Celebrating Fall

There are so many reasons I love autumn, but I'm beginning to think I'm not the only one. The twins have had a fun-filled week on some of our traditional October outings, only this time they are old enough to stay close, listen (well enough) and HAVE FUN!

It started with the preschool class excursion to the pumpkin patch. After a short lesson on pumpkins, the kids were all smiles when they were able to climb on the pumpkins without being yelled at to get down.

 

 

  

And Chase couldn't resist petting the friendly goats and chickens. Ella, however, prefers to keep her distance.

 

 

After a tractor ride, we made our way successfully through the corn maze, which emptied out in to the field for some good old pumpkin picking.

In a field strung with vines of plump and voluptuous pumpkins, leave it to Chase to pick up the first "baby pumpkin" he could find and beg to take it home. Since he could carry it (meaning I wouldn't have to), I agreed. Ella followed suit. What I didn't realize until I got to the car, however, was that the pumpkins were not only small...they were squishy and rotting. Nevertheless, they are still sitting on the kitchen table and are met with daily affection by the twins. Ella wants to know when she gets to carve hers...

 

 

Another October tradition is attending the annual Fire Station Open House. This started a few years back when Blake had us all convinced that he was going to be a fire fighter when he grew up. We've gone every year since then, and while the older boys have no doubt outgrown this community event, the twins were beside themselves with excitement about being able to sit in actual fire engines, see inside the ambulance and work the nozzle on the fire hose.

 

 
You should have seen the look Ella gave the fire fighter who asked her to please NOT push the buttons.

 

 

 
Here is Ella showing the fire fighter how to work the hose.
     

And, although Blake seems to have changed him mind about his future career (now he's thinking police officer)...I'm thinking the future fire fighter in the family could be Ella! Or maybe she just finds the shoes, jacket and hat irresistible.

Life in Two Minute Increments

Having twins has its perks.  But it also has its drawbacks.  Apparently today is I-want-what-you-have day, as it has been filled with a series of tug-of-wars over certain toys.  All. Day. Long.  My solution?  The timer, set for two minutes and mandated sharing.  Why two minutes?  Because that’s about the maximum amount of time I can tolerate the crying and screaming that ensues when the desire to play with a toy overwhelms their senses.  That, and it’s just enough time for a three year old’s attention span to wear off.

And when the timer doesn’t work, time out does.  Which also lasts about two minutes.  And since most of our day seems to be comprised of timers and time outs, it’s being lived in increments of two minutes at a time.  And it keeps me from losing it...I can keep my cool through two minutes much easier than I can get through two hours.  Today is one of those days where trying to teach my kids patience and perspective reminds me to do the same.

Why October is My Favorite Month...

Chocolate in Bulk ~ Pumpkin Spice Lattes..pumpkin bread and pretty much anything else pumpkin flavored ~ Crisp morning air, gentle winds and sunlight that just seems to glow ~ An excuse to buy an entire bag of my favorite candy~ My birthday! ~ Getting warm from the inside out with coffee and hot chocolate ~ Holiday decorations adorning favorite public places ~ The smell of comfort spices like nutmeg and cinnamon ~ Fuzzy sweaters ~ The colorful, turning leaves ~ An occasion to dress any way you want and call it a “costume” ~

Tri'ing Again

He's at it again!  Brian, the triathlete, made another appearance at the Jamba Juice Mission Bay Triathlon.  This time, however, he was the swimming leg of a relay team.  Since it happened to also be the same morning of soccer team pictures for both boys, the kids and I weren't able to be there to witness his greatness and cheer him on.  And, from I hear, we missed quite a show-down.  Brian and another swimmer were the first to emerge from the water...saddled by wetsuits and laboring through the soft sand and grass, they were neck in neck.  Then, at the last second (literally), Brian pulled ahead with a triumphant sprint and was the first to tag the mat.  And when I say "first", I mean FIRST of the mixed relay teams.  Brian pulled out an impressive time of 7:57:1, beating all other mixed relay swimmers (including his unintentional opponent by .006 seconds) and putting him on par with the elite athletes (a fair comparison, considering they all swim first).  Great job, Brian!  And hopefully next time we'll be there to see his competitive spirit at its best, but for now we're just grateful to the friend who happened to be there with her camera.