Patridge Preschool Fall Update

We have spent most of our preschool time so far outdoors.  I am sad that this will not be the case for much longer.  We have loved our days spent at the zoo, parks, on nature trails, and at Aldridge Botanical Gardens.  The kiddos learn so much just from being outside and enjoying creation.

Other than that, we have continued reading one book a week from our Before Five in a Row and Five in a Row booklists along with doing a page a day from "Get Ready for the Code."  We also have been going to storytime at the library, attending our playgroup, and going to MOPS every other week.

Teaching him at home has so many challenges, but right now, I love not feeling the pressure to make things too complicated.  He will soon have to do work, and I want to let him take in these slow, unhurried days.

Old Baker's Farm 2014

Right before Halloween, we made our annual trip to Old Baker's Farm.  If you have never been, it is a wonderful activity for October.  There is a corn maze, hay maze, hay mountain, petting zoo, train ride, hay ride, revolutionary war reenactment , etc....  Most of everything you do, including picking your pumpkin is included in your admission.  Food, horse rides, and a few other things cost extra.  It is one of my favorite things to do each year.

Halloween 2014

Clara was supposed to be a puppy for Halloween.  She refused to wear her costume.  I eventually convinced her to wear a pirate costume on Halloween night.  Although she was not a fan of dressing up, she was an expert trick or treater.  She ran from house to house right along with the big kids and would hold out her candy bucket and exclaim, "Tick or Teat!"  By the end of the night, her bucket was overflowing.

She was a bit confused when we had trick or treaters.  She ran to the door and tried to get the candy from their buckets.

Hudson loved dressing up this year.  I picked him up an army man costume at a consignment store and he fell right into character.  He even requested that I pick up guns, knives, and pepper spray to go along with it.

We trick or treated at the library the morning of Halloween.  Nothing like candy at 9:30 in the morning.  This was when Clara still would not wear a costume.  Hudson was a a little disappointed that we were not trick or treating outside.

We have trick or treated on Halloween night with the same crew since Hudson was a baby.  A friend of ours lives in a neighborhood near us, and they always have a parade behind a fire truck before trick or treating commences.  The kiddos love it.

It was a fun night, and we will have candy for months to come!

Apple Picking

During our preschool time, we read the book "How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World."  We decided to go back to Mountain View Orchards and apple pick with some of the friends we do preschool with.  This time the kids got to ride on a much longer tractor ride to the apple orchard.  After we picked, the kids played on the hay bales and had a picnic lunch. It was a fun morning.

Michelle Repolles Photography

Michelle Repolles Photography

Michelle Repolles Photography

After we picked, we made apple butter and an a apple pie.

Ethel

Meet Ethel.

Our sweet Clara has always been an animal lover since she was born.  I love watching her engage all animals.  We are not in a place right now where we could take care of a puppy, so we opted for an outside cat.  Altough, this outside cat spends most of her time inside. Both of the kiddos are quite smitten with her, and she is very playful and snuggly.

  We love her, but I am still fighting with her to love it outside. I would prefer my furniture not to be ripped to shredds.

Uncle Reed's Wedding

We spent the beginning of this month at the beach celebrating Will's brother's wedding. We opted out of bring Clara since it was such a short, action packed trip. Will, Hudson,and I were all in the wedding. It was a sweet, simple beach ceremony.

Hudson got beach time beforehand. This boy loves everything about the beach. I love watching him jump the waves and explore the shores.  It reminds me of the beauty that I often overlook.