A Fun Fall Weekend

These photo posts are mostly for the benefit of grandparents and far-off friends.

Enjoy!

FRIDAY:

The Circus!

I'll call this one 'Mom and Child with Snot & Cotton Candy Face' - a masterpiece!

SATURDAY:

Last (very chilly) day of soccer!

Brian spent quite a bit of time watching from this position.  He said it was cozy.

Saturday afternoon fun playing in leaves my dad spent all day raking and then eating hot dogs roasted over the open fire.  Yum!

Cousins smiling

Cousins "sleeping"

Cousins yawning

And cousins exploring!

SUNDAY:
A stroll in the woods - someone had built a really cool lean-to.

Sunday dinner - we're working on making the Sabbath day extra special around here.
Why have china if you never use it, right?!

I hope you had a good weekend, too!

Apple Picking 2011

Saturday was a day like this.

So we headed to the orchard.

Who knows?  It could rain every Saturday morning for the rest of the season.

One must take advantage.

Funnily, Colin thinks that the guy who took this pic for us works in his building.

We'll be eating this guy, but I couldn't resist a photo before making him mine.

 Simmons Farm has much more than apple picking,

like this "corn box" for the kiddies.

Super cool.

 I wish they had a giant one for parents.

The other thing I appreciate about this farm is that from the apple picking, the farm store (where you can play in the corn), and a little animal petting area with goats, chickens and sheep, you can't see all of the rest of the stuff that costs additional money: hay rides, slides, mazes, etc., etc.  The kids can enjoy what we go to do without feeling like they're missing out on something better.

We've made some applesauce and a cobbler with our stash.  I really love the fall season and can't wait to pick more apples next year.  Next up, pumpkins.  But we're going to wait until we're a little closer to Halloween.

A Buncha Stuff

Um, yeah, Park Week wore me out!  Yesterday, instead of a park we went down to the convention center to pick up my race packet for the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay that I'm running in tomorrow morning.  I will be helping our five-person team, Run Ragged, by running 18% of the marathon.  Hopefully I'll have a photo I can post up here!

I'd never been to the new convention center (that opened in 2003.)  It's in a wonderful location with a beautiful waterfall lined ramp to walk through in the middle down to the Allegheny River's edge.  This location will be added to places we go when friends come to visit, at least when it's warm enough for the waterfalls to be flowing.  Again, I didn't have my camera, but here's someone else's photo for you to enjoy.

We added a quick trip to the Pittsburgh Children's Festival this week as well, to catch a free carousel ride and petting zoo.  I DID take my camera on that outing!

 

This final photo's impact is obscured by the water in the tub, but you can see a bit of the results of Park Week on the kids' legs.  I think one could argue that they used the play time well!

Have a good weekend!

Park Week!

This mom declared it Park Week in honor of the amazing weather.  Each day we are visiting a different park we have never been to or have not been to recently.  Naturally, I've neglected to take my camera either place we've visited so far.  Here's what we've done.

Birmingham Bridge in background

Day 1: afternoon visit to the by Ormsby field in the South Side, adjacent to the Birmingham Bridge.  We've seen this little park on a couple of trips over to the South Side and have wanted to check it out.  Challenges here: one parent using inappropriate words with (her own) and around the young children playing); one child  calling a girl Elizabeth was playing with "dumb as a donkey" several times in a mocking tone; leaving early because Elizabeth's foot started feeling like it was "splitting in half" because of the overuse of cheap flip-flops lately.  (She wore supportive shoes today for soccer and was fine; phew!)

Day 2: morning visit to the Allegheny Commons Park on the North Side where we met up with Hilary and Miles to play, picnic, and enjoy the sunshine.  The sunshine did not disappoint!  Nor did the ducks who are practically tame - so many folks feed must them they expect it and swim toward people on the banks of the pond.  And the company was lovely.  Challenges here:  Brian wet his pants; Brian disobeyed and soaked his spare pants in the pond water.  He was really unfazed by both, but since we weren't heading home afterward, I had to pick up some shorts for him at St. Vincent de Paul's.  This all worked out really, because it was 1/2 off kids stuff day; I scored three (very much needed) pairs of shorts for Elizabeth too!

Reflections on "Park Week" thus far:

• Elizabeth will need to wear supportive shoes all summer.
• Living in the city means being near people who are different from you; I'm just glad I can be available to answer my kids' questions when they arise and that Jesus loved me while I was still a sinner - so I can call behaviors wrong, not the people.
• Remember to take Brian to the bathroom.
• I'm thankful that Elizabeth has not had to encounter much meanness from peers ... yet.
• Allegheny Commons is BEAUTIFUL and I could will go there at least once a week this summer: small playgrounds, open green space, pond with bridges and an island, train tracks (for the boy!), Hilary and family near enough to join us, beautiful north side architecture, and the aviary.
• Take along extra clothes for all on the above mentioned visits.

I don't know how the weather is where you are; but if you live in a place where it's grey for a while, when you see multiple days of sunshine and warm temps in the forecast, I highly recommend declaring a Park Week.

Tomorrow it's the all-wood playground in Highland Park!  You in?

April School Field Trip

Last school-day of each month we have special breakfast and go on a field trip to one of the many Pittsburgh attractions.  Today it was scones on china and the zoo.