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Dean's Pumpkin Patch Excursion

Dean and I have some one on one time now that the other kids are in school. One of my good friends invited a bunch of us with "littles" to visit to the Clayton Valley Pumpkin Patch and then provided a delicious lunch and a bunch of activities for the kids. My favorite game was called "Find the Bones". She had an empty laundry basket and a backyard which held gobs of life size plastic bones of every kind. There were skulls, femurs, etc. The kids had to run and grab the bones as quickly as they could and put them in the basket. It was so cute to see their facial expressions as they came running as quickly as they could to place their bones. I loved it.

There is a play area in the Pumpkin Patch. Dean kept talking to me through this little hole in the play house. I found it to be incredibly cute.

Mommy & Dean in the Clayton Valley Pumpkin Patch

Snails on the Face

We have been in a babysitting co-op for a number of years now (thanks to Robin Perry, she's the bomb!). We trade with 4 families. Most of us have 4 children so it can be quite lively and exciting until the kids go down to bed. It is every Friday from 6:30-12:00. It's been great! We have 3 Friday's off without paying for a babysitter and then it's our turn. Here are a few pictures from one of our co-op nights. Aren't these girls so crazy?? I think Maren was the one who started it all. She is fearless when it comes to bugs and animals.

My Small Epiphany

I'm driving home from dropping the kids off at carpool. Maren (6 years) & Dean (2 years) are bickering directly behind me about an empty water bottle. The screaming and carrying on is making me feel like I am going to lose my mind. It's times like this when my normal looking arm, all of a sudden becomes incredibly stetchy and amazingly flexible (Plastic Man would be so impressed). I find myself extricating the cause of the problem and (I don't mean Maren and Dean) throwing it to the floor of the front passengers seat while still keeping us all alive. Problem solved, they move on and figure out other things to do with themselves.

Here comes my small epiphany. I know in life I've heard the phrase "He giveth and taketh away." and don't often think much of it. Well, when I removed the object from my children, I started to consider how this must be how my Heavenly Father feels about me. He gives and takes away and I wonder if he feels the same frustration with me, that I felt towards my children. Curious.

Walk of Shame

My kids (mostly Sid) often tell me I make delicious meals. I graciously thank them and then think to myself, "It's only because you haven't experienced enough of the outside world yet." A few years ago I took a 12 week long course called "Basic Essentials" at Viking Home Chef. It was helpful. I am now familiar with the processes of food making and actually enjoy cooking much of the time I find myself dealing with it. I still feel like meal preparation is far tooooooo frequent. OK, enough said. Here's my story. Our friends the Nelson's are moving to Connecticut. We were invited to an open house for them and were instructed to bring something to share. My "fudge" I decided to make was extremely DRY. When I cut it out of the pan it looked more like dried brownies. It tasted OK though so I wrapped it in aluminum foil and considered taking it with us. We got to the open house and I thought I should probably leave them in the car. Jon says "You shouldn't go in empty handed Tonya, take them in." So I take them in. After doing so, I immediately regret it. I take my package to the table and every head in the area turns and stares at what I am about to reveal. The Walk of Shame! Not really, but that's what it felt like. I tried to quickly unwap it so I could run away but it was the heaviest aluminum foil of all time and I had wrapped it underneath so I had linger much longer than I wanted. Oh, how I wish I had a picture! Oh well, at least I make everybody else look good with my humiliating under pressure food episodes. There have been a few of them.

'Twas the Jelly Belly Factory

This year for Maren & Wells 6th birthday they decided to celebrate their birthday at the Jelly Belly Factory. They were allowed to invite two friends because that's how many we could fit in our cars. For their "theme", Maren wanted bugs and Wells wanted pirates. We went on the tour and then during the candles and cake we had the entire cafeteria to ourselves because they don't serve food the last hour. Lucky us! The kids really liked it and so did we!

Sid's Poetry Tea

The Wolf

Sprinting by the tree

it runs like a deer from a frightening noise.

Its paws pad against the tickling grass.

It is the wolf who flees to the woods.

Its home is the green growing place.

The wolf.

By Sidney