not enough paint and apples in the world

Craft time!

At Wargo Nature Center.  We were starting to grasp for straws this particular Sunday. Outside. Nature-y. Short notice. Your Dad was off (hurray!) on a Sunday and wanted some family time. I thought it might be wise to get out of the house.

Yes, mostly. 

Not sure "Apple Cider Fest" lived up to what I was expecting, but the crafts were pretty cool (and actually the fresh apple cider was amazingly delicious...it tasted just like an apple - imagine that!). 

 Apple stamp art. Gotta love it. 

And a home made bird feeder?

Awesome.

Sing it, Zo! "Peanut Butter ba-ba"

Spread some peanut butter....

roll in some seeds and there you go. 

Squirrel bait.

Paint my hand you said? Well YES, that sounds like fun.

Make it look like an apple with a green stem?

Sort  of. 

Note mom's attempt at corralling fidgety arms. I think I was successful.

 I always think of the time I was in grade school and we had a visit from a police officer. He finger printed us but warned us as a group not to wipe our inked finger on our clothes. So what did I do immediately after he released my newly fingerprinted hand? Went to smudge it on my clothes. Was I suggestible? Prone to instinctual response (i.e. sloppy)?  Perhaps a little of both. 

 It also tells you this is an indelible memory mapped in my brain.

Success!

Your first trick or treating adventure, played out at G & G's house. We brought pizza, we brought pumpkins and we brought two sea otters with personalized trick or treat bags. 

We left with WAY too much candy (now hiding in the basement).

You're going to hate me for this photo

SFD

The Stillwater Fire Department had an open house.

And it was impressive

Not only did we get to see Fire Engines, but other rescue vehicles as well. Grandma and Roman are here in front of the Life Link helicopter. 

Neither of them wanted to go inside, but that's okay. 

They checked out the inside of an ambulance. I really don't want you to see the inside of one of those too often.

And inside the firehouse. It's hard to look at all that gear and not think about Sept 11.

But when you get a look like this from a pink helmeted little girl, you enter back to the present.

Police/ car photos for dad and grandpa!

And a rescue raft.

Oh my!

We ate afterward at G & G's and Miss Zoe wanted to help set the table. 

Jumping in the leaves time

Well it was a few weeks ago.

Hug?

At this request, someones lower lip protruded in defiance.

Even though Zoe refused to wear the hood...

The Sea Otter outfits I got on clearance last year fit perfect.

And with the whole ensemble...Adorable!

I don't think this is "the" Halloween outfit (although it may be better than the actual)

Because after about 10 minutes Ms Zoe was itching to get out...That wouldn't bode well for Halloween. Or would it? ;)

What's Going to Work?

Team- work!

I asked you to jump, and I think you did Roman!

I hope you always have each other, guys. 

When you make each other laugh (and you do), I think how lucky we are. 

Of course when you yank a toy out of your siblings hand (uh, Roman I'm mostly talking to you), I have other thoughts. But that's life, eh? We're lucky to have "ya" (thanks Roman for that pronunciation, it makes me smile everytime I hear it).

Can I take your picture Zo?

Such a nice wooded location on the last warm day of fall...

Then you did this, my dear.

And this! Very model-y. :)

"Banana Beak"

You probably didn't come up with this all on your own, kiddos, but it still cracks me up when you say it. We've been watching a Muppet Show disc lately (the Star Wars one!) and Roman said this the other night. I did a double take, then laughed. Your Dad said this has been going on for awhile.

I can't wait for the new movie!

You can lead a Zo to pumpkins

But you can't keep her hands off.

That white one looks like a ghost!

The brother looks on.

Your dad was in the "don't touch, Zo" mode. I had been, but after a day of this tact myself,  I think I kind of resigned myself to the fact that as long as you weren't destroying them, shifting them around a bit wasn't going to hurt anyone.

Good light, warm weather (gone, gone, gone!)

and a hiding Mommy.

The not so itsy bitsy spider

Pretty darn cute though. We gotta visit the spiders when we see them...Your Grandma Candy and Dad would only expect it.  The walkway near the building at the arboretum was filled with scarecrows and other fall decorations.

This owl was pretty cool. When we were there on Wednesday we watched them carry it in for placement. You guys stopped dead in your tracks and didn't want to move. Not because you were afraid, but something about it made you want to be near it. So we listened in on the staff conversation about how and where to place it. And 

voilà

 there it was on Saturday.

Ghosts-es. I love your language right now. Roman is apt to conjugate verbs in ways that make common sense, but aren't right. I think I'm aware of it since taking a few language classes again over the lunch hour at work. Language is a tough thing, once you set one rule you turn around and violate it.