Fall Snaps

Crisp days, crunchy leaves, cooler nights, soccer games... leads my mind to wander to a time when I was 39 weeks pregnant with Z. I had some spotting, it was my first pregnancy, I called the hospital. They told me I better come in and get checked. I had lost my mucus plug. That is where the spotting came from. I was dilating and having contractions but they were sporadic and irregular. "Walk around the hospital and see if the contractions get stronger." So I walked. Forget that. Nothing changed. I wanted to go home. So they let me go.

We went to a soccer game. Then we went to the movie store and rented something, I don't remember what. Then we went to bed. I couldn't sleep. The contractions were getting stronger and I had to sit up with each one. They were about seven minutes apart. I would lay down and close my eyes. Then I would bolt upright with each contraction. When they were five minutes apart and I couldn't stand the intensity of the contractions I woke DH. At around 2 am I got admitted again to the hospital. The nurses said, "We have been waiting for you to come back." Let me tell you, they knew a lot more about what was going to happen to me than I did. I wondered how they knew I would be back that night? I was young, innocent, and didn't have a clue!

We went to an Indiana University vs. Penn State game over the weekend. The IU team won 1-0. They are the only undefeated team in their league. The girls collected fall treasures from the ground. That my mind to wander to this weeks activities:

Monday:Have someone read a story to you. Tell what you would do if you were in the story.

Tuesday: Name ten words that start with P.

Wednesday: Tell three safety tips for trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Thursday: Say the names of all the people in your family.

Friday: Draw a picture of yourself in a favorite costume.

Witty

Lulu has a very funny sense of humor. She has been long overshadowed by her older sister who seems to think it a crime if there is a moment of silence. Even with the stiff competition Lulu seems to know that she has to make every comment count. Her witty sense gets us all laughing, so hard sometimes, we get tears in our eyes.



Looking into my cereal bowl she noticed my chopped bananas sitting on my corn flakes and said, "Your banana is at the park in the leaf pile."



In the backseat of the car I heard, "Fishy Fishy in the brook Daddy caught him with a hook, Mommy fried him in a pan, and baby ate him like a baby... That's what it says in my fishy book."



"I wish our car would fly like an airplane."



Lulu brought me my bra held it up and requested, "I want you to put this on and see if you look like a mermaid."

Here is my favorite drawing from Z this week. A duck wearing a crown, necklace, and cape; taped onto the back, in matching purple with red hearts. I really wish I could show you the three dimensional view. Much cooler than this one sided scan. Look closely and you can see the wispy eyelashes.

Gratitude Week

#41 If you had a magic carpet RIGHT NOW... where would you ask it to go?

That all depends if I don't fall off on the way... especially since I will be flying over the ocean to Australia. When I was a little girl my grandfather went there on a trip and brought back a stuffed koala bear. We sat in the dark watching his slide show. I would love to visit someday. So I am dreaming I could have a magic carpet.

#42: A Grateful Week: Be more grateful this week for the little things.
I went to see my sister last week and she had a present wrapped in delicious paper with a huge bow. I opened it to find a willow tree statue. It was entitled "Chrysalis: Protect and cherish; give wings to fly." I am grateful she is my sister. What a special surprise.
I married someone with integrity. Working as a door to door sale's man one summer he told me of the selling gimmicks others where using to make sales. He refused to participate. My husband is someone who has that wonderful characteristic.
Exercise is important for a healthy heart. PBS is running a series about heart disease and it motivates me to get my daily exercise.

Five Activities for Young Children

Monday: Collect as many different colored leaves as you can.

Tuesday: Finish this sentence: I like fall because...

Wednesday: Draw a picture with a pumpkin, a bat, and the moon in it.

Thursday: Say the sounds for letters A to M.

Friday: Dry out some pumpkin seeds. Glue seeds to paper to make a picture.

Nostalgic Vegetable

If you grew up in my family than you realize the artichoke is a nostalgic vegetable. It was a rare treat for us when we sat down to dinner and had artichokes with... mayonnaise. Another reason I love the stuff! My mother would buy them for us whenever she found a good deal. It makes me long for her homemade meals served up with love.
Yesterday I found them on sale in a four-pack at the grocery store and I couldn't pass them up. Z was so excited when she sat down to dinner, "Yummy, artichokes, my favorite!" They are a perennial in the thistle group of the sunflower family. The part that we eat is actually the flower bud. Lots of people may be intimidated by this crazy looking veggie. They have to be cooked in boiling water for 20-45 minutes depending on the size. To eat them you pull off the petals, one at a time, dip the base of the petal in sauce (melted butter, mayonnaise, vinaigrette), and pull between your teeth to remove the soft, pulpy portion. Continue doing this until all the leaves are gone. Then you have the artichoke heart left. Scoop out the fuzzy center, cut into pieces, dip into sauce. Enjoy! So if you have trouble getting your little ones to eat vegetables, serve up some of these. They get to eat it with their hands.

Keep your pumpkins safe!

Be on the alert for the pumpkin eating dinosaur. We saw him gobbling up pumpkins like they were going out of style. If you live in the Indianapolis area and want to see him live, you can find him at Waterman's pumpkin patch. We rode on a hayride to the field where they grow the pumpkins. Z had a hard time deciding on the perfect one and changed her mind several times. First she found a big one and then she wanted a baby one. Lulu was satisfied by the first one she saw, scooped it up, and put it in her bag.

I love the colors in this photo. So earthy and warm, but don't be fooled, this is not the pumpkin Z ended up bringing home!

Fall

We wish you a happy fall. While on a walk the girls and I stopped under an acorn tree and collected a bunch of acorns. We tried to get the ones that had their hats on.

Here are this weeks activities:

Monday: Do something special for someone in your family.

Tuesday: List ten things in your bedroom

Wednesday: Using a string, measure around a pumpkin and then around your waist. Which is bigger?

Thursday:Have someone read a story to you. Predict how it will end before the last page.

Friday: Practice saying your address.

Art Card #40

Not Anymore:

I am not afraid to study, learn, and form my own opinion. "We can copy others, we can live to please others, or we can discover what is unique and precious to us and become that."

supplies: acrylic paint, flower stamp, silver embossing powder, rub ons- that says "The Joy of Discovery" from memory makers.

The quote is from the book, Psychology and Personal Growth by Nelson Goud and Abe Arkoff.

Art Card #39

Someone spesh! (Special that is)

My dear friend Carrie. She loves me unconditionally. She has always been there for me. So this card is in honor of her. I met her when I was a gangly teenager trying to figure life out. She accepted me for who I was and taught me that anything is possible. Even though we live far apart and I don't get to see her as often as I would like, I feel lucky to count her as my friend.

Five Activities for Young Children

Monday: Look at the pictures in a book before someone reads it to you.
Tuesday: Make up a story about a scary pumpkin patch.
Wednesday: If you could be an animal, what would you be and why?
Thursday: Write a letter to a grandparent.
Friday: Recite the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet." Would you have run away?

More Manila!

I have been thinking about the Philippines since my top secret post and thought I would share a few fun pictures from those days ten years ago! Eeegad, has it been that long? Here is a picture of the Jeepneys. Need a lift? There are plenty to choose from.

Tagaytay Beach! Here I am at the beach where we built sandcastles and had a relaxing afternoon enjoying the sand between our toes and sound of the surf.