And I found you

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Heard around the House - Browns Edition

Today during the Browns game Ava decided to yell some insults toward her Dad and brother. We were laughing pretty hard!

Johnny Manziel is a tiny toliet! (The ultimate insult)

Johnny Manziel is going to jail!

Johnny Manziel is doomed!

The funny thing, I have no idea why she decided to do this! I typically don't say much at all, so I find it pretty funny that she decided a little good-natured ribbing was in order!

Trick or Treat!

Trick or Treat!!

Here are some pictures of our costumes this year:

Daddy went into the basement to make a fire truck costume and came out with........heat wave with an optimus prime face? It was hilarious to watch Mike dancing in the middle of cul-del-sacs and watching little kids trying to figure him out!

The hunter and the deer

Aunt Margie did a great job on the deer costume!

Carter was an awesome ninja

My little fireman, he asked me to be a fire with him. How could I possibly say no to this cute face!

I thought I looked like fire, but I was asked several times if I was a chicken?!?! I spent most of the time walking with Dawson and he was being pretty bashful about walking up to houses. We walked together and held hands, and eventually I got out the stroller. I raced him around the neighborhood and he was yelling wee-oo wee-oo like a fire truck. I wished I had thought ahead and decorated the stroller as a fire truck!

Ava loved the fact that Meme and her had the same costume. She was the honey bee and Meme was the Queen Bee!

We had a wonderful night, gave away at least $50 in candy plus additional peanut candy from the kids, and even played a little hide and seek and tree climbing in the backyard with the cousins and glow sticks. It was a beautiful night, perfect trick or treat weather!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

A Fall Walk at the Bog

Jackson Bog is nearby our house, we've only visited once (in the summer, a little too buggy.) It was such a beautiful fall day we all needed to spend some time outside so we decided to go on a hike at the bog.

But don't forget a little spin on the UFO first!

Then off on a little hike. The kids are getting better at going for longer and longer distances. Today we hiked about an hour, although it was only like two miles. We've come a long way from our fifteen minute spurts!

We checked out the bog, I never knew how many insect eating plants lived in Ohio!

Hi blue eyes!

Our little nature lover enjoys collecting treasures including the biggest leaf in the world (according to Ava) and a three pronged acorn.

Our fall family pic!

The Boxcar Children Dinner

We just finished the Boxcar Children, and everyone loved this story. Saturday night we watched the movie, and Sunday we worked on making a fun tablescape.

The kids each picked a box out of the recycling bin and painted them red to make their own boxcar. We also cut out black circles for the wheels. This was a fun project and the kids really spent a long time painting.

On our table we drew a long train track and then we added details from the story to each boxcar.

Some of our details: the brook with the swimming pool the kids built, the table cloth hemmed by Violet, a fire to cook on, the tree stump to step up into the boxcar and blueberry bushes.

We made boxcar stew and had bread with cherry dumplings for desert. Carter was the only one brave enough to try cherry dumplings, which he liked. Ava declared loudly that she doesn't like squishy fruit and of course they all hated the stew. Well, at least the bread was a hit!

It was funny discussing the characters in the story. I asked them "Which character do you think you are most like?" Carter related to Henry, the oldest boy, Dawson decided he was Benny and Ava felt she was like Jessie because "she takes care of everyone especially baby Andrew."

Bobcat Bonfire

This weekend Carter had his Bobcat Bonfire, a ceremony to welcome him into being a cub scout.

After a potluck, we did the ceremony, in which a parent paints their face to look a little something like this. Each color has a different symbolic meaning.

Then I pinned on his bobcat badge, upside down, to remind him to keep his cub scout promise to "help other people." When he does a good turn, without being told, we can turn the badge and sew it on.

Carter was pretty excited to paint my face as well. He stuck his finger in the paint can as far as he could and got a ton of paint!

Mommy and Carter boy with (some) matching face paint.

Welcome to Cub Scouts!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Five and half!

My little Avaroo is five and a half. My precious sweet daughter, I just adore you and it has been such a privilege to get to watch you grow up. You have such a kind, tender loving little heart.

Loving on goats

I love watching your sweet demeanor with animals and younger children.

You are learning so much at school. Reading with you has become the highlight of my evening. You are reading Dick and Jane to me and then we will read something else together like Junie B. Jones or one of the American Girl Stories. The previous owners of our home had American Girl catalogs delivered to our house. I've always shied away from giving them to you because really, who has $100 to spend on a doll or $80 to spend on a tent for a doll!?!?! but your Dad gave it to you this time. Luckily you seem to be really content with reading the books from the library together.

You love art. Painting, coloring, drawing on your easel, that's where I typically find you these days.

We are working on shoe tying. You can do the first step and will hold the loop for me while I demonstrate the rest.

You also like to ride Carter's razor scooter. It is a little bit of a challenge, balance-wise, but you are working on it. I was hoping that bike riding without training wheels would click this summer, but you just don't want to do it. Now that it's October, there is very little time left to practice!

Right now your chores are: keep your bedroom and toy room picked up, hang up your shirts and vacuum under the table after dinner. Now you want to start a chore chart like Carter so you can earn extra money with extra chores. Apparently you want a Minnie mouse costume? I didn't even know you liked her?!?!

Whenever we visit Grandparents I can be sure the weekend will end with you sobbing when we leave. After we leave you usually cheer up pretty fast, but it is sweet to know that you love and miss your grandparents.

Happy 5.5 Miss Avaroo.