Should we carve our pumpkins?

It took a long time for us to get to carving our pumpkins, but we finally did today. It was a great way to celebrate Halloween on the actual holiday. This year Leah wanted to paint her pumpkin and Elizabeth liked that idea too. Instead of using paint they colored with Sharpie markers. Tim and I still carved some pumpkins and displayed them outside tonight. They didn't stay Jack-o-lanterns very long because the wind kept blowing them out. Oh well, we still enjoyed carving out memories together.

Did you enjoy the Fall Festival?

Great Lakes held the annual Fall Festival tonight and it was a big event. With lots of games and small candy prizes the girls were definitely entertained. Some of the favorite activities were the ring toss, Bingo, and musical chairs. We were unlucky with winning any of the big raffle prizes, but Leah was fortunate to win the first time she did the cake walk. She chose to bring home some yummy pumpkin cupcakes. It was fun for the whole family!

How do you practice patience?

For the entire month of October our family has been practicing patience. As a culminating project for the month we created a patience pinata. It took 5 days to complete and helped reinforce the need to be patient. This afternoon the girls tried to patiently wait their turn at bat. Their days of practicing patience was finally awarded with a Halloween flashlight and candy corn kisses inside the ghostly pinata.

How did your school picture turn out?

Leah came home with her school picture today. The photographer captured her personality well. It's hard to believe that she is in 1st grade!

Where are all the leaves?

I am amazed at how fast the leaves have changed and then fallen from the trees. Just last week I took a shot of the tree in front of our house and I'm so glad that I did. The picture I took today shows how bare it has become. Unfortunately, the recent wind and rain shortened the amount of time to enjoy the colors. Every fall I wish that I could take a color tour (out East preferably), but it never happens. Maybe next year?

Do you want to see my school picture?

Elizabeth came home today with her preschool pictures. I think that the photographer captured her personality well. I am so amazed at how old she looks!

When will Daddy be home?

Elizabeth has been working on being patient this week. Every day since Wednesday she has asked me when Tim would be home. This morning I was finally able to tell her that he would be home today. This afternoon Tim returned from a trip to South Dakota where he went pheasant hunting. It was a successful trip and we are all glad to have him home!

Have you ever met the Berenstain Bears?

This morning I took Leah and Elizabeth to Woodland Mall for the grand opening of Barnes & Noble. There we met Brother and Sister Bear during the store's story time. Afterward I was able to get a free hot chocolate and cookie at the cafe for each of them. Then we went upstairs to the children's section so both could pick out her own book. Leah found a story from the Puppy Place chapter book series and Elizabeth grabbed a nonfiction book on sharks. It was a fun time!

Who is your hero?

With the dark, windy, and cold weather tonight was the perfect night to be inside and unwind from the week's activities. The girls and I enjoyed watching a Veggie Tales movie, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. They first saw the movie with their cousins and my parents in the theater. The main message focuses on how anyone can be heroes by doing the right thing. When I asked the girls who their hero was Leah said her teacher and Elizabeth said firefighters.

How long is that train?

On our way home from school this afternoon Leah and Elizabeth requested to take one of our shortcuts. After we went down a hill and rounded a corner we came upon the front engine of a very long freight train. It was crossing the road ahead of us just a little over a mile and a half away from our house. Leah immediately apologized for requesting the route change while Elizabeth (who loves Thomas the Train) expressed her excitement. I very calmly put the car in park to prepare for our wait. In the more than 8 years of living in this area I cannot think of a time I was stopped by a train at that particular place. We sat for almost 15 minutes and watched the boxcars slowly move along the tracks. The girls behaved so well and it was the perfect lesson for this month as we learn to practice patience!

Are you a risk taker?

I took the afternoon off of work to attend Leah's field trip to DeGraaf Nature Center. One of my least favorite things to do as a teacher is to go on field trips because of all the unpredictability. As a mom it is much more fun. Instead of being in charge of more than 20 students typically I'm responsible for only 3 or 4. Today I had a group of 2 boys and 2 girls for the nature walk of our trip. The weather was perfect for finding animals like turtles and caterpillars. Before leaving the center Leah was a risk taker and touched the largest species of cockroaches in North America. She is getting closer to overcoming her fear of bugs...almost.

Which pumpkin did you pick?

This afternoon our family went to Post Family Farm. We had a bumpy and hay filled ride in a wagon to the pumpkin patch to pick out our 7 pumpkins. Other highlights from our visit include pony rides ($2 for 2 short laps) and a short trip on the pumpkin train. Of course we couldn't leave without buying a half dozen pumpkin donuts. How tasty!

Did you see a lot of animals?

Today I joined Elizabeth's preschool class on a trip to the Critter Barn in Zeeland. It was a bit brisk, but we both enjoyed ourselves. We were able to see cows, donkeys, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, cats, bunnies, sheep, and a horse. On our way out of the parking area Elizabeth was sad to leave. As we passed the goats she shouted good-bye to them and then held her hands up to go down the big driveway. The entire ride home she tried to recite all the animals we saw in order. It was another memorable experience.

