where I left off

A lot happens in the span of three months. That's how long it's been since I recorded anything on this blog! It's so hard to find the time and I've avoided spending extra time on the computer since it steals time away from the kids. So, I've got a lot of material to cover in this post...And since it seems crazy to try to catch up, I'll just give you some "best of" material.

In October, Ella had a school trip to a pumpkin farm. The photo below is of her and her closest school buddy, Makenzie. They are a super cute pair but sometimes I'm flabbergasted at the drama that occurs with girls in KINDERGARTEN! Seriously, sometimes it seems like seventh grade stuff.

Makenzie and Ella

Later in the month, around my birthday, we visited Mimi in Edina. We had a great hike at Thousand Hills State Park and enjoyed visiting the petroglyphs. Simon loved being out in the wide open space and he mentioned the hike again to me just this past week. We'll be visiting this spot again for sure in the spring when it's warmer.

Simon on the run amidst the trees

I finally got him to sit still long enough to snap this shot! This boy is known for his boots!

In that same trip, we spent lots of time at various parks. Mom's apartment is pretty small so we're always looking for ways to get the wiggles out. The above shot is Simon playing guitar with a stick at the old Rutledge school playground I mentioned in a post long ago. And below is Ella looking sweet at the same park.

For Halloween, we kept things simple. We trick or treated just along our street for a couple of blocks and then went to a party at some friends' place. Ella was Elastigirl from The Incredibles, Simon was Spiderman, and Josie was a daisy. There were so many stinkin' cute photos, but I just don't have the room to share them all!

This costume was amazingly cute but didn't stay on very long. Babies and head gear don't mix.

Spidey and Elastigirl

In November, I (and a handful of amazing girlfriends) painted the cherry red kitchen a more subdued bluish gray. (Enter *sigh of relief* here.) The paint job also included a chalkboard wall by the fridge that I use for my menu planning as well as for keeping track of tasks and weekly events. It has also come in handy for the kids art fix. Simon has drawn me some interesting works. The below images come from his "Garden of Eden" depiction. Simon is particularly interested in this Bible story, in fact, when we read it last time, I asked him why Adam and Eve had to leave the garden. His answer was, "Cause there was a SNAKE in there!!!"

This Garden features three snakes that say. "P P P" instead of hissing.

Detail of snake's face

And we'll end this "best of" with a shot of Josie. Man has she grown. But I'll give the low down on that in a post all her own. Hopefully. If I can find a free moment.