Knife-Wielding Daddy

Perhaps Vanessa had reason to be concerned for Pumpkin since Daddy was going at him with a knife like that. A couple times, for just a short moment, Vanessa became quite concerned as Daddy began to carve. She exclaimed at one point, "Oh no, Pumpkin?! Hurt Pumpkin!" It was one of those moments where it was cute she was so concerned but we didn't want to mock her sincerity, so we turned away until we could handle explaining in an appropriate manner that Pumpkin couldn't feel a thing. And I went on to reassure her that she is right in that knives do cut and can hurt us.

Vanessa didn't really like reaching in to pull the guts out. However, she did enjoy scooping the stuff out with a spoon.

She ended up really happy with Jack-O'-Lantern. (She tried blowing out his "happy cake" candle.) She even kissed him.

“The believer does not use God's power; God's power uses him.” *

In the last week or so I reconnected with someone who is very dear to me. Her family and the tragic loss they endured 20 years ago made a lasting impression. My perspective on motherhood and the gift of children has been somewhat shaped by this person and the loss she (and the world) endured. If I ever seem to be an overzealous or bragging parent via this blog, it's because I learned early that I can't take anything for granted. God is using this person to help me with issues I didn't fully realize I have. (Or perhaps I wouldn't accept that I have.) The reconnection has brought incredible happiness and some peace about certain unresolved things in my life. I've cried lots of tears, but happy tears.

Earlier this week, after reading a second piece of correspondence from this dear blessing, I went to get Vanessa up from her nap. I was trying to go about things as normal. Vanessa wanted to play in her room and ordered me to sit in the chair while she did so. I happily followed. While Vanessa played, I began to think about the reconnection, all the gaps coming together, and God's hand in it all. At one point Vanessa came over to engage me in something she was doing. She stopped and stared into my eyes. Tears ran down my cheek. (I began to cry because of how extremely grateful I am for her and her health.) She noticed the tear and said "Uh-oh . . . Mommy, water?" I told her they were tears. She asked, "Mommy sad? Mommy hurt?" I replied, "No, Mommy is happy. Sometimes we cry because we're happy."

Then I saw an element of me in Vanessa -- she had to find a way to make me laugh and smile. (I want to fix people's hurts, although I'm powerless to do so.) Although I didn't realize at first what she was doing, Vanessa held up her finger and said she would be right back . . .

She came back with a pair of (clean) little girl undies on her head. I laughed and cried hard. Again, she said she would be right back. When she came back again, she was holding another pair and asked that I put them on my head. Again, I laughed and cried harder and harder, and happily obliged. Once again she said she would be right back. She came back this last time with a pair for Daddy, but I had to tell her that Daddy was at work.

(Vanessa kept the undies on long enough till we made it downstairs to take a picture.)

*Quote by Kenneth Wuest.

Indian Summer Adventures

Do you ever have impulsive moments? I decided while Vanessa was napping (after playing at a park along the Scioto this morning) that once she woke, we would venture up to Glacier Ridge to play in a small section of woods. I had a strong urge to be outside to enjoy the beauty of fall. And it was a great opportunity to take Vanessa outside to enjoy the warmer weather. The adventure didn't disappoint. And while Vanessa played in the woods, I took pictures. We played for probably 45 minutes in one spot.

We counted and caught leaves that were falling. We talked about their colors.

We played on fallen trees and broken logs.

Vanessa even stopped to pray. Seriously.

We played more and decided a sweater wasn't necessary.

We climbed trees. And threw leaves.

And once we were done, we raced back to the car to beat Daddy home.

Circle S

We did our annual pumpkin picking at Circle S Farms first thing Saturday morning. Yes, it was cold, and it was also rather wet. We figured we'd get home in time for what ended up being a sad game, and it was best to go in the morning to avoid the after-game, afternoon crowds. We made good memories, though, and we had as much fun as one could!

Here's a fun tractor the kids played on. Daniel drove first, as Vanessa supervised. Then Daniel was gracious enough to allow Vanessa a turn. And Audrey rode piggyback while Daniel drove (but no good pic.)

The Fun Barn is fun! (Though not recommended for those with sensitivities to hay.)

The Scarecrow Maze was the perfect size for little people. The kids could find their way to middle sections that were walled off from the outside perimeter. Daniel is leading the way back to a path to get out. Lucky for us, Vanessa followed! That would've been a tough one to get her out of. :)

We're finally getting ready for the hayride. The tractor pulled three large wagons and we were the only ones on it for the first ride of the morning. When we returned, there were lots of people arriving. I imagine it gets pretty busy.


