Pumpkin Patch 2012 (Part II)

Happy Halloween!

While we are busy snacking on candy corn and getting our costumes ready, I thought I would share our photos from the Pumpkin Patch field trip last Friday.

We went to a nearby camp, and we got to tour the property with various counselors.  Our first counselor provided a nature tutorial where she shared various facts about nature.  Below you will see that Gracie and Lauren are handling a coyote pelt.  I couldn't believe they touched the fur, but Gracie gamely picked up the pelt and passed it Lauren for further handling.  They also handled a coyote skull, a box turtle shell and some other odds and ends.  They declined to touch the live turtle. 

 

They also visited the camp's rabbits and got to pet Ellie Mae (below). 

Gracie wanted to wear her panda ears headband for the trip, and we agreed that panda ears are definitely appropriate for a field trip.

Next we went to the S'mores station. 

We have some issues with fire.  Gracie previously went to Stix, where she was seated at the hibachi table, and that experience did not go well (we're looking at you, Grammie).  We have taken some baby steps toward being unafraid of fire, but Gracie still panics at even the mention of the word. When the camp counselor told the group to tuck in their shirts and checked to make sure every one's long hair was secured (so they wouldn't catch fire), Gracie's nerves were on end.  The final straw came when the counselor misspoke and said, "The children will line up and come one at a time to get in the fire," she lost it.  The counselor meant to say "line up to get near the fire". 

They dug deep and got up their courage to roast marshmallows, and then they made their own S'mores.  Lauren's was sans chocolate, of course. 

After S'mores, we went on a hayride.  Personally, I'm never really sure what to do on a hayride, but we road around for a few minutes while the children threw hay at one another. 

Then we went to the pumpkin patch where we heard a Halloween story and then picked out our pumpkins. 

They picked good ones, and I got one for George. 

After schlepping the pumpkins back to the bus (they carried their own the entire way), we had a picnic lunch, played on the playground, and then boarded the bus for the return trip. 

Happy Halloween, and be careful with your celebrations!

A Letter to George

Dear William George,

We love you dearly, and you are a treasured member of our family. 

Please stop tossing our possessions into the toilets.  Your sisters' headbands do not belong there, and they are upset about the four or five headbands you have disposed of in this manner.  I won't even address all of their other belongings you have dunked, about which they remain blissfully unaware.  Also, daddy was not happy to find his iPad screen cleaner in the toilet either.  You should know that saying "Uh-oh" hardly mitigates the damage. 

(Mommy here... I thank you profusely for not tossing any of my things so far.)

We appreciate your cooperation. 

Love always,

Your Family

(PS:  Really, thanks for not destroying mommy's belongings.  Let's keep up the good record, yes?) 

Enumerated Update

How was your weekend?

Here's where we are:

1) Pumpkin Patch,Redux: I went with the duo's Kindergarten class to the Pumpkin Patch Friday. This was a new locale for us, as this Pumpkin Patch is held at a local camp, presumably a day and/or overnight camp right outside of our city. An update will be forthcoming, but in the meantime I leave you with these thoughts: a) School buses are not air conditioned and b) I have no idea how school bus drivers can do what they do every day without benefit of a flask.

2) Meanness: The other day Gracie offhandedly announced, “Mrs. X is mean to me.” When asked for details, she explained, “She always tells me what to do, and she says 'rule 3, rule 4, rule 5.'”

Yeah. I never like that either.

3) Commonality: What do Target, the Apple Store and JCPenney have in common? Ron Johnson. Johnson served as VP of Merchandising at Target. He then served as SVP of Retail Operations at Apple, Inc., where he helped develop the model of the Apple store (along with Jobs) and coined the term Genius Bar. For his efforts, he reportedly earned $700M during his tenure. JCP lured him from Apple with the position of CEO. Shortly after he took the helm, Skip and I walked through a JCP at one of our local malls, and we were quoting Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman when she said, “BIG mistake. HUGE!” And then made her exit to go shop elsewhere.

A few months later, in desperation, I went to our local JCP,newer, freestanding location, in search of a dress for upcoming photos of the girls. The children's department was impressive. After looking everywhere else, I found a perfect special occasion dress very reasonably priced.

