Apple Picking 2015

We had a beautiful, fall day to pick apples this year. With a little bit of help, we went home with more than enough apples to make applesauce and apple butter for ourselves, friends and family. This year, the kids also wandered into the corn field bordering the apple trees and came home with some ears of corn for the rats. We always enjoy this time of year! 

I made corn-husk dolls for the kids.

The kids helped drive the tractor with our load of apples back to the car.

Fall at the Conservatory

As we have gotten more into the rhythm of our homeschool schedule, we have been trying to get back to our field trips, which the kids love! There's lots to see and do in the city, and we try our best to fit field trips into our busy schedule. This past week, we made a trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory to catch the last week of their Big Bugs and Blooms & Butterflies exhibits. In between running a few errands, we enjoyed visiting the gardens, especially the outside gardens where we saw lots of mums, bug sculptures and bonsai. We wrapped up our visit by watching a butterfly release. We look forward to returning to the Conservatory in a few months! 

One Wild(life) Summer

It has been a wet & wild summer! With lots of rain and cool temps, there have been lots of wildlife wandering into the backyard and eating up the garden. Yikes! Though the garden has gone nearly bust, we have enjoyed watching all the critters who have visited or make our yard home. Our groundhog(s) had babies, which were super-cute! We have also seen several deer, including some fawns. Mostly we see does, but a beautiful buck wandered through, too. They come to eat the mulberries that fall from the trees and taste the tender seedlings that Darren tried to plant early on... a garden fence is in our future. But we love our yard and our neighborhood and are delighted whenever we spot an animal visitor passing through. 

First Snow 2014

The backyard.

Our first snow was beautiful! After a few days with a tiny flake here & there, we awoke to a wet, heavy snow clinging to everything. The browns of autumn instantly transformed into a winter wonderland! The kids bundled up and spent  a few hours outside playing before lessons. 

A view from the front yard. 

Little Mouse

Another animal rescue! This time a little mouse! So sweet!

Our First Backyard Campout

Last weekend, we had our first backyard campout. We started by putting up the tent and having dinner over the campfire. I am a fairly capable cook, but opted for an easy meal of hot dogs and beans. The kids got a kick out of our rustic dinner. They also loved playing in the tent, which was filled up with sleeping bags and pillows. The cats also enjoyed having us out in the yard and headed straight to the tent for some napping. We ate dinner and had s'mores and then the kids ran around the yard as night fell and the bats began to swoop across the yard. We settled into the tent for a late bedtime. 

A little IPad time around the campfire after dinner.

We had a beautiful fire!

Darren & the kiddos made it through the night! We kept a small hole open in the tent for the cats to come visit. They thought that camping was awesome and were in & out all night. I was up early and started the fire so that I could make breakfast. We had pancakes, bacon, eggs and toast. The kids had a great time, though it was definitely a bit of work for Mom & Dad!