How quickly the days pass!

Little A cracked me up!  "Hey, Miss Kari.  My mommy taught me this...watch..."  She layed out her coat...stuck her arms in the coat arms...and flipped the coat over her head...

Perfect!!!  We have trouble getting our 3 year olds to put their own coats on properly...takes a lot of time!  We have backwards, upside down, one arm turning in circles to try to find the other arm...which is dangerous...and then I laugh out loud because I hear my cherry friend saying, "Danger, Danger!"

Ashlynn's submission for this year's cookie baking...Grammy's chocolate crinkles!

"I'll be the official taste tester!  Mmmm, these are good, Ashlynn!  I need a glass of milk now."

 

 

We enjoyed a visit from a firefighter today...because this week we are learning the letter F!  Mr. Fireman got a few laughs from the answers that 3 year olds give!

                                              They learned how to Stop, Drop, and Roll!

A wonderful blessing from a friend...a pan of the best homemade mac and cheese for an unexpected supper!  The Lord knew what a help it would be to this tired mother.

I'm thankful for the encouragement of God's Word and dear co-workers who laugh with you, cry with you, pray with you, and commiserate with you...and text you to remind you that you forgot the said pan of supper in the school fridge...and then laughs and waves as you pass each other in the parking lot.  Oi!   "I know how it is...you go from one part of your-very-crazy-busy-day-with-3-year-olds and then your own children join up with you...and you start focusing on the next part of your responsibilities."  I'm thankful for the opportunity to work with fellow believers who share your load...when you don't understand how big the load is some days...but God did...and He used one of His servants to shoulder some of the weight.

Alisa is becoming quite the little seamstress!

Her junior convention piece...a reversible tote to use for gym class or overnights!  We found out that thick and thin fabric make top-stitching very difficult.  We broke a needle and have some wonky stitches..."Oh, Mom, I don't mind.  It looks like a 6th grade girl made it...and that is what I am!"  I had to chuckle.  We tried to camouflage the wonkiness with a fancier stitch, but it didn't help.  She loves the color.  She made it.  She is happy.  She finished her first ever sewing lesson/project with mom!

Yummy food and fellowship this week!

 We made calzones with friends on Thursday night!  Yummo!  We had a big bowl of treats to share...some with some random knocks on the door. 

 I was thankful for the time with friends.  We enjoyed a cozy night indoors with people who didn't mind that a few of us were coughing!  This cuddly dog likes to eat green Skittles...in moderation.  Maybe she can teach Chevy...who ate 3/4 of a bag of carmel bites and puked all over the house again.  Oi!

 The colors were still so pretty this weekend...even with the dark clouds as a backdrop.  The oranges and reds are bright!

 We had overnight guests and had our first fire of the season!  Mmmm...I like this cozy time of the year!

 The guys brought in the wood...and we had to let it dry for awhile due to all the rain.

Junior Convention projects and practice are in full swing here.  The girls are playing together and it is sounds so pretty.  "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing...Tune my heart to sing Thy grace!"  I sit with tears in my eyes when I listen...well, when they aren't fussing at each other about who messed up and such.  It happens!  Not all moments are as serene as pictures display!!!  "Streams of mercy never ceasing...call for songs of loudest praise!"

A beautiful day...

for a drive home...to be stuck inside...with my sick girlie.  Alisa is down and out again...because she never got last week's sickness out of her!  So many things to do and not miss...there is no time to rest and get well...which then means we are passing it back and forth or holding on to it.  Once again...so thankful for friends that I work with who are able to step in so I can keep my mommy hat on my head!  Resting at home and nursing my sore throat with hot tea is just an added blessing.

Who said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

 Or...I could title this...so many other things!  One of which could be...submitting to the leadership of your husband.  I have learned that after fifteen years of marriage, when my husband tells me, "You need to do such and such...or you can do this or that..."  I need to trust him!

 We went shopping, and I have started learning about defending and protecting myself and family.  This nice gentleman was very kind and matter of fact as we looked at and learned about a particular firearm.

He was also a good salesman...he threw in a pink camo hat for me!  A Sweetest Day date that I will not soon forget!  I now have something in common with Annie Oakley...just a shorter barrel...that I am learning how to use in a safe but don't mess with me or my family sort of way.

 Skip ahead to last night...we had a triple date to the Bass Pro indoor shooting range!  These three were almost...almost...giddy.  Checking in takes a few minutes.  "How many rounds do you have with you?"  Um!? Several.