Are you thinking pink?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In recognition of the event, my favorite photography blog is challenging photographers to submit pink photos tomorrow and Tuesday. I've wanted to enter one of their contests for awhile so I would love to post a new photo if I get the chance. After all, it's not uncommon for our family to have an entire load of pink laundry. Just in case I don't get around to entering the contest these past pink photos will be my reminder to think pink!

How was the crop?

I spent the day cropping with a small group of ladies. The majority of the time I worked on the digital scrapbook that I am creating for my family this year. Although I'm far from being done, I did make some progress. I played around with the cover page shown above. I'll probably make changes to it before printing it but it is a start. I'm looking forward to having the book complete by the end of the year!

Where are the wild things?

This afternoon I took Leah and a friend to see the movie Where the Wild Things Are. It was opening day and the movie theater was packed. After paying matinee prices (still too expensive) and slushes at $4.50 a crack, I left the place wondering what I had just spent my money on. The movie was odd to say the least and scary at best. The 10 foot tall creatures that the main character, Max, escapes to rule over as king were more than just wild. They were monsters with bad attitudes and dirty mouths, literally. I don't get to the movies very often and aside from the high prices most of the time it is because there isn't much worth seeing. I was hoping that a film based on a children's book would be safe. Now I am kicking myself for not researching it better and at the same time thankful that I didn't take Elizabeth along. My prayer is that Leah does not have nightmares after wondering what crazy wild things there are in the real world.

How is my child doing in school?

This week I spent a lot of time in preparation for parent-teacher conferences. Every fall and spring I get a chance to sit down and talk with moms and dads and share with them how their child is doing in school. For so long I would get a knot in my stomach because I was nervous about what they might say. However, after years of conferences I no longer worry about my meetings. Maybe it is because I've done so many. I think mostly it is because now that I'm older than the majority of the parents and a parent myself I can relate better to them. I was actually more nervous to attend Leah's conference to find out how she is doing. Her meeting was the last of 27 that I attended. Even though I am able to gets bits and pieces from her teacher because he is just down the hall from me, it was nice to hear from him how well she is doing. I am so proud of my little 1st grader!

What bears are you going to decorate with this month?

I'm not one to buy a lot of home decor, but I l do like to decorate for the holidays. My home is not decked out completely. In fact, the only thing I do end up totally decorating is the table near the entryway of our house. My collection of Boyds Bears is usually the main showcase and this month is one of my favorites.

Do you know what happened here?

My daughters love to paint! They have a blast whenever they can convince me to get out all of the materials and deal with the mess. I wish I could say that they paint all the time, but it is such a process that often I'll tell them to chose something else instead. I love art and am constantly checking out new products at craft stores like Michaels. So when I came across Crayola's paint brush pens I couldn't resist buying them. The paint was already in the pen and it seemed virtually mess free. The best part was that they were waterproof. I was excited to show the pens to Leah and Elizabeth and check out how they worked. To my surprise they were great!

This morning I had both girls home with me. Leah is getting over strep and I kept Elizabeth home instead of sending her to daycare. Before lunch both girls drew me beautiful pictures with the paint brush pens. After our meal I asked Elizabeth to clean up downstairs while I picked up the kitchen and Leah went to bed. When I got downstairs I noticed a large black mark toward the bottom of the wall. In the past Elizabeth has been known to draw on things other than paper so I questioned her about the mark. This is the conversation that we had:

"Do you know what happened here?"

"Hmm, let me see. Oh, Mommy. What color does purple and green make?"

"Black."

"I think Leah did that while you were sleeping."

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"I'm totally serious."

"If I go ask Leah if she made the mark what will she say?"

"What happens if I'm lying to you?"

"Are you lying to me?"

"Yes, I'm sorry Mommy. I'll go to bed now."

By the way, the markers are NOT waterproof on walls. UGH!

Where would you escape to?

I found another meme on a friend's blog. With the colder weather and the strep throat virus hanging around my house, a getaway sounds great!

Great Escape Meme

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be?

I'm in the mood to travel to Norway.

2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car?

Anything from Daughtry. I don't think he's appropriate for the girls, but I enjoy his music.

3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do?

I would go shopping in New York City.

4. What is your guilty pleasure?

Eating chocolate

5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home?

Switzerland

6. Last book that you couldn't put down?

The Shack

7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch?

The Man From Snowy River

8. What is your favorite local escape?

The beach at Lake Michigan

9. How do you escape on a budget?

Backpacking in the woods..all you pay for is food and a campsite

10. Best food you've ever had while on vacation.

Steak at White Stag, a restaurant in the northern woods of Wisconsin

Are you fearful of the swine flu?

