, we will focus on a letter and number each day. We've decided to do our worksheets in sheet protectors with dry erase markers so the kids can take them home and practice.

The kids had a snack while I read them a few books and then we sang a few songs to get our wiggles out. At this point, a potty break was necessary.

Next, the kids used stickers to cover the first letter of their name.

We finished the day by going outside to run around and play.

I think the day was a success but I am totally exhausted.



Future Hairdresser?

Abby decided she needed to give me a hairstyle yesterday afternoon. As you can see, it was lovely. She called it "the spider." So, if you know anyone in the need of a fancy 'do, make sure they ask for "the spider." I'm sure it will be showing up in wedding photos and on the red carpet any day.

 

Photo Shoot

My parents asked for some new pictures of the girls so I took them outside before church to try and get some shots in. It was a somewhat successful endeavor. The pics are fun if not frameable.

 

I definitely got some cute ones of Abby. Now, if only she didn't have a nice forehead bruise.

 

We had to get some fun action shots--mostly in an attempt to get Clara to smile.

This is the best I could get of Clara. It's hard to get her to stay still and when I got her to stand there, she wouldn't stop sticking her tongue out.

I love this picture of Abby. I feel like it captures her true essence. (I know, deep right.)

This captures Clara pretty well. She is a spunky, vivacious little lady.

Abby wanted to take one of me and she told me to do a silly dance.

Here is Clara doing a silly dance.

I love Abby's smile in this one but not so much the scenery.

Saturday at the Playground

We had a fun morning at the Smith Playhouse yesterday. The outdoor playground will close in a couple of weeks and our weekends are booking up fast so we thought we'd better get some fun in.

 

We had to take several rides down the big slide, of course. Abby wasn't so brave without a partner in crime but she eventually went down by herself.

 

It was pretty muggy out so the girls got pretty sweaty. Thankfully there was quite a bit of shade and an occasional breeze.

Last time we went to the Playhouse, Clara was just starting to walk. Now, there is no stopping her.

Daddy was so proud of his rock climbing beauties.

Fun With Daddy

When we go to the mall, Sam usually takes the girls to the play place while I shop. It makes for a more enjoyable mall experience for all involved.

 

 

Clara was much better behaved when Abby brushed her teeth. She's quite the fighter otherwise.

We got to take our first trip to the pool with daddy. It was nice to just sit on the side while he played with the girls.

Abby rocking her Ernie tattoo.

Daddy did a cool Pinterest science experiment with the girls while I was out one night.

The girls got to ride the carousel at the mall, which is an extra special treat. I'm definitely getting old because I had to sit down to keep from passing out.