Fall Bucket List: Witchfest

Next up on our (didn't actually get written down) fall bucket list: Witchfest at Gardner Village!

 

This is an event Gardner Village does every year and I always think to myself that it'd be fun to go but we never do. Well, this year the kids and I finally did!

 

Gardner Village decorates with all these crazy witches everywhere.  You can also do a scavenger hunt to find different ones and get a discount on cookies while there. So of course, we did!

 

We picked up a friend - Angelle, and caravaned down with Ashley, her mom (who was visiting from out of town) and kiddos, and Felicia and Annabelle. I love my neighbors!

 

The kids liked finding the different witches and just walking around.  There were so many people there! We went on the first day of the UEA break and I guess everyone else thought it'd be a good time to go too.

 

This witch and the ones below were my favorite.  There's a pitcher, batter, and catcher.

 

Lucy pretending to bat! :)

 

And of course, we had to get ourselves a yummy cookie before heading home!

 

Oh, and here's proof Eliza came along for the trip too! :)

Fall Bucket List: Applesauce

 Next up on our (non-existent) fall bucket list: Applesauce!

 

My friend and neighbor has this super cool applesauce maker that was her families when she was growing up. It's super easy to use and the kids had fun helping out.

 

 All you do is wash the apples, halve them, cook them a bit and then stick them in this wonderful contraption.

 

You stuff them down the funnel and crank the handle.  The cores, skin, and gunk go out one side and wonderful applesauce comes out the chute! :)

Fall Bucket List: Pumpkin Patch!

 We've crossed off a bunch of fall bucket list items this year without even having a bucket list! The first? A trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

This year I am doing Joy School for Sammy with a few ladies in my neighborhood, just like I did when Lucy was 3. Our first field trip was to Peterson Family Farms for a visit to the pumpkin patch.

 

 It was a lot of fun! This was something new. It was a big pit of dried corn. 

 

 Everyone was able to climb in it, get buried in it, and make "corn angels!'

 

 It was about the same size as our sandbox and was surprisingly deep.

 

 Next they took us on a hayride through the pumpkins.

 

 Lucy was excited she has afternoon kindergarten now because it meant she got to come along.  A few of her buddies did too, including another Lucy! Spencer was home sick this day too which meant Eliza stayed home with him - that was super nice too!

 

 After the hayride, the kids picked through the pumpkins to find a smallish one to take home.

 

 "Is this the same size as my head?"

 

 There were also tractors to explore, climb on, and have your picture taken with.

 

 Sammy was too busy playing to give me a smile. :)

 

 Here are all the (mobile) kids that came with us. We have a really great neighborhood!

 

And the best shot I could get of the two of them.  They were a bit tired of the camera at this point!

Eliza's 4 Months Old!

This "little" munchkin is 4 months old! I use the word little lightly as she is quite the chunkster!

Eliza has started becoming more and more alert. She loves interacting and being around us.  Her favorite thing is when we just look at and talk with her.

One of my favorite things she does right now is something I call the "full body smile." When she's got your attention and she's super happy about it, she'll grin from ear to ear and wiggle with her whole body. It's adorable!

 

Her big sister is still in love with her. She's a big help.

 

She is still a great sleeper and has developed a pretty predictable routine.  She'll take a short nap in the morning - maybe an hour long, and then a long one (3+ hours) in the afternoon.  Bedtime is usually between 8-9.

 

At her 4 month appointment, Eliza weighed 16 lbs. 12 oz (96%) and was 25 inches long. The doctor said she is a perfect example of a healthy baby. You can definitely tell she's not lacking for food! :)

 

A couple of teeth (the vampire ones) and pushing on her gums, but not poking through yet.

 

She's also getting lots stronger - holding her head up is a breeze and she's been working on strengthening her legs too.