School and Life have been keeping us busy

My cool guys waiting for me to pick my new glasses.

Waiting for the bus and looking good.

I saw this when I went to visit Eliza's school to help one day. She did such a great job of drawing herself and her favorite unicorn shirt and pants.

Alex's class did Potato Olympics and he had Peru. His potato placed and got a medal and he made his outfit and his flag.

Alex brought home bubble tea one day, and I could not stand how sweet it was. So we decided we needed to try the real thing. So we went to a bubble tea shop by us and tried the bursting bubbles rather than the tapioca bubbles. It was good, but more of a summer drink. I want to go back and try more flavors of tea.

Our latest addition to the deck area.  A small Japanese Maple. We have to keep chicken wire around the top or the deer will eat it, and we have to wrap the trunk or the rabbits will eat it. Sigh. 

Alex was one of the top readers in the district over the summer and was recognized at one of the first School Board meetings. He got a medal and a cookie. He's in the middle with the blue shirt on.

My car with our little Power Wheel that's still going. Just thought it was a funny scene when I saw it.

Alex decided to try out Trombone this year. So far so good. Perhaps one day Evan, Alex and I will do a trio together. 

Evan no longer fits in the Power Wheel so he has to dangle his leg out the door. He removes his flip flop and puts it in the seat next to him so he doesn't lose it while driving. 

Corn maze fun! We didn't make it to the end the first time. Some how we ended up at the beginning. A corn maze has been on Alex's to do lists for years.

Our kindergarten friends that we had fun at the cider orchard with.

Someone lost her first tooth! It's a good thing too because she was starting to get a second row of teeth and looked like a shark.

Evan's friend invited us to a Multicultural night and we got to see his friend's sister dance the Lion Dance. It was really neat and we decided we need to do more multicultural night events. 

One of the Lions

Got their Roosevelt gear on and are ready for their Fun Runs

Evan did well running

Rosie the Husky gave him a hug at the end 

I think Alex needs to try out for Cross Country. He was one of the few kids that ran the whole 10 min. without stopping. 

So glad I got to see them at their Fun Runs and cheer them on.

Daddy joined me for Eliza's fun run. He even did a lap with Eliza. Evan's fun run was a 10:15, Alex at 11, and Eliza's was at 12 at a different school so the kids are keeping me busy.

My tired beautiful girl

Hard at work drawing, crocheting, and crosswording

Got some helpers in the garden to harvest basil, cucamelons, tomatoes and peppers.

Such cute helpers

Pretty good pull from the garden and most will end up in the freezer.

This truck is still rocking and rolling and zooming with kids on its back.

My crazy girl likes to peel her mini corn dogs before consuming them. She may do it to cool them down but I'm not sure.

Evan picked his reward for doing well in school and at home and he picked having dinner out with a parent, and I got to be that parent! He picked Leo's Coney and really liked his chicken tenders with Ranch.

My MOPS group did an escape room, we did not escape. Turns out they are really hard.

My creative builder of a son.

There were plenty of apples at the farm this year so we headed over to pick them.

Eliza doesn't remember the last time we picked apples, I think that is because she was a baby the last time.

Beautiful day to be outside, but a bit on the windy chilly side.

Grandpa enjoyed a bit of time with his grandkids.

We were starving after picking up apples so the boys got a huge scoop of Peanut Butter from Grandma.

Pressing cider and carrying out the goods

My helpful crew loading the truck

We pressed over 100 gallons of cider.

A warm meal at McDonalds after a cold day of cider pressing. 

Off to school I go!

Everyone did well at the dentist. No cavities!

Our playroom can get a bit dangerous on occasion. It's hard to water my plants some weeks.

Love these guys

"Botany Plants Lately?" shirt from a friend and I sure did buy some plants 70% off is the way to go!

Our new plants for the yard

Alex is a safety at school this year. He helps a kindergarten class pack up and get to the bus at the end of the day. 

The kids have been playing A LOT on the trampoline lately. They play Gaga ball all the time now, which has been great. Thank you OMA!

We were invited to our friends house for a Halloween party. I think it was the first Halloween party the kids have been to. These are Eliza's friends from school.

The boys had fun decorating cookies and consuming Lots and LOTS of sugar that evening. Evan had a great time bouncing bouncy balls into people's shoes by the front door. Some how we didn't have any in our shoes when we left.

I helped at Eliza's picture day at school so I got to see her, which is always a treat. I got to filter 500 kids into seeing a photographer, which wasn't too bad. :)

I stopped by and hung out with her for a minute during her lunch.

Eliza and her BFF neighbor Logan on their way to school.

Evan was under the weather turns out he had Hand Foot Mouth, which is a first for our household. The doctor said it's all over the High Schools as well which is not normal. So he got to take a few days off from school and hang out with me.

Eliza has been reading this book every day at school and she requested that Daddy get it from the Library so she could read it to us. She was so excited and asked about the book for over a week asking when it was coming.

We went to Halloween nights at Greenfield Village with our friends. Cold but tons of fun.

We even rode the Ghost train

Fun times at the Village!

We got out on a cold day and got a few family pictures for the year before all the leaves were down.

We invited Alex's friend Oliver to join us to help take some of the family pictures. He did pretty well.

Eliza and Evan both brought cameras as well, this slowed all processes a lot, but they had fun.

A few of my original wood garden beds are falling apart. So instead of having a U garden with another row, Mike recommended just having a path through. 

So I turned the bed on the upper left and made it so we have a path. We will be replacing the 3 center beds this year and next year. The one closest has Garlic in it so I can't do that until next summer/fall.

I got to help at Eliza's Halloween party and do the Bingo station.

She was a bat for her class Halloween party

Trunk or Treat at Sheiko. Evan got to hang out with his friend Ethan, who he doesn't see much anymore now that he attends Roosevelt. Evan was a Chef, Alex was a Werewolf, and Eliza for this event was a light up unicorn rainbow.

Trick or Treat Trail was fun too. The kids have PLENTY of candy.

I went to see the boys at their Halloween parties. They got to do a parade outside for parents. I thought it was pretty funny Alex put his safety belt on outside of his costume. 

Evan was very happy to see me.

Alex doing his Halloween craft at his party.

Evan was drawing a spooky house in his class. I went back and forth between the two boys because their parties were at the same time.

Halloween night we got to see the Wade girls and trick or treat.

Yes, the kids got plenty of candy this year

I love this goofy girl

This is a picture of Alex walking to school last week. This is how dark it is when we walk to the bus.

I took this picture this morning. Same time as the one above but with the time change. This is why I don't mind time changes, the kids are way more visible walking to the bus.