 We three females were most taken with the decor and the immenseness of the place.  Could have been we were trying to distract ourselves from our main reason being there? 

 They did some practicing...

 okay...a lot of practicing...we cleaned up a lot of casings off the floor too!  And so did I.  "Don't worry about hitting the target...just hit the white piece of paper as a first time shooter...and that is good enough, trust me!"  I did keep it on the white paper...and if you turned it over to see the target circles...I wasn't too far off the mark.  I am trying to "get comfortable" with handling my new gun.  I learned that when Ted says, "Try my gun, this is bigger." there were several details that he left out...like how strong the kick will be, how large the flame will be, how loud it will be.  I turned to see him grinning smugly.  He knew I would have said, "No." with all those details.  I was brave and didn't drop it...but I wanted to kick him as I waited for my heart to go back down in my chest.

We had a nice time together...trying to talk with ear plugs in your ears over the popping of guns...too funny.  Hanging out with our guys and learning from them...reassuring.  Supper in the food court...yummo!  Fellowship in the Yukon to and from...encouraging. There may be plans for another time?  Now...the three of us ladies need to figure out when to go back to this cool mall for shopping!

What are they up to now?

 Last week, we participated in the Serve-A-Thon part of the fundraising efforts for our school.

 Our kiddos worked outside picking up garbage along one of the roads and at one of the parks by our church/school.

 They had fun and God gave nice, fall weather for their day out of the classroom!  What kid wouldn't work for a partial day off school and a pizza lunch?!

When I look back over the week...

I am always amazed by the number of events that make up our days!  Monday, I had to bring Alisa home from school.  Tuesday...both Alisa and Teddy were home.  Teddy and I ended up at the Minute Clinic for his double ear infection.  I was able to stay home the rest of the day and take care of them.  I am thankful for a job that allows me to do that!

 Alisa wanted to learn how to sew...and...make something for Junior Convention.  We decided on an easy...straight seams...bag.  "Mom, no one can have too many bags!"  We started on a "practice" one that will end up as a gift...because it is turning out very nice!

 Why does she give such an evil look?  I told her to hold it up...her first seam!

 Ironing the seams..."Why do we have to do that?"  Made me laugh...ironing is not something we do much of around here...a lost art, so to speak!

 Thursday was our K3 Serve-a-thon activity.  The preschoolers and daycare collected treats to fill a basket and a big jar of pennies (for the penny drive) to say thank you to our city's librarians.  We enjoyed a couple of stories and craft about Pete the Cat.  What a neat opportunity!  The ladies were stunned by all the goodies, pennies, and flowers.

 Friday was our Harvest Day.  Miss Farmer K singing "Old MacDonald" with the kiddos.

 I was a little pumpkin.  I really hit a brick wall with the creativity for this one.  We had gotten rid of all the flannel shirts we had...we used them for packing...and now that I think of it...they are in the storage unit (the ones we didn't cut up!) Oi!  The parents got creative and it was fun to see our little farmers, animals, fruits, and vegetables.

 We decorated pumpkin cookies...everyone had their own icing!  We got everything passed out...and two kiddos sneezed all over their stuff.  Nice!

 We counted and sorted with pumpkin seeds and foam leaves.

 We air-popped popcorn...to eat and glue.

 We read The Pumpkin Parable.  I carved a pumpkin after the story and had the kiddos tell me what to do next.  They remembered the order, just like the farmer did it.  Children are very smart...and they don't miss a thing!  I brought a candle to put inside to shine...and they giggled with delight!  We let it burn till the end of the day.  Both of us "ladies" were very ready for naptime...and the end of the day, "I told my husband that I'm so ready for a big people date!" said Miss K.  I nodded!  "I'm just ready to go home, make some coffee, light the candles, and cuddle up on the couch!"  My added blessing to those desires...my love took our family out to supper!

So...here we are to Saturday again...cold and cloudy outside, washer and dryer humming, music practice, homework, and laying around till our family activity tonight (Three Cedars Farm!)  Ashlynn is our designated sickie now.  "But, Mom, it is the weekend!  So I won't miss school.  I want Perfect Attendance again this year!"  I am thankful for a down day!  This week seemed very long and tiring...to the point of tears tiring...and I don't know what was so different!?  Maybe I'm working on sickness?  Blah!