Picture update.

We had several pumpkins pop up in our garden this year. 1 large pumpkin good for carving and 5 small pumpkins. Of course by "we" and "us" I mean Jim. Either way it is very exciting to have pumpkins growing in your yard. I love pumpkins and fall and Halloween, coupled with Jack's birthday at the end of October, it just might be my favorite time of the year.  

Jack and Lilly were very excited about the pumpkins on the porch.

Then the sky was beautiful, Jack took a nap, Lilly ran for president, 

and the spiders took over Danville. 

(That is my way of addressing all my random pictures in one post.)

Can you see the crazy webs in between the trees below?  Because we had a mild winter the spiders have taken over the town.  The exterminators said it is the worst spider hatching season they have ever seen. Isn't that gross?  

Luckily I am not really afraid of spiders or I would be having a nervous breakdown.

Webs in the chain link fences all over town. (These web pics are phone pictures.)

Jim found one of the spiders responsible for all the webs.

This why Pennsylvania needs winter!  The end.

Gettysburg

My mother invited Lilly and myself to a fashion show tea party at Gettysburg.  She planned to attend the tea with her book group and she invited us to join the party.  I forgot my camera and we didn't think to use my mom's iphone until the end.

There were three courses, tea sandwiches, scones, and dessert.  Along with tea in pretty cups.  All served outside on tables under a tent with white linens.  Very pretty.

During the tea party there was a civil war fashion show.  They had 8 or so women dressed in full hoop skirts who walked around and gave detailed information about how the women of the civil war era dressed.  The women of the civil war era wore long sleeves and 7 layers in the summer.  They claim that they were cooler than we were today because the layers were away from the body (by a giant hoop skirt) and they wore 100% cotton which is much cooler than polyester blends.  I just don't believe them.

(This woman is dressed in her formal ball gown attire.)

While Lilly and I were at the fashion show Jim and Jack checked out the Gettysburg museum and cyclorama.  I admitted that I might one day want to look at the museum and maybe the battlefield.  Maybe.  If you think I am bitter and hateful about the civil war, I am.  We spent many a childhood vacation at historical locations, a lot of them being civil war battlefields and I just can't get on board with visiting under my own free will.  However, I feel it might come soon.

Either way, we had a great time at the fashion show and Lilly loved it all.  Grandma bought Lilly a special porcelain tea set as a souvenir and Lilly loves the set.  We have already had several tea parties at home.  Lilly and I both agree that we would like to have a hoop skirt sometime in the future.  My sister and I used to call them puff dresses and seeing a reenactor in a puff dress was always the highlight of any historical trip.

It was definitely a great introduction of Gettysburg for Lilly and hopefully she can be a mature adult and enjoy historical outings, specifically involving 19th century U.S. history.

September update.

September
1. End of the day of the first day of school.
2. Jack and Lilly meet at the end of the day of school.
3. Blue moon.
4. New bike from papa.
5, 6, 7 Jim gets old.
8. Jack asleep.
9. Lilly's cute face.

Race Day

My friend, Tina, organized a summer kids marathon and the Saturday before school Lilly participated in the final mile of the kids run.  The children had the summer to run 25 or 12 miles with the opportunity to run the final mile on race day. Then the children would have completed a full or half marathon over the course of the summer.

This summer was pretty hot and humid so it was really tough to get those miles in before race day. However Lilly seemed to have a great time and Jack even participated by running a lap or two.

Pre-race sippy cup.

Jack kept lining up 10 feet in front of the starting line, he knew he would need a leg up on the competition as the youngest runner participating.  Everyone is trying to get Jack back to the starting line in this picture.

He came to the starting line for about a minute.

The race....

Lilly in action...

After the race....

The kids had a great race and a fun time!

Preschool

Jack started preschool the week of labor day.  He goes to school with his best pal, Eli.  Jack loves school almost as much as he loves his backpack.  Eli is one year older than Jack, in case you are wondering about the size discrepancy.

His backpack has actually become my new diaper bag.  I stick 1 diaper, wipes, snack and drink in there for him and HE carries it everywhere.  Genius.

Every person Jack sees he reminds them that he is indeed wearing a backpack.  Just so you know, I do comb Jack's hair, however this offends him greatly and as soon as I am done he looks me right in the eye and takes both of his hands to mess up his hair as much as possible.

Jack goes to school every Tuesday/Thursday morning for 2.5 hours.  He BEGS to go to school on the other days, much to his disappointment he gets to hang out with me on the other days.  He also hangs out with me the other 10 hours of the day he is NOT in school.  (Just in case anyone thought I was neglecting my child by putting him in preschool at such a young age. It is only 5 hours a week...no neglect here.)

Hopefully his love for school continues forever.

Last day of summer

Park. Pool. Knoebels.  Last day of summer throw down.

The water in the big pool had "iron" in it, which is why it was green. 

It certainly didn't phase the kids.

Last day of summer ice cream hurrah.

Lilly 6, Alysson 7, Caleb 6, sitting directly in front of Noah 6, Malcolm 3, Calvin 8, Carson 4, Eli 3, Jack 2. Summer pool buddies.

It was a great summer and an even better last day of summer.

First Day of School

Last Monday, August 24, was the first day of school for Lilly.

The morning did not go as planned. Raspberries rotting in the fridge, sandwich bread with mold, you get the picture....basically the morning revolved around food disappointment.

Lilly did not mind at all, she was thrilled to be starting first grade.

Jack really missed Lilly while she was at school, I did too.  I also really missed the easy life of summer. Sleeping in and doing whatever we wanted to on any given day. Major perk of being a stay at home mom in the summer.  That is why I am behind on my blog, it has been a tough week and a half adjusting back to school life.

Lilly loves first grade and she is making all new friends.  There is only one child in her class from kindergarten.  The primary school is very large and each grade has 10 classes, so the kindergarten classes were completely divided into 10 new first grade classes.

She had a great first week back to school, we all transitioned successfully.  This week it is really back to the grind, I am back to teaching piano lessons (20 students) after a summer hiatus and general life busy-ness is back in session.

(On the way to the first day of school!)