To date Johnson's influence is felt more in the newer locations. The marketing strategy has been overhauled, and the brands with whom they are partnering (i.e., Monet, Betsyville, Izod, etc.) are a step up for JCP. They have implemented a pricing structure that is not insulting. For example, prices are set in whole values, e.g., $30 v. $29.99. Unfortunately, this strategy may be too little too late, as the JCP brand was so severely tarnished that even the extreme resuscitative measures may not be enough to save the dying brand. But, I am pulling for them to survive. The latest marketing strategy? Free hair cuts to children for a limited time. If you are skeptical of free hair styling, they are also luring you into their stores with a free 8x10 (and a digital print) in their portrait studio. Both offers are clever.

In full disclosure, I have only given the women's line a cursory glance, but I am impressed with the men's and children's departments.

4) Virtuosos:  The duo are taking piano lessons again this year. Their classes are at 3:30 and 4:00. A fellow student also has a lesson, right across the hall, at 3:30. This guy is probably in the 11-13 year old range, and when I first saw him last year I knew immediately that he would be talented. At the recital, he clearly was the star of the show, outshining students who are 5-6 years older.

Last week Gracie took the 3:30 slot while Lauren did homework in the next room. We could hear the virtuoso playing a classical piece. Lauren got very quiet and asked, “Is that Gracie playing???”

5) Lincoln: My nerdy husband alerted me to Spielberg's new movie, starring Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln. We are counting down the days until it opens.

What is happening with you? What do you have going on this week?

Afternoons

Now that the school schedule is deeply entrenched, we have a solid routine of taking a quick rest after school (except on Wednesdays) and then getting up refreshed.  Once we have had a siesta, they grab pens and notebooks and start playing school.  Their student, William George, is developing his fine motor skills by learning to use writing utensils at an early age. 

I fear for my walls.

Daily Photo

Bicycling

Our weekend plans are loose, but we know we will likely spend some time riding bicycles. 

Everyone enjoys going for a spin...

...and everyone enjoys a nice ride. 

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Friday's Quote

Salzkammergut on Heritage

Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.

-Albert Einstein

Tooth Fairy

When Gracie lost her first tooth, she was calm about the entire experience, but understandably excited about the tooth fairy.  Lauren, on the other hand, threw herself to the ground and cried about the unfairness of Gracie losing a tooth first.  Needless to say, when Gracie recently lost her second tooth, Lauren really began feeling slighted by the Tooth Fairy and her arbitrary decisions about who loses teeth and, even more importantly, to Lauren at least, who does not. 

Our solution probably puts us in line to be labeled "worst parents ever," but we have had to offer a compromise to all involved.  When a tooth is lost at our house, everyone writes a note to the Tooth Fairy, and those notes are left on the coffee table.  (We are still not comfortable with the Fairy coming into our rooms while we sleep.)  The Fairy responds to the notes and leaves a little money behind for everyone.  (Believe me, I know.  This policy has been tough on my frugal nature, but the Fairy cannot bear the thought of tears.)

Look at those happy faces!  That Tooth Fairy is some peace keeper. 

Happy Birthday to Skip

Today is Skip's birthday.  Please join me in wishing him a happy day and the very best year yet. 

 

(Image source:  Unknown)

Pumpkin Patch, 2012

 

 

We went to the pumpkin patch this past Saturday.  This marked George's first trip, and we were unsure how he would do. 

 

He did better than expected and enjoyed strolling and running around.

 

 

The duo, of course, are old pros.  They enjoyed the jumpers, as well as all the sights and sounds. 

 

They even took a quick horseback ride. 

And then everyone joined in for some singing and dancing.  George had his patriotism on display and was working the crowd for votes.

George for President, 2052

 

The duo and I will return to the pumpkin patch Friday for a class field trip, but we sure had a blast there as a family. 

Farewell to Swimming

A few weeks ago, we took our last trip to the pool.  Even then, the pool was chilly, and we knew that would be one of our last visits. 

George has enjoyed his time in the water.  Next summer, we imagine he will be doing cannonballs off the diving board.  Therefore, getting these images posted will help us remember how he used to calmly walk around in the water. 

 

...and we are hopeful the duo will be swimming laps. 

 

Adios, pool.

Giraffe Cam

The Greenville Zoo is anxiously awaiting the arrival of its newest resident -- a giraffe calf.  We are granted a peak at Autumn, as she awaits arrival, via web cam.  (Click here for link.)

Updated:  The calf has arrived!

Enumerated Update

How was your weekend? 

