Learning About Fall Fruits!

On the way to church yesterday I saw a beautiful fall display in front of a house and chuckled to myself. If I were from another country, particularly one where food was scarce and the convenience of a garden was not available, I would think it especially odd to see people decorate with vegetables and fruit. Who would think of decorating with edible squash? Especially when their children are hungry and need nutrition. 

We see the beauty in the colors and appreciate the unique shapes. It reminds us that the harvest is bountiful and that God has blessed us with more than we need. We certainly live in a land of plenty and have no room for complaining. 

We took a little field trip to Harvestville Farms in Donnellson, IA. We met up with another family to spend a beautiful fall afternoon. We learned a lot, as well as had some time to play! 

I had no idea there were so many different varieties of gourds, pumpkins and squash! We brought home a few new varieties of squash to try out, and a few gourds to make into birdhouses this spring.

These Pink Banana Squash are said to resemble pumpkin once cooked. After you bake it, you can use it in any pumpkin recipe, or freeze for later. Looking forward to some pink banana squash pie this fall! But -- shhhh -- don't tell my kids. They don't think they like squash!

This is such a unique pumpkin -- a peanut pumpkin.

Making our way through the corn maze. 

Emily searched high and low for her perfect treasure. 

Ezra liked the bumpy ones too!

Megan like the "roller" slide. I thought it looked a little rough, but she didn't seem to mind.

This little guy can't turn down a ride on ANYTHING with wheels. 

Facial Hair -- Already???

All I can say is that they are all getting razors for Christmas!

Apple Picking Fun

"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why."  

I was more than excited when Annetta called and asked us to pick apples. She is always fun to hang out with and I am so thankful for her generosity. We have had fresh apples and applesauce or apple crisp or baked apples every day since apple picking. 

Thank you  Annetta! We appreciate the delicious fresh fruit so much!

Rhett inspects a Red Delicious apple.

Eli got in on the picking . . .
and the eating!

The yellow delicious tree has an abundant crop!

Emily was always in search
of the "perfect apple."

And there was some climbing!

Rachel shows off her apple picking skills!

Annetta takes a minute to chat with Eli.

Julie gives her seal of approval.

Along with apples, we picked up English walnuts!

Dodge Milestone

Four years ago we bought our Dodge Caravan. It was our first van and I wondered if we would love it. And, honestly, we have loved it. 

We love the Stow 'n Go. Use it all the time. I love that the seats fold down and pop up easily. I love the extra storage and the roomy trunk. I love that it has been reliable and that we have had only minor replacements and repairs. 

This weekend we hit a milestone and turned over 100,000 miles. Looking forward to the next 100,000 miles in memories! 

Illustrating the Feudal System

We have been studying the Middle Ages, or Medieval Times. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to it, but have been surprised at how much I have learned! It was an exciting time period. Rising and falling dynasties. Kings and assassinations. Castles. Robin Hood and Genghis Khan. The Crusades. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. 

When studying societies we learned about the feudal system. It was a very new idea introduced by William the Conqueror. 

Basically, it said this: 

The king owned all the land.

The king gave the lord land and castles. 

The lords gave the king service in his army and paid taxes.

The lord gave land to the knights.

The knights promised to serve the lord.

The peasants (or farmers) gave the lords food.

The lord gave the peasants land.

So we used a pyramid of Polly Pockets and other various small figurines and white chocolate chips. The peasants started out with all the chocolate chips and then we redistributed the chips to illustrate how the wealth trickled up the feudal pyramid.

Please Pass the Parmesan!!

So this is what happens when your 3-year old gets the 

Parmesan cheese on spaghetti night!!!

Skeletal System Anatomy

I love playing games. And our girls love learning by playing games. Here is Bone Bingo. As the girls correctly label a bone, they can cover it on their bingo board with a Cheerio. 

Hedgeball Harvest

Anyone have a hedgeball tree? There is one out in the pasture across from our house. For some reason, one afternoon we decided to go pick up hedgeballs. I don't know why. I have never taken the kids on a hedgeball harvest before, but over the fence and across the creek we went. 

Those things are kinda pretty. They are weird -- for sure. Bright green and covered in a texture that reminds me of a brain. A very green, round, softball-sized brain. And we discovered that, although one hedgeball isn't very heavy, a bag of 40 hedgeballs is a lot of fun to carry through the pasture. And even more fun to lift over the gate. Lots of fun.

When we got home I piled them next to the house, and next thing I know they are in a window well. I was telling Matthew that the hedgeballs are believed to be a natural and safe insect repellent. He asked if I noticed fewer insects around the house. Grin. My reply: "Not in the window well!"

