Jumping into fall

We have been having a great fall season. Mostly because it stayed warm for so long and we were able to play outside. They love being outside. Then when the leaves finally did start to fall they were right there. Lynn and Kay have the best shade trees which are huge, so lots and lots and lots of leaves. My kids had a blast jumping in them.

My kids have loved playing outside in the dirt. In the back yard there is still mountains of dirts that need to be leveled, but for now it is their second house. A few weeks ago they were playing outside until dark and I look out there and Abby is laying down in the dirt. So I go to check it out and they were measuring her bed. They had used the rocks and stuff to make a house and they had different rooms and Ben even made a bathroom and told me it was for sure a bathroom because he used it. (gotta love boys) They had so much fun. They were dirty from their head to their toes, but they loved it.

We have really been enjoying the new house. It seems easier to clean even though it is bigger because I have a place for our things, which is wonderful. Now that they are inside more they have been very creative and making lots of crafts. Last week we ended up with strep throat so all three painted some crafts and had so much fun. Grace would not let me help her and it was killing me, but luckily it didn't end all bad. We had a fun day off together.

Grace is at my favorite stage, and the most annoying. She is into everything. At times I am laughing and at others I am going crazy. The worst thing about Grace being into everything is I have had to move things around. I had a drawer with my knifes and we found her opening that drawer and reaching to pull things out twice before we decided it had to be moved. I have had to lock my drawer with my DVD's because my kids are realizing that she has scratched more than one DVD. Then with two other kids she just finds things lying around. Ben was using a sharpie (which talking about things being where they shouldn't be I guess I shouldn't put that where anyone could get it) and left it on the table and of course Grace finds it and before I know it colored all over her face. (I didn't think to get a picture until after I had cleaned off some I was a little panicked that it wouldn't come off, then when I calmed down I finally took a picture). I am just so glad it didn't end up on the new paint or cabinets.

But my favorite thing is her talking. She says everything and the things she says are so funny. She only wants her diaper to be changed by the fireplace. So the other morning she woke up and was in her crib talking to herself. So I went in to get her she said, "mom stinky dadda fireplace bum" translation - "mom I'm stinky and I want dad to change me by the fireplace. So sure enough I put her down she runs out of her room and sits down next to the fireplace. She still talks about the goat trying to get her at Gardner's village. At least once a day she will tell me "goat bum cry" translation "the goat tried to bite my bum and I cried". Today Bryce bumped her and she started to cry and ran over to me and said "dadda hit mine" translations "Dad bumped into me". She was very upset and Bryce had to come over and apologize. She is a little bit of a tattle tell and is very protective of her things. If she even thinks your getting to close to something she has she will let you know. Her favorite words are still related to food and I hear the word snack and treat far more often than I want. She has such a little sweet tooth.

Abby is enjoying school. A few weeks ago they had crazy hair day. I tried to talk her into a few different hairstyles, but the only one she wanted was to make it big and puffy like our neighbor wore on craz;y hair day. For Thanksgiving she was so excited about her party at school. She loved the crafts they made.

Ben is so excited for Christmas already he decided to make his own Santa hat this year then helped Abby make one as well. He was really excited.

My kids just love to make crafts. Since we have a fireplace and I'm not sure where where else to put all there crafts our Thanksgiving crafts filled the mantel. But they did a great job on their crafts and were really excited to have them displayed.