It’s Autumn Time

I love seasons. Just as I tire of one, a new one begins. There are things I love about spring, and things I love about summer. The same goes for each season. Here we are at the end of October, and autumn is here in all its glory. I love the crisp air of fall, the leaves crunching under my feet and the anticipation of Christmas.

But let’s be honest, you don’t really care what I love about autumn. Perhaps you’d like a glimpse into my six-year old’s perspective…

A recent school project by Nathan:

 

Let’s take a closer look…

“I love Howluween”

 

“I love the froots and the vechtbel”

“I love pumpcin”

“I do not love wering swetrs”

There you have it folks- his favorite things about fall: veggies and being cold.

‘U’ Better Believe it!

My kids have been wanting to hike to the ‘U’ for a long time now. Well, we finally made the pilgrimage. The trail wasn’t clearly marked from where we started. But we made our way along the steep incline, with our sights set on the destination. 

Emma was excited to see ‘autumn’…

 

Nathan worked hard to keep his britches up, but his spirits never fell….

We went straight up the mountain.  

And finally made it!  

  

True to their style, the kids spent a long time climbing, up, around, over, and through these rocks.

The view was amazing.

 

Oh, yeah- these views were breathtaking, too…

Luckily, we found the real trail on the way back down. Still steep, but we didn’t have to slide on our pockets….  

Did we have a great time?  

U better believe it!

Teach a child to fish…

Casey was really good last year to get himself up and out the door by himself. I would wake up when I heard the front door close. I know what you are thinking…a good mom would wake her child, cook a nutritious breakfast, pack a lunch, kiss their forehead and offer words of encouragement before they head off to school. That’s what I think, too. Unfortunately, my good intentions never made it out of my head.

But this year, with two kids getting up before the crack of dawn, I decided I should turn over new leaf. Hmmm. Well, I think I got up early for the first couple days. I’ve never been good with routine. Ever. But I am proud to say we implemented a new routine and have stuck with it for a whole month! I’m pretty sure that’s a record around here.

We have been making the kids pack their own lunch the night before school. Since Casey was in kindergarten, I’ve been making lunches every morning. I don’t mind it, but mornings are sometimes hectic. Yes, I could make them the night before, but by the time dinner is cleaned up I’m tired and it’s time for the bedtime routine. (there’s that ‘R’ word again.) Not to mention, what I pack is not always what they want to eat. 

So we’ve taken the approach of teaching them how to make their own lunches. You know, a lifelong skill. I realized for years, I was only feeding them for a meal. Now, I’m feeding them for a lifetime.

Let’s take a look at the lifelong skills my children are learning.

Here is Nathan’s lunch:

Clockwise from the top: a whole carrot, unpeeled (yes, my kids like them better that way.) peach yogurt, pear halves, Mini Nilla Wafers, an apple, a s’mores granola bar, and a PB&J.

 

And here’s Hannah’s lunch:

Catalina dressing and some spinach leaves.