And it seems Vanessa thinks the best way to choose a pumpkin is to sit on it. This place had a wonderfully real pumpkin patch. (No pumpkins tossed in a field.) The vines and weeds were actually kind of fun to climb through and over. And there were tons of big pumpkins.

After picking pumpkins we headed into the bakery where we got delicious donuts, muffins, cider and hot chocolate.

Buuurrr . . . at the Zoo

An extra busy and wild weekend! We decided to stick with our original plan for going to Boo at the Zoo this last Friday evening. Buuurrr, was it cold! I realize we're not talking sub-zero temps, but I just ball up and end up aching more in these colder temps, so therefore I whine. So we layered and layered. Vanessa wore thermal underwear, two body suits, tights, a cow jumper (which thanks, Nancy -- isn't it cute?!) and outerwear like a coat, scarf, hat, etc. Vanessa refused to keep on the extra outer layer. She was willing to have freezing hands and ears just so she could run and go crazy. We watched for any coloring of blue, but she seemed to do okay. Needless to say, the indoor exhibits were well worth quick visits.

We got the best photo of her costume at the car. Adam thought it was too much trouble to put black shoes on her. It would've looked great (and did for a second) but he was smart to encourage me to throw on some running shoes instead, especially since she did tons and tons of running and the black shoes were definitely not safe for that. Vanessa wanted to be a cow this year. Fitting since she loves her milk!!!!

This was at the beginning of the bundling process. She kept her hands covered and was shielded by her stroller canopy until Daniel, Audrey, Lindsay and Paul arrived, at which point she threw everything off and went running like a mad woman.

She and Daniel enjoyed the toddler hay maze.

She touched a starfish for the first time.

The manatees were lively and they were neat to see in the quiet dark.

It was hard to get the kids to pose. They had to keep moving. :) Vanessa and Monkey Daniel drove the boat. Daniel loves boats and I'm sure one day he'll captain one. His daddy has already made him first mate of their boat. Audrey was an adorable dalmation. Baby Megan was a penguin and bundled to a T, so no pics at all.

And thanks to the dads for herding them out!

Summary on Circle S tomorrow!

Might this be too much?

Homestead Harvest

As part of my acceptance for the summer being gone, we've made plans for almost every fall festivity you can name. Fortunately many fall festivals and events are either really cheap or free. If you haven't tried the Homestead Harvest and are interested, put it on the calendar to consider next year -- it's worth it! There were lots of activities for all ages. Our timing was perfect and allowed for us to meet up with a few different friends.

Riding a pony is a huge plus. This time Vanessa's daddy was able to take her for ride. Again she was able to pick first the pony she wanted to ride. She must have a thing for dark horses and ponies because once again she went for the almost all black pony. The pony's name is Shadow. Vanessa rode Midnight at the Franklin County Fair.

We checked out turtles, geckos, and other reptiles:

One turtle didn't like being confined to his cage:

And of course the Moonbounce was a hit! When time was up, Vanessa refused to get out. Mommy had to climb in and pull her out. She didn't throw too big of a tantrum though, and she went back to eating popcorn rather quickly.

We walked through the scarecrow field and this was our favorite:

On to the next event!

The Strawberry and Peanut Butter Sandwich

I forgot to include this with the post the other day . . . Vanessa made a suggestion last week -- "Make a strawberry sandwich?" Perhaps for others this was not thinking outside the box, but I hadn't thought of it until then. So we proceeded to make one using graham crackers, peanut butter, and thawed frozen strawberries. Yummy . . . though a dollop of Cool Whip would’ve been a good addition . . .

Fun by the Sī-ō'tu

We recently started exploring the many, many parks that run along the Scioto River. Here are some pictures from a visit a couple of weekends ago. On this particular day it was cooler and the sun would peak through the clouds every so often. It made for fun photo ops.

We began the visit with a small picnic. Vanessa was really only interested in the chips we brought. And she had a hard time picnicking when there was so much to explore!

She finally got to run around but is still carrying the same Dorito . . .

We checked out a couple of boats and threw rocks (more like pebbles, really) in the water. There were no geese or fish or any other wildlife, so I don't think we were harming anything.

Notice the hold I have? She was timid at first but eventually decided she was willing to test the water. I told her it was much too cold. She accepted the excuse.

And we just had to swing in the big kid swing:

When not occupied, the picnic shelters allow for great opportunities to climb and run around: