A Million Diapers: The End of Fall

Our friend Andrew took these pictures at Martie's house on Thanksgiving. I love this one except Hannah is making a funny face and she didn't want me to display it or print it for people. We quickly got ready and I missed a few details like...Ethan had eaten something that dyed his lips pink and LB had done Eliza's hair in cute braids but then I decided for pictures I wanted her hair down so I took the braids out and failed to do anything else with it. It doesn't look too bad except for in the picture of Ethan and Eliza together. It was also a hard time of day for lighting. Overall I think they turned out great and I'm glad we took them.

I wanted pictures of each sibling relationship. Each relationship has its good times and not good times and some have more good times than others.

I love that we got one of us also!

Eliza loves playing on the jungle gym bar

Funny kiddos. I love nighttime outdoor play.

I was in love with the fall leaves in the backyard. That red tree only stays that color for a couple of weeks and then loses all the leaves but I love it while it lasts.

The above picture was taken in November, this picture was taken a few minutes ago. Missouri is beautiful in the Fall (and spring and summer) but ugly in the winter. I kind-of like it though because it makes the Spring so exciting when all the trees bloom again.

Our next door neighbors front yard has some beautiful Fall trees and I coaxed my kids to go play on the tree so I could take pictures. I didn't ask the neighbor, but he's very nice so I didn't think he'd mind :/. (by coaxed I mean bribed them with something I don't remember- either a treat or some screen time- because my excitement in telling them how much fun it would be didn't work)

I wanted a climbing tree so badly for our yard but it was my one home requirement we didn't get.

They were cracking me up with their over enthusiastic mockery. Things like "We are having so much fun playing in these beautiful leaves together! We are just out here on our own accord to be together and enjoy this tree." :) Said in over enthusiastic voices- which is better than bitter sarcastic voices but they were still mocking me.

The kids had a random Tuesday off school (election day) and they always want to help out with preschool so I held an optional preschool day. Andrew watching the kids work on their morning trays.

Hannah helping out with circle time.

Hannah planned a beading project for them to do which they loved.

I love that Ethan is taking a picture of them.

We all loved Ethan reading for story time.

On another day...Daniel had mowed up all the leaves the day before but they were trying to rake enough to jump in.

We went to a free production of the nutcracker at the library with our friends Sarah and Rachel.

After the show the dancers were showing them some ballet poses.

Eliza doesn't look too excited here but we all had a good time.

Hannah didn't want the dinner we were having one night...so she boiled herself some noodles and seasoned and cooked some chicken and added corn.

learning about the first thanksgiving in preschool

A cute kid doing his homework.

Eliza and Ethan were batman and spiderman for a few days. Eliza is often dressed up in ballet clothes or butterfly wings or a princess dress or superhero costume or something and she changes at least 5 times a day.

Making stone soup in preschool

Ethan was excited to get the dirty biscuit (the large biscuit made from the leftover dough) when grandma and grandpa Martin were here for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving at Marties house.

games and pie at marties house

Cousins and friends

A beautiful sunrise on black Friday morning.

We usually don't have lunch at preschool but on one day we had a picnic playdate afterwards for whoever wanted to stay.

We went to a cool nature center place for playgroup.

Eliza had fun with her friends

I told Daniel (jokingly) that the balance biked robbed us of the parental opportunity to teach our kids to ride a two wheeler. Eliza saw this bike at goodwill for $6 so we brought it home and she took off on it. She was so excited to show her siblings when they got home from school and they were very excited for her :).

Yum. Hannah made these sugar cookies and they were delicious!

We are enjoying the light the world campaign but we are doing all the days out of order. In the "search the scriptures" day we did our annual acting out of the nativity.

More bike riding

This is at 7:30 am one morning. Daniel and Andrew were camping with the scouts so I was the one she convinced to go out with her because she was so excited to ride. I don't mind if my kids are outside without me but my girls are in a phase where they don't like to go anywhere (even another part of the house) alone. I was scared about everything as a kid so I know how they feel but I'm still not sure how to help them through this current fear. I don't usually go with them wherever they want me to but they can usually convince a sibling to go.

This swing was going to be a Christmas present but there were so many beautiful days we decided to put it up.

Hannah's first piano recital- she did a great job!

The activity day girls and cub scouts from church went to a nursing home to sing/share talents. Hannah offered to play her recital songs and again did a great job!

Christmas cookie baking for our neighborhood hot cocoa party. I have failed to get pictures of the party the last two years so I really wanted to this year...but I forgot...again. It was a lot of fun though.

After Daniel put up the lights there was a string of lights connecting the bottom lights to the top lights on the right that I thought looked funny. We talked about how he could make it look better without having to re-do it all and when I got home the next night that string was not lit. I thanked him but he didn't know what I was talking about. It turns out that random portion of lights just went out by themselves from the exact starting point to the exact stopping point that I wanted them to! It was a Christmas miracle :)...kind-of. That portion is out most of the time but randomly it will come back on. Its off enough that it hasn't been worth the time to fix it yet but we'll see. For now it just makes for a funny story.

Daniel has been looking for chairs for his office and finally he found some he liked on clearance.

We took the kids to five below and they each picked out a present for the sibling they were giving to. They even paid themselves this year. Andrew and Hannah had some money saved and Ethan and Eliza sold some of their toys online to get money. They didn't want to wait until Christmas to give their gifts. Hannah gave Andrew wireless headphones.