Harvest Party

Ainsley has made a few new friends lately and we were invited to a 4th birthday Harvest party this weekend. Ainsley had a lot of fun at the party with her new friend and experiencing some new fall activities.

Here she is painting a pumpkin. She made a very beautiful abstract design. I have had it on my window sill in the kitchen admiring it. I'm sure we'll be painting pumpkins again next year.

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They also had a pony ride and a hay ride. Of course Ainsley was excited about Shadow, the pony! She sure is an animal lover. There is a pet somewhere in our future, hopefully not something quite this large!

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Out of everything though, she was most excited about bobbing for apples. She talked about this from the time we got the invitation. She had a blast getting wet up to her pig tails. She had a few young coaches on the sideline tipping her off to the stem trick.

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Check it out mom, I got it!

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We're so thankful that God is bringing these new friends into Ainsley's life. This particular friend is close to our home out in Independence and he has also blessed us with a new friend down the street from Papa and Gigi's house. Even after three years of living in Missouri we are still finding our way and he is guiding us.

The Cider Mill and Pumpkin Patch

It was Andrew's first trip to the pumpkin patch this year and the weather did not cooperate. It was cold and gray, but we had fun anyway. We started off our annual excursion with a trip to the cider mil. Ainsley loves cinnamon and sugar donuts right out of the fryer! Guess what, Andrew does too! (And, I'm wondering why he's not so into his normal food right now. What with cookie and donut tastings who wants bland mushy apples.)

Hay rides, feeding the chickens, pony rides, and big orange round things. Andrew took it all in stride and we had a blast despite the chill in the air.

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Checking out the surroundings. I think he was a bit overwhelmed.

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Ainsley on the look out for the pumpkins. She's also checking out the very serious pumpkin cannon that the farm had. It was in working order and shot pumpkins out like you wouldn't believe. We also saw some camels you could ride.

The great pumpkin patch. We took the hay ride out to the u-pick pumpkin patch but didn't brave the mud. We have had a very rainy October and when we saw mud-caked tennis shoes on their way in, we thought we would play it safe and check out the pre-picked patch in the greenhouse.

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How tall are we this year. Andrew's getting a bit of a boost from mom so it's not accurate. However, if you could see the numbers you would notice Ainsley is past the 3 foot mark. Last known measurement 37.5 inches! She's up to my hip, it's amazing how fast they grow! Before I know it I bet Andrew will be taller than me.

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Milking the cows and feeding the REAL chickens. There's no fear in her. She's ready for the farm.

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Taking a break in the hay bale maze.

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We had a wonderful time and it's been exciting to have Andrew along with us this year.

Pie Making Extravaganza

Well, you saw the apple orchard pictures and after picking almost 3 whole bushels of apples this year we had to figure out what to do with all of them. So, mom, Gigi, me, and Andrew had a pie making party. Gigi wasn't so sure how this would all work out, you know having two small children around while peeling, coring, slicing, and rolling dough. I do know she sure didn't expect to get 12 whole pies made!

We got some great pictures of the day. How did I help? Well, I stirred the apples up. They made my hands sticky!

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And then I measured out the apples into Gig's big measuring cup.

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Then, we mixed in the cinnamon and sugar. (This was my favorite part. I wasn't exact on the measuring part because I knew I
would be eating here.)

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Here's Andrew helping. He sorted through some of the apples.

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And tried to taste some. Still no teeth, so the apples were still usable. (After a good washing of course!)

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And check it out, Andrew can palm an apple. Maybe basketball is in his future.

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It was a long one but we all smiled and really enjoyed that extra pie after dinner!

Catching Up!

Wow, has it really been two whole months since our last post? So many things have happened since August and we can't wait to catch you up on everything! You are in for a treat to see how we have been growing, what we've been up too, and what we have coming up! So make sure you see all the posts from August to the beginning of this month! What's there you may ask...

Andrew
Crawling, standing up, eating finger foods, drinking from a cup, and some stats will be posted after out Dr.'s visit on Wednesday.

Ainsley
Apple picking, pony tails, park visits, soccer, coloring, reading and acorn necklaces!

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So long for now, we'll be posting again throughout the month of October to show you hay rides, pumpkin picking, cute costumes, pie making, and hopefully some other fun things!

Isn't blogger nice. It shows you how many posts per year you make. I noticed today that I am approximately 40 posts shy of 2006, the year we had Ainsley. I still have a few months left, so I'm trying to tie it up. Unfortunately, not every post is dedicated to the development and growth of our dear boy Andrew, but he's made significant appearances. Overall, not bad for a second child I think. Now, if only I could get caught up on the baby books!

Union Station, Trains, and a REAL Mickey!

Matthew has been pretty busy on the weekends so I frequently make an attempt to get the kids out of the house for a few hours. This allows him to have some uninterrupted work time and a better chance at just hanging out with the kids (and mom) after nap. I usually bank on the soccer clinic but it was cancelled today. But the Lord provided through a great heads-up phone call from Gigi! Union Station was having a Marine Corp Toys for Tots drive that included Mickey Mouse. (Bonus: It was free!, Besides your donated toy.)

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Sponsored by Radio Disney AM 1190, there was singing, dancing, toy give aways, etc. Plus mickey themed stations, complete with trains, for the kids to play at.

Clapping to the beat. Ainsley was a bit shocked to see Mickey Mouse. His first time on stage she was very reserved. By his fourth appearance we were front row and doing the how-down with his co-host!

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Andrew wasn't quite sure what to make of everything. I am sure the fact that Ainsley made an effort to get two of every free giveaway was lost on him. I think his expression captures the idea that Mickey is larger than life to most kids.

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We visited each station an donated a Dr. Suess book and received a train conductor's hat!