Mop It Up

True confessions. I love my mop. It isn't actually the mop that I love. In fact, I have an inexpensive mop that frequently tangles itself up when I use the clever twisting mechanism to drain the mop. So, I don't really love the mop. But I love a clean floor. 

I love to walk across the room without sticking to a "mystery spot." I love the smell and feel of a freshly mopped floor. But, for some reason that freshly mopped feeling, look and smell doesn't last long.

Mopping is an invitation. It is an invitation for every open container which holds a wet, sticky substance to unexplainably be bumped, toppling over onto the floor to create a small mound, puddle or pond. It is a pleading for dripping popsicles and pitchers of juice. It calls to muddy boots. It begs for forkfuls of spaghetti drenched in red pasta sauce. It is as if the floor becomes a magnet for anything that could disturb the cleanness!

You remember the movie "Field of Dreams"? Do you remember the voice that Kevin Costner's character would hear? He repeatedly got the message: "If you build it, they will come." Well, for a mom with a mop the message goes something like this: "If you mop it, they will spill." As soon as the faucet is turned on to fill the bucket the whispering begins, and you know that your efforts will bring such short-term satisfaction.

It's ok. Really. Spills can be temporarily mopped up with paper towels or kitchen towels until all the little ones are tucked into bed and the mop makes its appearance once again. 

I think I am like our kitchen floor. I LOVE Lamentations 3:22-23:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

I need God's compassion and love and mercy every morning. Isn't it great to climb out of bed in the morning and know that the day has not been blemished -- yet. Just like the freshly mopped floor. Inevitably, I will fail someone. I will lose my temper. I will trust in myself instead of putting my faith in God. I will blame someone unjustly. I will speak without love. I will break my word. I will be unforgiving.

And, just like the kitchen floor, I need a little cleaning up. Every day.

Thank you, God, for "mopping up" my sins and allowing me to start fresh each morning. Forgive me for failing you -- daily. 

"Stained Glass" art project

Here is a CHEAP and simple art project. We made custom "stained glass." Each of the girls made their initials, although I didn't get a photo of Emily's project. Eli also did an abstract which turned out very neat. Here's how you do it!

Step 1: Create a template on a sheet of paper. The girls each drew their initial and then random shapes.

Step 2: Slip the template into a clear plastic sheet protector.

Step 3: Trace the design on the sheet protector with Elmer's school glue. Let dry completely

Step 4: Color glue with food coloring. We mixed the glue and put them into bottles that we use for tie-dying.

Step 5: Fill in the empty "shapes" with colored glue. Let dry completely.

Step 6: Trace over the clear lines again to fill in any gaps. Let dry completely.

Step 7: Carefully peel off the sheet protector and display on a window or mirror!

Gourds Galore!!!

I learned a valuable lesson during one of my first years gardening. 

It was this: A family does NOT need 8 zucchini plants.

This year we learned the same lesson with gourds.

Actually, I learned a second lesson this year.

Gourds do NOT belong in the garden because they will overtake your other vegetables.

And, Emily learned something in her 4-H gardening book.

You can scratch on immature pumpkins/gourds and they will form a scab as they grow. Here is a heart that she carved in this gourd when it was still young and growing. She also did one with Megan's name on it. 

Isn't nature cool????

We have had an abundance of gourds this year. We have given a lot away, and still seem to have plenty to decorate every nook with a reminder of fall!

Skeletal System -- Fruity Vertebrae!!

We've been studying human anatomy and learning about the skeletal system. To illustrate how the vertebral column protects our spinal column, we re-created it in edible fashion! We used a peel apart Twizzler as our spinal cord and threaded our vertebrae (lifesavers) and discs (wagon wheel pasta). We talked about why we have discs between our vertebrae to prevent them from rubbing against each other and to give us amazing mobility. I am amazed by the God's perfect design to protect our ever-important spinal cord. 

Fun on Eight Wheels

Unbelievably, last week we were at the roller skating rink three times!!!! Once for a birthday party, once for homeschool skating and once with Tennessee cousins. 

Saturday and Sunday afternoons seem to be great times at the Outskirts for family skates. It is not as crowded as the evening skates so it is good for little ones to grow their confidence on skates. For awhile, we were the only skaters. Three other little boys on roller blades joined midway through the afternoon, so it wasn't too crowded and made for lots of fun.

The staff is great! They are great with the kids. They offered the kids as many games as they wanted to play, and gave all the kids free popcorn. They show concern for the kids, helping them up if they need it and tying untied skates. 

On Saturday there was a "bounce house" obstacle course set up. The kids went back and forth between it and skating, with the exception of Eli. He never got his skates on!!!