Oh To Be Three

Abby's first day of Preschool.
Thrilled to be there.
What bliss!

Abby is attending the same Parentshare Preschool that Casey did when she was younger. New teacher, same place. Brian made the First Day of School sign for her and tied her shoes as we headed out in the morning.

Abby with her teacher, Mrs. Petrie. We figured out that Mrs. Petrie's Mother-in-law was Uncle David's teacher (another Mrs. Petrie) when he was in elementary school. All those years ago...

First stop: The pretend ironing board and iron. I hate to admit that I was pleasantly surprised that Abby knew what the iron was for. Hey, where did she learn that? Certainly not from me!

Wonderful

I couldn't read this news story without tearing up. Simply joyous.

Martha Stewart & Family Home Evening

FHE this week was about being honest.
For part of our activity we put together these darling little puppet animals.
In case you have not found the wide variety of Martha Stewart kits at your local WalMart yet, you really should check them out. This kit was about $10 and each of the peices came pre-cut and ready to stick on. No glue to mess with, easy enough that our little family could put them together quickly.
Brian could read the instructions for his on his own, Casey used the words and photo illustration for hers. Anyway, it was a lot of fun.

Then we put together a little puppet-show along the lines of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." Ours ended up being "The Monkey Who Cried Tiger" and will have an encore presentation at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Sunday after dinner.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

The weather has turned cool, the leaves are blowing to the ground, the cranes are leaving the fields for lands South, and it's suddenly Fall.

Last night the kids helped me make a double batch of my dear friend Rebecca's recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. I used up all my bread pans and still had batter, so we filled cupcake papers too. As always, delicious.

The loaves take an hour to bake, so we were able to do our evening reading with the wonderful aroma of spices in the air. The bread came out of the oven just after bedtime prayers. And I was able to sneak a warm slice of pumpkin-y goodness to each of the kids in their little beds just before lights-out.

Plus, since pumpkins are technically a vegetable, I did not feel bad at all about letting the babies have a muffin for breakfast! :)

We do have to exercise some restraint, however, as pumpkins are such an excellent source of dietary fiber. If you get my meaning. Hey, I'm a Mom. Conversations like this, while not glamorous, are important! :)

Star Wars and Princesses

In the world of an Almost-8-Year-Old boy, planning your birthday party is top notch. Last night, Brian declared that he wanted to have a Star Wars party for his friends. Apparently, the idea of battles and lightsabers is too much to resist. I am still unsure if Bri has even ever seen Star Wars movies, but that is not holding him back.

Anyway, on the way to school this morning, this conversation took place in the back seat:

Brian: I want to have a Star Wars party for my birthday.

Casey: Yeah! And I can be the princess.

Brian: Casey, Star Wars Princesses don't do anything besides start fights on the Death Star.

I thought that was a pretty funny observation about the jobs of princesses in movies. I know Princess Leia does a bit more than common princesses do, as far as protecting her subjects. Still, is a girl in a gold bikini someone I should use as an illustration of a strong woman for my daughters?

Wow.

So, we made it until 10 PM. Fueled by adrenaline (see photos attached) and sugar and the thrill of knowing it will be another 365 days until we get to the fair again. Why not go for broke?

Watched the fireworks. Went home. Scrubbed (and scrubbed) little faces. Slept like logs.

(Biggest pumpkin this year. Quite wimpy compared to years past due to our horrible growing season this year. Still worth visiting the winner's circle, though.)

Riding Rides

Casey and Abby ride the little train... I didn't notice until just now that my favorite mountain, Pioneer Peak, is looking rather glorious in this photo. Notice that it is August and we already have our warm clothes on?

Brian and Chris stood in line for nearly an hour to ride the bumper cars. Brian is at that awkward age where he is too big for the baby rides but not ready for the big kid rides yet. So, bumper cars it is. Long line and whiplash and all.

Whiplash ensues.

Abby and I wait on the sidelines while the others wait in line... and wait... and wait...

Around the Fair

Famous at the Alaska State Fair: Husky Burger. Also in the photo: Corn Dog Corner. Why do their corndogs taste so dang delicious when they are the exact same ones you can buy at Fred Meyer in the freezer section?

Carousel at night.

Waiting in line at the bumper cars.

Still waiting in line at the bumper cars...

Taking in a show

Went to the Woodlot at the Fairgrounds to watch the Lumberjack Show. Fun, free, not too long. Perfect for a kinda rainy afternoon.

Casey and Grandpa.

Chris and Abby.

Brian with Uncle Trent and Aunt Steph.

One of the Lumberjacks on his way up the pole... Or is it down? Can't be sure...

4 x 4 Grudge Match

The race is on: Brian (green vehicle), followed by Abby and TC (white), then Casey and me (yellow). Pedal to the metal!

Casey, intense as ever.

We passed Trent and Abby on the last lap.

Brian ended the race on foot, as his vehicle was in the ditch and the people running the show said he would have to walk it off. He was on the cusp of happy/sad/embarrassed when the ride was over, but everyone did a great job encouraging him to remember the point of the ride (fun) rather than the race to be the first one at the end.

Grudge Match

Trash Talkin' Brian vs. Trent on the 4x4s.

Brian vs. Casey on the 4x4s.

Casey picked out her vehicle while we were waiting in line... This time, I was going to ride with her to help with the gas pedal.

Fair Food - Again

Brian's All Time Favorite - Mini Doughnuts. I worked at this booth when I was in High School, and some of our friends still run it. Good memories then and good memories now. Plus, the sweet little doughnuts that we love to share.

Abby is always up for ice cream. But, then again, who isn't?

Another D-Lish Dean's Corndog.

Abby and Elmo

Abby was on-again-off-again with deciding if she wanted her face painted. She finally gave in to the peer-pressure when Bri and Casey were getting theirs done. Not quite ready to go for a whole face deal, she got an Elmo face on her cheek.

I am such a bad Mom for posting this picture, but I had to share it with our loved ones... I will only leave it up for a little while, though, so enjoy it while you can. The kids were just outside of the face-painting booth, posing for photos from me, Grandma, Aunt Stephanie, and Uncle Trent, and apparently Abby just had to take care of something important.

Moments later.

Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright

Brian chose a red (fav color) tiger for his face paint. It was kind of strange to be walking around with the kids when their faces were painted the rest of the day... Made it difficult to recognize them.

Love this picture of my Almost-8-Year-Old guy.