Fun with Friends

Today we had the fun of babysitting two adorable little lads from church.  The girls were super excited to play with and care for these two friends.

Charles loves to get out all his old matchbox cars and cities for kids to play with.  There were certainly enjoyed today.

While big brother was playing cars, little brother was snoozing with the king of naps.

Hannah and Sophie had their share of fun as well.

We did some gardening today: digging in the dirt, picking raspberries, and removing seeds from sunflower heads.

This little man can get around pretty well, but he always had a girl or two not far behind to keep an eye on him.

His mom said he doesn't like big people food that much, but he made a liar out of her at dinner!

We had fun all around.  It's nice to take care of little ones once in a while and remember what those days are like.  It also makes me appreciate that our girls have grown so much and can do quite a lot to take care of themselves.

A Day of Festivities

Yesterday was a day full of family fun.  After a few morning errands, we climbed in the car to head to Harvest Day at Crossroads Heritage Center, a local museum dedicated to Mennonite and Brethren history here in the valley.  Here are a few pictures from our time there:

Posing outside the old schoolhouse after viewing a puppet show about what life would have been like for kids on a Mennonite farm in the 1800s

"Milking" a wooden cow

Drawing up water using the old pump

Listening to a story about "Ghost Pie" in the kitchen of the farmhouse

Turning the lever on the old apple cider press

Bonding with chocolate lab Annie while on our wagon ride

We enjoyed samples of kettle corn, cider, and sorghum molasses, which they were also making.  The girls got to paint pumpkins, learn to make two babies in a cradle with a handkerchief, and made glue and bean designs on paper plates.

Just before noon we headed to Hillandale Park to get some lunch at the International Festival.  This is a wonderful event put on each year in Harrisonburg that showcases the many cultures that live and work here.  I especially enjoyed sampling lots of different and yummy ethnic foods.  The girls stuck to fried chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese!

Sophie's blue lips while enjoying some blueberry Italian ice

Showing off her Chinese name tag and special purse that she bought from one of the many vendors

We then came home, where I baked some chocolate chip banana bread with a few overripe bananas and made some peanut butter apple crisp with a few apples that were on their last legs.

Why, yes I did take a bite of this delicious bread before snapping a picture

It was a great evening for a fire and s'mores

Ending my day with a delicious bowl of apple crisp and frozen yogurt

The List

The List

The other evening Sophie appeared in the TV room naked as a jaybird and ready for bath at 6pm.  She had made a list that reads as follows (I'll convert the spelling for your ease in reading):

• clean up
• dinner
• undressed
• brush teeth
• bath
• dry off
• brush hair
• floss
• get dressed
• pick clothes (for tomorrow)
• I Spy (the picture book)
• TV
• tickles for one minute
• devotion
• hugs
• kisses
• bed

She made this list all on her own and was super motivated to get all her "things" done and check them off as she went along.  She was all ready for bed by 6:30, which is when we usually begin the night-time routine.  Since we typically have to really push and prod her along in the evenings (and mornings), we wanted to reward her initiative and so allowed her to watch a little TV before going to bed.  Charles had introduced her to old Popeye cartoons on Netflix that same day, so she chose to watch Popeye.

A photograph of "tickles for one minute"

Since then, she's been modifying the list daily but still following it.  Her efficiency has decreased in the days since Sunday, but having her list does seem to help her take ownership of getting her "things" done to get ready for bed and prepared for the next day.

Pumpkin Butter

Yesterday I took three of our lovely pumpkins and turned them into pumpkin butter.

Sophie helped me de-seed one of the pumpkins.  We've been experimenting with different flavors of roasted pumpkin seeds.  A classic is olive oil with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Last time we tried cinnamon and sugar.  This time we did a simple butter and salt treatment.  All have been delicious.

I've also been experimenting with how to best cook the pumpkin before turning it into puree.  I've tried the crock pot.  One pumpkin fits if you quarter it.  Cooking it on high for about four hours with a little water in the bottom works well and makes about two pints of puree.  I've also halved the pumpkins and turned them upside down on baking sheets with parchment paper in a 350 degree oven.  This method takes about an hour for the pumpkin to get soft enough to puree.

I tried this recipe for the pumpkin butter and thought it turned out quite nicely.  A bonus is that once the pumpkin was cooked and pureed, the recipe was really quite simple and very quick to make.  I had enough pumpkin for a batch and a half, which translated into 6 half-pints of pumpkin butter, plus a little extra for the refrigerator.  My plan is to freeze the pumpkin butter and give it as gifts to the girls' teachers at Christmas time.

Olympics Birthday Party (in pictures)

The birthday girl turned 8 the day before her party

The Opening Ceremony.  They carried flags and torches.

The Olympic cauldron

The eating of the torches (popcorn in ice cream cones)

Basketball challenge

Walking the balance beam

Bean bag toss

Soccer challenge

Discus throw

Water balloon shot put

Obstacle course finish line

Cupcakes with M&Ms as Olympic rings

The blowing of the candles

Riding fun after eating cupcakes

Closing Ceremony with gold medals (chocolate coins on ribbons)

The opening of gifts

The gift she got on her actual birthday, a nightstand for her bedroom

A fun time was had by all!

Photos From the Last Few Weeks

All bundled up on a chilly not-quite-fall morning

Quietly reading one weekend morning

Things Sophie brought me to help me feel better one day when I was sick

Sleeping with her pillow pulled around her head.  Why?  I know not.

Face painting at Grandma's church

Jon-boy sporting his birthday gift

Sophie and Ryan wearing their peace shirts for their Peace Day Parade

Morning Walk to the Park

Well, more than two weeks ago I posted that I was very sick.  As of today I still haven't completely recovered, but I am feeling much better.  My only remaining ailments are a persistent cough and some lower back pain that has been plaguing me the past week.  I'm hoping that soon goes away.

I haven't done any sort of exercise for the last three weeks.  My last workout was on Labor Day; my sickness came in the middle of the night that night.  This morning I was feeling up for a leisurely walk, so the girls and I walked down to the park while Charles was still sleeping.

A blurry picture of Sophie walking beside me while holding my hand

Hannah riding ahead on the scooter

As we arrived at the park entrance, Hannah took a spill off the scooter.  It is downhill into the park, and she had taken on more speed than she could control.

She scraped up her knees quite a bit but was very brave.  I asked if she wanted to head home or stay at the park for a bit first, and she was up for staying.  So the girls played on the playground for awhile and then we took a walk around the half-mile park loop before heading home.

Photo we took while taking a break halfway around the park loop

It felt good to get out in the crisp morning air and get a bit of exercise, and I enjoyed doing it with my girls.

Many other events have occurred while I've been sick, including Hannah's birthday party.  I plan to update these on the blog over the next few days.