Pumpkin Patch

Last Friday we made our annual pilgrimage to the Bishop Pumpkin Patch in Wheatland, California. It is one of our favorite because of the great time we spend with cousins, aunts, and grandma, and because it celebrates all that we love about fall (baked goods included).

Olivia and Henry love to run through the pumpkins and find the perfect one. Every year it takes longer than the year before. I think they simply have too much fun and cannot bear to end the hunt for the greatest pumpkin.

See what I mean about too much fun?

We have our annual measuring (this one is way more fun the one at the doctor’s office).

Our cousin bonding time…

…and the sassy time too.

And let’s not forget the cutest petting zoo ever. It comes with brushes to groom the goats and they love it. They being both types of kids (the children and the goats, hehe).

Feeling Better!

Olivia has had the flu, yeah the pig kind, and our household has been, well, not fun. Not fun because Olivia has been miserable (and making others miserable too) and because Henry, the germophobe, loses it when she gets within 5 feet of him. He is convinced that he's going to get it too (he's not, he was vaccinated). However, today Olivia is feeling much better. This afternoon I found her reading in her room so I told her that if she wanted to I had a job for her to do. She asked, "Does it pay?" "I said sure I'll pay you a dollar if you go put Daddy's shoes back on the shoe rack." She went into our closet, came back out with her little fist on her hip and said “Actually, that will be 2 dollars!" She is feeling much MUCH better!

Way to take a stand!

As some of you may know, I am Henry's Kindergarten room mom. I'm in his class every day, helping, and this is what I witnessed today.

Mr. Lang (standing by the dry-erase board, while all the students are seated at their desk): "Boys and girls, listen to Mr. Lang because he's the most important person in the world." Reagan (a little girl in the class): "Mr. Lang isn't the most important person in the world. Santa Claus is the most important person in the world!" Henry (not missing a beat): "Santa Claus isn't the most important person in the world. Jesus is! And Heavenly Father too!" I love how children just blurt out what they think and I love that Henry thinks Jesus and Heavenly Father are the most important people in the world. They are. Now, should I tell him about Santa Claus?

I made croissants!

I shouldn’t pat myself on the back and brag about it too but I’m going to anyway. I’m breaking the no bragging rule because I’m excited, happy and so is my tummy.

Every one that knows me knows that my weakness is French pastries. I have been known to make a HUGE detour to get one of these little goodies. I like to buy them but I also enjoy making them. I had been looking for a good recipe for croissant, a good one but not a crazy hard one that took three days from start to finish, and I found it. It wasn’t super easy, I was making croissants after, but it was definitely doable and absolutely delicious. I loved the smell in my kitchen (let me correct that- in my house) as they were baking. I’m not Martha Stewart but I sure felt like one when I make these and I can’t wait to make them again. (I’ll be glad to share the recipe if anyone out there wants it.)

Random things that make us smile

We all have busy lives and we can get stuck on the busy-ness, and if your life is like mine, chaos. Even though I wouldn't change my crazy life for any other, i find it easy to get fixated on the negative. (We were almost late today, why can't my kids pick up after themselves, I really don't have enough hours in one day...you get the picture). That is why I love little random things that make me smile and remind me that life is great, no matter how stressed I get. As I mentioned in a previous post we walk to and from school as often as we can and on our way we see the "flower dog". He (or she, we've only seen its head) is always there, checking out the kids walking to or from school. We love this dog. Olivia and Henry go and pet it. I smile and I think "Isn't life great?"