# 17: Go To The Farm

Addie-cadabra, checking out the bunnies. She was absolutely delighted at all the animals!

Miles-beguiles, typical boy, spent the morning running from one obstacle to the next.

My Lucy-loo, fascinated by the loose corn in the corn shed. :)

The girls enjoyed checking out the swing with Liz. They love to swing with me at home!

I have no idea what prompted this funny face, but I had my camera out at the right moment. ;)

She informed me she was a "sky dancer" (apparently this is from My Little Pony?) and raced around the top of the straw bin, leaping across the cracks in the bales.

She's told me several times lately that horses are her new favorite thing.

After we'd run off everyone's energy exploring and had a snack, I tried to grab a few quick, more formal pictures before the babies got too tired... with mixed results, lol. I prefer candid shots with babies, but these are pretty cute, even if nobody is smiling. ;)

Lucy

Miles

Addie

 Then it was Abby's turn!

 

This kid makes my heart smile. See? <3 :="" br="">

My little pumpkin. :)

It makes picture taking so much easier now that she understand how to smile!

 I even made Ruth and Liz get fall shots!

Ruthie was totally dressed for the occasion - I love her boots!

Liz always looks cute. :) Also, more boot envy.

 I even got one myself. :)

I'm covered in kid-chasing grime, and my scarf has fallen limp and looks like it's going to strangle me, but there ya go! :)

Five For Friday

- It's fair weekend, and I spent yesterday evening and this morning enjoying one of my favorite events. :) Last night it was all about the cotton candy (which was totally amazing after thirty days with no sugar), miniature horse pulls (hysterical!), and bunny rabbits. This morning we met up with Abby and Natalie and saw the rest of the livestock and rode rides. I still haven't made it to the photography exhibit or the kids section, so I'll be returning at least one more time this weekend. :) (Some other posts about the fair, from 2009 and 2010.)

- My Whole30 ended on Wednesday, and although I had the best of intentions concerning reintroduction and not going nuts and all that, I basically threw it all to the wind and indulged in some of the things I've been missing the most. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly? I'm not really sure anymore) I've ended up staying mostly Whole30 compliant since then. I have enjoyed very small amounts of cheese, reintroduced legumes and soy, and had some condiments, etc with added sugar (though I've become a habitual label reader and have swapped out several of my favorite foods for versions with little or no added sugar). I'm excited about my new tastes and healthy eating habits! :) Hoping to do a full Whole30 wrap-up post soon, but for now, that's my two cents.

- Speaking of Whole30... One of the things I was really craving was a good creamy salad dressing, and I bought some Caesar dressing on my first "free" shopping trip, but they all had added sugar and dairy and preservatives and after having some on my salad I decided it was delicious but too guilty to be enjoyed. So today I made my very own homemade Caesar using this recipe from SimplyScratch (love that site), except I added extra garlic and black pepper and left out the parm (because, again, trying to limit dairy) and it was fantastic. No additives, no sugar, no dairy. I am happy.

- I can't believe it's more than halfway through September. In fact, there's only one week of swim left in this session before the break. And it's almost time to put together a new sensory bin for the triplets and start a new monthly theme. We've been doing tons of crafts lately and the kitchen has started to look like a children's art museum LOL!

- I had today off, and since it's been FOREVER since I've had a Friday off, I kept thinking it was Saturday, and tomorrow I'd need to dive back in to the business of church and rehearsal and getting ready for the week ahead, etc, etc, etc. But it isn't. It's Friday, and I have tomorrow to do all the necessary stuff. So today, I took a nap, watched TBBT, cooked bean soup, and generally relaxed. So needed, and so amazing.

Wrapping Up

- It was a really, really crazy and stressful week. Last Wednesday was the first "official" day of my new promotion to manager of the swim program, and this past week has been crazy as I frantically shored up various issues. I will totally admit it, there was a moment where I stared blankly at my roster and thought, "There might not actually be a solution to these problems..." and it was a really, really discouraging thought. I care so much about the program and I want everyone to be happy and succeed! But by the middle of the week there was a glimmer of hope, and as of right now, I have 75% of the issues sorted and we have a plan in place for the other 25%. It will get better.

- I also had four days with the triplets this week, and while I love them and am thrilled to be working, it made for a long week. One day I got up to be at Abby's by 7, took her to school, went to the triplets, worked until 4, ran to swim class, ran class, then ran to drama rehearsal (praying the whole way I wouldn't be late - ended up being only 5 minutes past). By the time I got home, I was completely ready to just crawl into bed and collapse.

- But - tomorrow I have a whole day off. This is so exciting I could cry. I'm going to bake chicken with lemon, give the house a good cleaning (Lord knows it needs it badly!) and decorate the front steps. :)

#7: Take Back To School Photos

My great big grown-up first grader. *sniffles* How did she grow up so fast?!

She told us she was "scared" of first grade the week before school started, then she went to open house, met her teacher, and declared "I'm not scared anymore."

She worked so hard this summer, "keeping my mind sharp."

She told me for six months that she wanted a leopard backpack - never asked for one, just made sure I knew lol - so Maggie and I got her one for her birthday. :)

Also, who wouldn't want that adorable unicorn lunchbox? ;)

Who's number one? :)

"Sweet face!"

"Now funny face!"

Off she goes!

Fall Bucket List 2014

Oh, Fall. It's here now (I don't care if the thermometer reads 90+ degrees - September is the start of fall!) and I'm glad. It was a good, hard, long, amazing, stressful summer and now it's over. I'm more than ready to settle into a routine and enjoy the (hopefully!) quieter pace of Autumn.

There's been lots going on lately (hopefully lots of posts coming in the near future!), some good, some not so much, but for now, here's my latest bucket list:

1. Winterize trailer (put up insulation, install heat tape, unpack space heaters, etc)
2. Take coffee to Professor Maloney
3. Get a fall drink at Starbucks
4. Start Christmas shopping
5. Take a road trip
6. Go to the fair
7. Take back to school photos
8. Crochet something
9. Clean out closet and donate unused clothes
10. Buy pumpkins
11. Visit the corn maze
12. Make hot apple cider
13. Sit around a fire
14. Buy a new sweater
15.Unpack winter bedding
16. Make apple butter
17. Go to the farm
18. Burn a new CD
19. Wear boots
20. Binge-watch Bones, Castle, and NCIS
21. Eat honeycrisp apples
22. Make chili
23. Go to Artsfest
24. Buy an autumn candle
25. Buy a succulent for indoors
26. Decorate for fall
27. Make birdfeeders with triplets
28. Host a party
29. Buy a new pair of socks
30. Go to First Friday
31. Go dancing
32. Stop for donuts before school with Abby :)