Nature Quest

A friend told us about Nature Quest on Mondays at Hidden Pond Nature Center near our house.  Preschoolers gather to hear about various insects, reptiles, birds, etc. and even get to "pet" the animals.  They go outside on a scavenger hunt of sorts and then at the end there is a craft and snack.  Abby's school days are Weds, Thurs, Friday so we are always up for adventures on Monday/Tuesday mornings!

Work Picnic

Note: while beautiful, that face paint was a bear to remove.  We spent allllll day a few Saturdays ago in Maryland at Brad's company picnic.  It is such a family affair with plenty to do for all ages.  Abby particularly enjoyed pumpkin decorating, while Alex simply ran into the patch and chose the biggest pumpkin available and passed on the decorating portion.  The lassoing game was new this year, had never seen that before, but we haven't lived in TX in a very long time either.  I'm guessing it is a rodeo staple.  Brad works on the committee that sponsors the picnic and I think they do a fantastic job each year.

Signs of Fall

 Signs of fall include glow in the dark Halloween PJs from Grandma, acorn collages, and busting out the fall hand me downs from Catie and Vanessa.  The leaves have started to fall out front, time to start raking before it gets out of control!

Bike Rodeo

The first scout event of the school year was the Bike Rodeo!  What a neat event.  The kids practiced starting and stopping, hand signals, navigated a road course, obstacle avoidance, riding on rough terrain, and basic bike safety.  Even in the pouring rain that ensued, the boys got a kick out of having their bikes out in the rain and riding around the school grounds.

Apple Picking

Back to our favorite pick-your-own farm, Hollin Farms, for apple picking season!  Both kids enjoyed this, despite the warm temperatures, and we had eaten most of the apples in a weeks time.

Bathroom Remodel

Phew, that's done.  As cool as the yellow bathroom was, the rusted out hole in the tank made us think it might be time to replace at least the toilet.  And while we were at it, maybe pull out the vanity...and the mirror, well and the light fixture and tiles, oh and don't forget that horrible floor, set in several inches of concrete.  Fun stuff.  

We did have the tub professionally reglazed and the plumber had to extend the tub spout pipe in order to install that.  Other than that, this was a weekend warrior project.  Lots of weekends.  The new bathroom is beautiful and we love it!  Brad's friend Matt, again, helped get him started with the tile work.  Sam had a tile saw we could borrow, which worked out well as the shower walls needed a lot of special sizing.  We owe those two guys endless cases of beer for all of the tools they so graciously loaned us.  All in all, an excellent learning experience.  Oh, and save yourself the trouble and order the Moen fixtures the first time (amazon).  Burst cheap shower heads without brass fittings aren't worth the trouble they cause.

Currently we are between projects, which is a very zen place to be :)

First Day of Preschool

Abby started at Knollwood Preschool this fall and has been loving the change of pace.  It is much closer to our house and she's going three days a week instead of two this year.  Her friend Celia has been going here for a few years now and they just love it...now we know why!  The teachers are incredibly loving and the class sizes are very small.  They run the discovery center downstairs similar to a children's museum, with lots of hands on stations and opportunities for imaginative play.  Abby is thriving in this sort of environment and loves the days she goes to school.  

In lieu of a typical playground, the school offers a play garden, which is awesome!  There are tunnels through hillsides, slides built into the ground, a "birds nest" to play in, a working vegetable garden, a sandbox, and xylophones in a gazebo.  It is pretty unique and Abby has really taken to the school well.  The artwork she brings home is crazy fun--discarded recycling items turned into creative projects.  The teachers have all been teaching there for years and enjoy being with the kids as much as she enjoys being with them!

She has her first field trip this week, to the local rock quarry, too fun!