Fall Fun

On Friday, I took the day off to join Miles and his preschool class on a field trip to a local pumpkin patch. It was the first day that it felt like fall--50 degrees and windy. Miles wasn't thrilled about the cold temps--he is my snow bird after all. But he persevered, snuggling close to me on the hay ride.

He picked a yellow pumpkin because "lellow" is his favorite color.

The farm had a play area filled with corn kernels. At first he wasn't crazy about getting corn in his shoes, but he eventually warmed up to the idea, especially after spying a yellow truck.

Later we went home and enjoyed hot chocolate with marshmallows, and Miles painted his pumpkin, leaving just a small patch of yellow.

On Saturday, we went to a fall festival at a local park, which had inflatables, pumpkin decorating and a train. G went down this slide nearly 100 times.

G learned how to use a hula-hoop. He was actually pretty good for a first-timer.

Later that day, we lit our first fire in the fireplace. We finally had the fireplace cleaned and inspected recently, so we felt safe to use it. The boys were fascinated with the idea of having a fire in the house. They kept asking if firefighters would come to put it out. 

And Miles did a little fire dance.

No one loved it more than Ted the Hero.

Apples, Apples, Apples

Although it doesn't feel much like fall around here, the trees are starting to change colors, the nights are cool (even if the days are still hot) and everyone is talking about football. In honor of fall, we hit an apple orchard last weekend. It's our favorite season for economical reasons. G has LOVED apples since his first bite as a baby. These days, he eats two to three apples a day, and Miles eats at least another one or two a day. When apples are out of season, it adds up!

A hayride took us to the apple trees. This was Miles' favorite part.

Unlike our berry-picking adventure a couple months back, we had no trouble finding apples to pick.

G, put your apple down for a minute so I can take your picture.
"Come on, Mom!"

Miles, go stand by your brother so I can take a picture.
"Nope."

Don't Forget Antarctica, Miles

Miles was so excited to perform the "Continents Song" for us, which he learned at school. But the poor guy couldn't get through the song without his big brother correcting him.

Riding the Rails With Friends

Last weekend, the boys "kinda cousins" (Kent's cousin's kids) came from Wisconsin so they could join us on our annual trip to ride Thomas the Tank Engine. Ages 5 and 3, Owen and Drew were a great match for our two boys.

Miles thought Owen, 5, was pretty cool.

Owen and G, two happy passengers.

Miles and Drew check out the scenery.

Silly Drew. This must be a second-child thing. 

A Little Labor Day Excursion

Over Labor Day weekend, we headed to a state park about 40 minutes south of Des Moines to hike and rent boats. It was a perfect day, sunny and about 80 degrees.

The boys thought the life vests were pretty funny, chest bumping each other sumo-wrestler style.

After debating between a kayak, canoe or peddle boat, we picked a canoe and took off on the lake. 

This was pretty much how Miles felt about the boat ride. He looked terrified and miserable for most of the trip.

He was happy again once we were on solid ground and he could throw sticks and rocks into the lake.

We threw some rocks in the water, hiked around a bit and no one fell into the lake. It was a good day.

And They're Off...

School is in full swing again! The boys went back to school the week before Labor Day. This year, Grant is in a 5-7 classroom (kindergarten) and Miles is in a 3-6 (preschool) classroom at the Montessori school. This is the first year that G goes to school all day and Miles goes five days a week.

Before the first day of school, Grant picked out his clothes: a green dinosaur shirt, shorts and a new dinosaur backpack. He bragged to his brother: "I'm going to school all day, and I don't have to take a nap." He was also excited about eating lunch at school and working in the science area of the classroom.

Grant's First Day of Kindergarten

Favorite color: Red and orange

What I want to be when I grow up: A paleontologist and bug explorer

Favorite book: Great Dinosaur Search

Favorite foods: Bacon and apples

Miles has the same two teachers that Grant has had the last two years. He knew what to expect and seemed pretty confident, walking right into the class the first morning (after a few hugs and kisses). He has also declared that he no longer takes naps.

Miles' First Day of Preschool

Favorite color: Yellow

What I want to be when I grow up: Mountain climber

Favorite book: Lllama Lllama

Favorite food: Cookies, bananas

The report from the first days of school were all positive. Grant was thrilled to discover that the first science unit was on insects and plants. On the first day, he brought home a picture of a train that he drew for Miles "to make him happy on his first day of school." He also brought home a picture, drawn by a girl classmate, that said "I (heart) u." He is exhausted at day's end, but full of enthusiastic stories about everything he's learning and doing.

Miles is also loving school, making new friends and bringing home pictures and songs that he's learned. His favorite area of the classroom involves punching out and tracing shapes. His reports on his day are short and sweet, if we get any information at all. 

Good-Bye Summer

What seemed like a quiet, lazy summer still managed to pass us by so fast. The weather was mild, so we spent lots of time outside, playing at the park, digging in the backyard and searching for rocks, bugs and other stuff.

In just a summer, Grant's interests have moved from dinosaurs to ice age creatures to insects. He talks endlessly about mammoths and mastodons, praying mantises and dragonflies. He is a nerd in the best kind of way.

Miles' vocabulary grew over the summer, and when he can get his voice in, tells elaborate stories about trains, airplanes and "neigh horsies."

We spent many, many hours exploring the backyard, searching and collecting bugs of all kinds. Grant's love of insects was further cemented at a week of Creepy Crawly camp at the Science Center.

Look Mom -- a worm!

It could be said that it was the summer of mud, as both boys were obsessed with a certain patch in our backyard where grass doesn't grow. They could literally spend hours playing in the mud: driving trucks through it and pretending that their dinosaurs were caught in it. But they played happily and quietly together, even if they had to be bathed more often.

One of my favorite things about this summer, though, was our bike rides around town. This was the first summer that both Kent and I had bikes, and G is able to cruise alongside us on his Strider bike, while Kent pulled Miles in the bike trailer. We often went to parks along the bike trail near our house or just pedaled around the neighborhood.

Still getting used to training wheels.

It was one of our best summers yet.