Pumpkin Patch

We took the kids to a pumpkin patch to chose their pumpkins from the field and to just enjoy the farm setting. We had a really nice time together at the farm and afterwards carving our pumpkins. The kids had fun going down a giant slide, and navigating through a corn maze. They had a tractor pulled kiddie train, and a hayride to the pumpkin field. They also had farm animals to pet and feed and a bunch of hay bales to jump in. Adam and Kate picked some dried corn from the corn maze that a goat later snuck from Kate's hand. Rachel loved looking at the animals, but she dared not touch them. Adam was much braver and let the goats eat from his hands, but Johnny, although not afraid, did not touch the animals because he didn't want to get germs. Adam said that the best part was the train. We had an enjoyable time. Even the Dad seemed to agree that price was worth the nice time that we had as a family and Dad also managed not to complain about the cost once we left the house.

Boogies and Slime

We have had a rather mucous intensive fall with one cold appearing a few days after the previous one has left. We have to have tissues in arms reach especially if Rachel is coming anywhere near. If I am picking up Rachel I must check her nose first. But without a doubt Rachel will fall down and I will rush to pick her up without wiping her nose first. So everyday I have slime spots on my shirt. It looks like a slug has crawled across my chest or shoulder. We are also quite certain to have those same slime spots in our hair. Rachel loves to hug and hold your hair. We know that she sometimes wipes her nose with her hand and so we can be sure her hands are not always clean when she grabs our hair.




Rachel, however is the first out of five children who actually likes getting her nose wiped. Yesterday during family prayer Rachel put a tissue in my hand. Since the prayer was being said I did not respond. Rachel then put her nose in tissue that was in my hand and wiped.

Fine Twine Linen

Rachel who is just about 19 months is very found of shoes and clothes. In fact, she seems rather opinionated on this topic. When we go to a shoe store. Rachel is in Heaven she loves to try on all of the pretty little shoes in her size. At home Rachel tries on everyone else's shoes, and sometimes it is hard to find our shoes later on. One expects for the baby to lose its shoes, but one does not expect the baby to lose everybody else's shoes. This can make leaving in a hurry rather interesting sometimes.

Rachel is definitely funnier about her clothes than she is about her shoes. Rachel is very opinionated about what she wears. When we get her dressed in the morning, and even into her pajamas at night, Rachel insists upon picking out her own outfits. If I take an outfit out of her draw and put it on her. Rachel will look at her clothes, tug on them, and cry until I take them off. What I have to do to make her happy is take all of her clothes choices out of her drawers and display them on the floor. Rachel looks at her clothes, considers, and brings me the outfit that she wants. Then I dress her and she is happy. Occasionally she will even go and admire herself in the mirror.

We are not sure what this will mean when Rachel is a teenager. She will probably have to get a job to pay for her clothing desires, and we will insist that she picks out her clothes the night before. Of course any girl may change her mind overnight.

Poetry

Several years ago John wrote a rather nice poem about me for mother's day. I framed the poem and have had it displayed on the wall ever since. Last night Ruth and Kate were reading the poem. Ruth declared that she could just not understand that poem. Kate said, "I know, it is one of those lovey dovey poems. OOoooooo!!" Ruth still in frustration said, "Is mom supposed to be a flower? Oh, I just don't get it!!"

Baby Talk

Last Night Johnny was asked to play with Rachel while I made dinner. This can often be a big help, because the little kids will cry or just get into the kitchen stuff the entire time I am making dinner. Well, first Johnny blocked the entrance to the kitchen and moved from side to side as Rachel tried to get in. Rachel screamed and cried in frustration through the whole of this game. Then when I was putting dinner onto the table Johnny and Rachel followed me into the dining room. Johnny was telling Rachel to do different things, but Rachel just ignored him and while she tested a few chairs to help her climb on top of the table. Johnny then asked me how one says Rachel in baby talk. I told him that I did not know. Johnny then asked Rachel how she says her name in baby talk. Rachel at this point was standing on a chair removing dishes from the table and did not respond to Johnny. Johnny then said to himself "If only I could talk in baby talk then Rachel would do what I said."

Worst to Best

Ruth always eats her food in a certain order. She eats what she dislikes most first and then continues with each item saving her favorite for last. When she eats Lucky Charms she eats the cereal part first and the marshmallows all last. At dinner she always eats the vegetable part first. Recently Ruth has also begun dissecting her food to eat the most desirable part last too. With candy bars Ruth peels off the chocolate eats the insides and then eats the chocolate. If Ruth has sprinkles on her ice cream she eats around them and saves them for last. If she has a frosted donut, Ruth will do her best to peel off the frosting and eat the donut part first. This morning Ruth had a pumpkin roll for breakfast. It is a sort of pumpkin cake with a cream cheese center. Ruth unrolled it and ate the cake part first and the cream cheese part second. I think I will try giving her some more complicated and mixed up foods to see what will happen.

Ash-leyes

"Mom, Courtney and I both have the same ashleyes. We both have dark long ones," Ruth exclaimed. "Did you mean eye lashes?" Mom asked. "Well," Ruth continued, "They are a little different. My ashleyes are darker and Courtney's ashleyes are longer." "Ruth, I think you mean eye lashes," mom stated. Ruth wrinkled up her nose and said, "Mom some people call them ashleyes."