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Mickey changed and got ready for his big train ride to California. If you are interested, you can watch Mickey on the train on UTube.

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We didn't get hugs or handshakes from the big guy but it was fun just the same!

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At bed time Ainsley said, "Mom, wasn't it so cool to see a REAL Mickey Mouse." A slightly warped sense of reality but with a thread of truth. To a three year old, seeing Mickey Mouse outside of the confines of a DVD or a storybook had to be pretty amazing!

Motorcycles and Apple Orchards

Every time we are driving on the road Ainsley will pipe up from the back and say, "Mom, motorcycles are dangerous. They put you in the hospital." Knowing that, try to explain why one of your very good friends arrives on a Harley.

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It took a bit of coaching and reassurance that this motorcycle would not be moving prior to getting this picture. She also considered wearing her bicycle helmet. She's very safety conscience. Mrs. Helman is a friend from church and her husband is in med school on rotations. Because he's frequently gone, we love to invite her to come and hang with us. We love Mrs. Helman and are thankful that she can share in the fun things we do with the kids.

As you may have guessed, today we are going to the apple orchard with our dear friend. She rode with us in the car. (Making Ainsley very happy.) We went up to St. Joseph and to an apple orchard with a lot of variety. Still we have yet to find cider and donuts that compare to what there is in Michigan, but it's still fun.

Pickers, ladders, who needs them. Thank goodness my mom is tall!

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Andrew loved being outside and seeing all the apples. He also loves eating the homemade applesauce. Chunky please. (We are going to try spiced on him next.)

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Tasting the tree before picking. Each tree produces a different flavor of apple. It was funny to see Ainsley say yes or no to the tree she was about to pick from.

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Learning to twist, not pull!

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Andrew is wondering, "Where is mine?"

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It was a beautiful day. Just warm enough to give us all rosy cheeks, but not hot enough to break a sweat.

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They had a great play area for when we were finished. Andrew loved the bumblebee swing!

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Ainsley loved the straw maze! It was great that she could play and get lost while we could still see her.

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A Climber!

Yes, I've got a climber. I think he's going to keep me busy.

Watch me mom!

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Almost up.

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Soccer

I am going to be attending a soccer clinic at church with some of my friends. Coach Chico says I'll have moves by the time the clinic is over. In preparation; mom, dad, Andrew, and I went out to the park to practice in my new soccer shoes and kick my new soccer ball. Mom got some great shots of dad and me. (Dad's the soccer player, not mom.) You would have never guessed it was my first time out.

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Running and kicking. I was showing more coordination than mom had expected. Of course, we won't post the pictures were the ball got in my way!

Is this called dribbling?

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Andrew enjoying the surroundings. A flag football practice and watching soccer. As well as a casual spoonful of food. It doesn't get much better than this!

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Will it be a goal?

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They aren't sporty, but they are mom's favorites. It was a wonderful day for me to watch Ainsley and dad just playing together. I hope they can continue to find things to do that they both enjoy!

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Puffs. What, I use my hands?

Andrew has been introduced to Puffs. A magical food by Gerber that most babies like. Andrew has been particularly antsy when it comes to getting into the high chair. It seemed as if food wasn't immediately in his mouth, we were sure to know about it. So, the introduction of Puffs came. A bit too early we discovered since he couldn't quite get them to his mouth, but they were entertaining all the same.

You can see from this first picture that he is very unsure of this new food group on his tray.

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Ahhh, these fingers have a bigger purpose than to just chew on. Check it out, they hold onto these things. But, now what do I do with them?

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We cheated, Ainsley had an assist to her credit and now Andrew also know what they taste like. He seems to be pleasantly pleased..

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October 12th update: Well, as I'm sure you have guessed, he's a champ at eating finger foods by now. Gerber has these new things ( well, new since Ainsley was at this stage), freeze dried yogurt morsels. Andrew loves them, to the point he now turns his nose up at Puffs frequently. Especially if he can see the bag in sight. I am sure this is a ploy by Gerber because they are more expensive per ounce than Puffs.

Coloring and Drawing

Ainsley has had an increased desire for coloring and drawing as of late. We have been drawing the majority of our bible lessons out in the morning and she has been imitating some of the things she sees me draw. She also has been using some of the Kumon learning books and we have seen a huge improvement in line drawings, coloring in the lines, and completing mazes. Watching her creativity blossom has been a huge joy for me since art is a passion for me and something I enjoy. I hope we can continue to foster creativity in Ainsley and that she will enjoy her masterpieces later as much as she does now.

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Some explanation may be required for this self-portrait. This is Ainsley with blond hair. Eyes, nose, mouth, arms, and legs are all intelligible. The red circle is her heart. (We focus a lot on being self aware about the state of our hearts. Are they black or red, loving or sinful?) The blue part according to Ainsley is her body. She's been praying for a big family and is very focused on when she will get married and have children of her own. Perhaps she's drawing a future Ainsley with a pregnant belly or she truly just doesn't get the concept of the stick figure. I'm guessing it's the latter.

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October 12th update: Stick figures now include ears, pig tails, shirts, and foreheads (these are indicated by a covering of blond bangs). Some pictures show our house too.

Playing at the Park

The humidity has broken and we went immediately to fall type weather. We've tried to stay outdoors and enjoy the fresh air because we know winter will be here before we know it. These pictures were taken at a park that we visit with our church friends. It's a castle theme park which Ainsley loves. It also has a rubber walking surface. That means no mud and less bruises when the inevitable falls occur.

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Always ready for a photo.

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Sliding and making echoes on/in the tunnel slide was plenty of fun to everyone.

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Hanging all be herself on the slider. I can't count how many times I pushed her back and forth. There was never a complaint about sore arm muscles either!