Here is our summary:

1)  My niece's school's team had an away game this week.  Since traveling with three small children, sitting at a game and then traveling some more can be dicey, we stayed home Friday night and had a "bubble party" on the deck.  What is a bubble party, you might ask?  We pulled out the bubble machine Gracie requested for her birthday and showered the deck and yard with bubbles.  This is not the bubble machine you pick up at Target, dear friends.  This is a party grade bubble machine procured from Amazon.com.  We also have clownfish bubble guns, but I cannot recommend those, as one of them has all but shattered after a couple of drops to the floor.  The housing is a very weird grade of plastic courtesy of our friends in China.  The bubble machine cord also contains a warning that exposure may cause cancer. 

We opted for battery power instead. 

2)  Speaking of manufacturing, I recently noticed that one of William George's Nerf footballs was made in the United States.  I caught myself showing the stamp, "Made in USA," to the girls. 

3)  I have avoided sharing this next bit of news with you, preferring to let you imagine a perfect world in which toddlers never have tantrums.  I have alluded in the past about George's temper.  While the truth is that George was the sweetest infant ever, we realized he had some anger issues as soon as he was able to move about.  He gets frustrated easily, and let's not forget that he has two sisters, one of whom thinks (wrongly) she can manipulate his every move.  Things have devolved.  Unfortunately, I have the unpleasant task of informing you that George may be hitting the terrible two's early.  He has a crazy temper.  The debate in the family is whether he gets his temper from Skip or from me.  My theory is that he must be channeling the tempers of all relatives -- as well as all of his ancestors -- creating some type of exponential temper creation. 

Last week at the pediatrician's office I was standing in line to make a follow up appointment.  I was holding George, who was screaming, hitting and pulling my hair.  A fellow mom leaned forward and said, "It gets better; I promise." 

"I have six year old twins," I responded -- meaning that I am aware that it will get better in some ways, but that I'm also acutely aware that these factory settings, i.e., temperament, do not change. 

If you see me, I will be the mom with the screaming toddler strapped in the stroller, as I am not a fan of the hitting/hair pulling. 

Also, I may as well prepare you for this now:  Do not be shocked to see that we have deployed a leash.  We have had multiple people ask if we have considered using one.  We aren't ready for that step yet, but we can honestly see that it might be needed at some point. 

4)  We are currently searching for a new kitchen table to accommodate six people.  Because of our space limitations (we have a breakfast nook-type area), this search is taking a while.  Finding a small-ish, high-quality (it will need to withstand some abuse) table is proving difficult.  Pottery Barn has a table they describe as "perfect" for small spaces, but we all know that PB tends to have oversized furniture.  We stopped by the store and saw many substantial looking tables, but nothing for a small space. 

My search has also taken me to Craig's List and that has been a source of amusement.  Because people are unloading formal dining room suites left and right, finding a great on dining room furniture would be a snap.  A kitchen table?  Not as easy.  Whenever someone lists their furniture as "Pottery Barn-like" or "Restoration Hardware-like"?  It never is.  Not even close. 

5)  Skip's birthday is Wednesday.  He refuses to give any hints about what he might like as a gift, but also keeps reminding us how many shopping days remain.  He's funny like that. 

And that's where we are. 

What is happening with you?

Daily Photo

WGL

Daily Photo

Daily Photo

 

The trio

Senior Night

 

As mentioned previously, we have enjoyed attending Lexy's Friday night game, and have especially enjoyed seeing her lead the school's band.  This past Friday night was "senior night," a celebration designed to recognize students who will be leaving at the end of the year.  James (my brother) and Melinda (my sister-in-law) were beyond proud to escort Lexy onto the field. 

 

Father and daughter:

 

 

The senior and her proud parents:

 

Mom and daughter:

After the pre-game recognition, the team had a challenging game on its hands.  In addition to being a close game (that they ultimately won), the experience is considerably more fun because I have three cousins who play as starters. 

 

Lexy, on the other hand, waits patiently for the second quarter to wrap:

Leading the band with proud parents close by:

This was the last home game, and I'm sure it will be memorable for years to come:

After the show, we got to visit and play:

These girls love their Uncle James:

 

And they love the whole Friday night scene:

 

So... where was William George during all of these activities? 

 

He was running around like the Crash Bandicoot that he is.  We kept having to close the gate to the field because he wanted to charge the field, and I was certain he would make it to the end zone.  Here he is screaming and shaking the gate, attempting to shake it open.  He becomes very angry whenever his movement is restricted.

 

He did wish Lexy his best, but then insisted on running around like a lunatic some more. 

 

We have so enjoyed watching the culmination of Lexy's many years of work with the band and will miss these Friday night outings.  And, I'm sure she will miss them much more than any of us.  We are incredibly proud of our talented Alexandria and wish her many continued opportunities to showcase her musical talents.