Good times with Grandma and Grandpa

Halloween!

All of the components for a grand Halloween. Pumpkin carving, scooping, and gooping. Don't worry, Shawn's just out of the frame. We didn't just hand them knives and tell them to have at it. Both Shawn and I agreed that we like carving pumpkins at Pat & Blaine's more that doing it on our own. The camaraderie, the mess in someone else's house, the beverages in hand...we can't decide what we missed most... In any case, we all reminisced about those great Halloween parties in St. Paul.

We went trick-or-treating with a big crew of St. Mark's faculty families. Lachen is here with his good buddy Nicolas (Abe Lincoln). We all get together in the dining hall for dinner, then out to the quad for a crazy attempt at a group photo. Then, just as it's starting to get dark, we head out to gather loot. One family of four dressed as the Jolly Green Giant, a cob of corn, and two Lil' Sprouts. I told them how flattered we felt that they were honoring the Minnesota River Valley!

I volunteered in Aksel's classroom to help out with the Halloween party and parade. Aksel and his red-headed friend Shannon, a.k.a. Cleopatra, are so darling. They both have that endearing mix of speaking like grown-ups and then goofy babble. I can barely contain my love of that duo. He has a great kindergarten class. He is young for his grade, and I fret about that sometimes. He's a follower, rather than a leader, and that sort of thing. But, he has made friends, and I can't imagine him in another year of preschool. There's the same sort of thing happening here as in St. Peter with kindergartners being 6 going on 7 instead of 5 going on 6. Aksel is in the right class, but there are lots of older kids. Still, he can tie his shoes, so I'll gloat about that one.

Lachen's First Chapter Book

On our way to school today, Lachen said, "Well, Mom, I finished that one." Then he flung this substantial library book into the front seat of the car. "Whhhaaaat??? A chapter book?! That's blog-worthy!" I exclaimed.

Suddenly, Lachen is reading like crazy and his teacher is amazed at his story-writing, reading, and general brilliance. That's our Lachen!

Hockey Time!

Favorite Family Fun Time

So Sunday I was in a bit of a funk. I was weary after Shawn's being away for several days recruiting. A great chat with Katy had gotten me through a couple days, but I was cranky for really no tangible reason. Sun was shining, leaving are nearing their peak in color, nobody had to go to work.

So, instead of wallowing in ha-rumph, we decided it was
time to bust out a big basket of Favorite Family Fun Time.


Ah, my favorite family fun time! Not only did I win a poster contest in 3rd grade with this title for my drawing of my family picking apples at a farm in Iowa, but really, this is my favorite family fun time. Wagon ride, endless juicy apples, the smell of a few rotting apples gives a vinegar-y sense to the air. Fresh air, fall foliage. Bug are mostly dead, or at least dormant. My allergies have subsided for the year. EVERYONE at an orchard is happy. Seriously. It's glory. No wonder my parents are slowly turning their backyard into an apple orchard. My current favorite is the Macoun. Shawn and Lachen are all into the Gala, and Aksel reached high into the trees to get the last three Honeycrisps in the orchard. At Tougas Farms, after you've eaten and picked your fill of apples, there's a playground for all Indiana Jones, Jr.'s--note Aksel's t-shirt.

On the way home, we stopped at my favorite cheese shop to get some cheddar. Apple pie with a hefty slice of sharp cheddar. Mmmm...

Aksel's First Piano Concert

Here's a movie clip that we made for Grandma Hemberger. We're in the market for a piano, but for now, Aksel loves his keyboard in his room. The curriculum, Kids on Keyboards, is from Wisconsin. Each key has a name, and there are little rings Aksel gets to wear. So far, he's mastered "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Hot Cross Buns." Next: "Rain, Rain, Go Away." His love of music makes me cry on a near daily basis. I think he feels the music in his spine, Peter.

Crispy Fall Update

Today was our last CSA box. After reading of the August Earth final box on babyhemberger.blogspot.com, I have to say, our box was a bit light. Still, it's lovely to have a final bunch of kale, a cabbage, two red bell peppers, a bag of potatoes, two sunshine squash, two eggplants, and a bag of apples. We haven't had tomatoes for weeks. They must have had a frost on the farm. Stillman's is the name of our CSA. I do love that they include fruit. We usually devour the cartons of blueberries, raspberries, plums, peaches, and apples before we even get home. This week, we scored a dozen apples. So, we will have enough for the boys' school lunches tomorrow.


It's lovely and crisp here. But, since we haven't had a frost yet, I'm still harvesting baby Swiss chard, tomatoes of two kinds, green beans, green onions, rosemary, basil, dill, and parsley from our garden. We also have pumpkins on now whithered vines. There's nothing like making dinner and sending one of my boys out for some herbs. And, the green beans have never made it in the house. They're a great snack for roaming Minute Men out on patrol.

The countdown is on! Twelve days until Grandma and Grandpa Hemberger arrive for a fall-time visit. We heard another exciting countdown: Grandpa has only 30 days left working for the IDOT! That's hardly any time at all. Will there be a retirement party, or will Dad be getting right to work for his new employer--my mom. The boys are hopelessly excited about the Kids' Cabin, so we're hoping that that is high on the priority list.

When the Hembergers are here, we're planning a trip to Sturbridge Village. It seems only appropriate considering our family's current obsession with Colonial times. And, I have fond and vivid memories of visiting Sturbridge with my Gramma and Gramps when I was 6. I just realized that I, too, went dressed in a sort of costume: a grey wool with black velvet trim frock coat and bonnet. I wonder where my boys get their love of the dress-ups...

Tonight, the boys have hockey practice, I'm looking forward to doing some sewing, Shawn's away at a college fair, and Reilly is his jovial self. Lachen's 1st grade field trip is on Wednesday. Only near Boston would a class trip go to Fenway Park and call it an historic venue. It is, I know. But, seriously?!? Then, Thursday the boys don't have school in honor of Yom Kippur. It's not going to be a very rough week!

It's a beautiful time to visit New England. We're hoping Peter, Katy, and Fredrik will be here during Spring Break. Any other takers? The invitation is always open.