For many reasons neither Tim nor I have ever received a flu shot. Because we haven't made it a priority ourselves, it hasn't been a priority for our daughters. With the recent H1N1 scare it makes me wonder if we should get Leah and Elizabeth vaccinated. Especially after last night when we woke up in the early hours several times to Leah crying and complaining that her throat hurt. This morning her temperature was near 103, but has since gone down. She will be staying home from school tomorrow so that she can completely recover and if need be go to the doctor to get checked out. I'm praying that the rest of our family stays healthy and that she doesn't have the swine flu!

Did you get a chance to see ArtPrize?

Today was the last day to tour the city of Grand Rapids and check out all of the awesome entries into this year's ArtPrize competition. So right after my graduate class I walked along the river on the bridge to see a few of the entries. It was cold and windy and I didn't have much time, but I was able to see Nessie in the water and the gigantic table and chairs up on top of the bridge. I wish I would have had the chance to see the amazing painting that won the $250,000 prize. That one was Tim's favorite!

What have you been doing since college?

Tonight I spent the night in Holland with some of my friends to celebrate Hope College's homecoming. It was fun to see people I haven't seen in years and to catch up on what has been happening in their lives. It is hard to believe that I have been gone from college for so long. I have wonderful memories of my time at Hope!

Are you a procrastinator?

Few things bother me. I get irritated when people don't use their blinker while driving and then stop abruptly in front of me. I also can't stand it when people talk with food in their mouth. However, the thing that bothers me the most is when people put off doing things that could be done in a reasonable amount of time. Lately I have found myself procrastinating on certain things and it has been driving me crazy! For example, I have thank you cards for Elizabeth's birthday all written, but I haven't mailed them yet. It shouldn't be that hard to write addresses, put stamps and return address labels on the envelopes, and put them in the mail. Yet for some reason (almost 6 weeks later) it has been very difficult. In fact, I am even procrastinating as I type this. Hopefully my procrastinating won't get the best of me tonight as I begin to type a 5 page research paper that is due Saturday. Ahh!

Was it windy where you live?

I am amazed at how different the weather can be along the lakeshore compared to places just a few miles inland. The temperatures tend to be cooler and the conditions are sometimes more extreme when coming from the west off of the lake. Last night there were wind gusts reported to be near 60 miles an hour just north of our house. Apparently I was tired enough to sleep through the thrashing of leaves and swirling winds. When I woke up this morning Tim informed me we had lost power at two separate occasions and that a tree had fallen on top of our swing set. I guess it is time to get the chainsaw out again, ugh!

Can I do some chores?

While I made dinner tonight Leah asked if she could do the chores that she assigned herself yesterday. I love the fact that she wanted to help out and I praised her for making the suggestion herself. Unfortunately what was an innocent desire to help quickly turned to worry, then sadness, and finally frustration. First, as Leah was cleaning the windows one of the decorative slats came off. After that I found her using a liquid cleaner (not designed for wood) on our dining room table. Changing jobs, Leah proceeded to sweep the kitchen floor sparking an interest in Elizabeth. Because the broom was being used Elizabeth grabbed a feather duster to help dust. Ironically, Leah did not want to have her sister help out so she told Elizabeth to stop cleaning. That caused a huge uproar between the two of them. I feel bad that Elizabeth only got to clean the doorknobs before the confrontation. Hopefully next time Leah will be more willing to have her sister help her out too.

Have you seen my monkey?

Elizabeth came home today with a Webkinz Jr. monkey. Tim's mom bought it for her as a friend to snuggle with during nap time at her house. Right now it is on "vacation" until it returns to its real home on Wednesday. Such a silly monkey!

Did you find her?

Last night after work Tim drove north to his dad's property to go bow hunting. Just before dusk he spotted a doe near his tree stand and took a shot. When he went to track the deer down the darkness combined with the wet leaves kept him from finding her. Still dejected this morning, Tim made the long trek back to the woods to try again to locate her in the daylight. To his dismay and the doe's delight he came home empty handed.

How do you spell fun?

R-A-I-N. This afternoon while Elizabeth took a nap Leah had a blast splashing in the downpour. I could hear her as she walked around spelling F-U-N over and over again. Such a silly girl!

Where will the 2016 Olympics be held?

It was a bummer to hear that the city of Chicago lost the bid to host the 2016 summer Olympics. I had already planned to make the short trip back "home" to attend the gymnastics and swimming events. Maybe I'll just have to schedule vacation plans to Rio instead.

Did you see the spider and the pumpkin?

There is a neat little market between our house and school. Last year the farmer who owns the property created a spider and pumpkin made out of hay. Each day as Leah, Elizabeth and I would drive passed the site the girls would comment about them. Even a few weeks ago Elizabeth asked when we would see them again. Naturally when Leah and I approached the market yesterday we were excited to find that the spider and pumpkin had returned. Before heading to school this morning I grabbed my camera so we could snag a photo on our way home. The lady at the market was so friendly. We collected 5 free mini pumpkins (3 that were painted by her daughters) and a half gallon of apple cider. She told us to return and take as many pictures as we wanted. Now we'll be looking for our hay friends everyday for the rest of October!