welcome, fall!

You can't see the hay, but it's a hayride!

pony rides

We went to a fall festival a couple weeks ago and both kids rode a pony. It seemed awfully big to me but they assured me that it was a pony.

Jane at Fenway

I took Jane, along with a couple of my friends, to her first Red Sox game a couple weeks ago. We had a great time! We were a little late but otherwise she lasted the whole game. The snacks didn't hurt. We lost and Jane said: "but we win sometimes."

Waiting for the train:



It's big!



Buy me some peanuts and...

real swift

Nana gave me her old swift she wasn't using anymore. How nice not to have to roll balls of yarn from a tangled mess on my lap! Jane was very eager to help me.

fun out back

It's still summer for us! Jane has another year before kindergarten and I wouldn't say that I'm homeschooling either. Jane is a very independent learner and we read enough books and visit enough museums that I don't feel like we need a strict schedule. We'll most likely start art class and gymnastics in a few weeks. For now we get to enjoy the nice weather!



Jane is eating her favorite backyard snack: a chive.

art day

We briefly visited the Boston arts festival on Sunday, then came home and painted some more.

Applefest 2011

Back to the cottage for Applefest!



Reagan in her apple hat (that I didn't make!)





Jane did most of this herself!

Boston children's museum

We're visiting a lot of museums in September because everyone is back in school, yet the dreaded school trips haven't started yet. I was right and we lucked out at the children's museum... it wasn't crowded at all! We had never been there before because I was intimidated by being around thousands of loud children, so we caught it at the right time.

Turtles!



You can see on their faces how thrilled they were to find Quack. He's on their favorite show!













If you've ever been here, then you understand that this is the scariest thing ever. It's three stories high and once your child is in there, you can't get them out. It's all enclosed so I wasn't afraid of Jane falling, but I was afraid Malcolm would have to use the bathroom and I couldn't take him! Thankfully that didn't happen!

another beach day

Labor Day barbecue

visiting the new park again

Jane and Duncan



Cassidy and Malcolm

last blueberry picking

After sweating in the 85 degree, humid air, being bitten by hundreds of mosquitoes and dealing with my son's potty accident, I was happy to have them play on the tractor for a few minutes with Jacob and Eliana before we went home.

I suppose I don't mind waiting 10 months for the next blueberry season.

dressup time!

Practicing for Halloween is Malcolm as a bunny, Jane as Cinderella, Rosalie as a kangaroo and Nolan as Superman.

outdoor playdoh

I have my friend Leigh to thank for this idea. Once I realized we could do playdoh outside, I became a much happier mother. If you've ever tried to clean playdoh, you understand.