Leah's Pre-K Halloween Party

Today Leah had her Halloween Party at school. She dressed up as a Care Bear, a great hand-me-down costume from my sister. Her class paraded around the YWCA, trick-or-treated to some of the offices in the building, played games in the auditorium, exchanged treats with each other, and then headed back to the classroom for a snack. Leah loved looking through her bag when we got home. She and Jadon spent a lot of time playing with all the trinkets and sorting her candy. This was the kick-off to a busy, but fun Halloween weekend.

Centennial Park

I have a group of friends here in Sterling that get together for playdates and birthday parties with the kids. Here we are enjoying a beautiful Fall day at Centennial Park in Rock Falls. They love riding around the park to all the different playgrounds. It's a little harder to get together now that the kids are in school, but we still make it happen.

Volunteering in Jadon's Classroom

I volunteer in Jadon's class once/week. He loves it and so do I. I like to know what they do, who the other kids are, and how he acts and interacts. His teachers are Ms. Beth, the blonde teacher, and her assistant, Ms. Anita. It is a bilingual class and there are some students who don't speak much english. Everything is taught in english, but Ms. Anita interprets for the kids who need it. They do a great job and Jadon is really thriving.

This is Centers time.

Jadon played in this Moon Sand during part of free choice time.

During choice time they can help themselves to a snack, Jadon's favorite part. The kids love serving themselves and controlling their own portions.

Here they are in rug time.

Fall Fun

It's been windy and somewhat rainy the last few days, but the last several weeks have been absolutely gorgeous- bright blue skies, the trees decked out in all the fall colors, and the sun shining. The kids enjoyed playing in this leaf pile for almost a week. By the end of the week it was pretty mulched and about 1/10th the size.

We spelled DAD in leaves to welcome Brian home from work.

Jadon and Leah got a thrill out of the Halloween package from my parents.

What would Fall be without a Sam Adams Season Sampler? I got a kick out of seeing my 2 1/2 yr. old climbing and fitting into this small of a box.

Family Time at Selmi's

We went back to Selmi's as a whole family on Saturday so that Jadon wouldn't miss out. He's gone every year since he was 2 and it's a fun annual tradition. It was extra special because they had a horse drawn wagon ride and CGH was there providing a craft (pumpkin decorating) and games for the kids to get them thinking about healthy eating.

Leah's 1st Field Trip

Last Thursday I took Leah to Selmi's Pumpkin Patch with her preschool class. They got to feed the farm animals, go on a hayrack ride, run through the corn maze, play in the spook house (it had a bounce house and corn bin), and then play in the yard. They finished with a snack and picking out a pumpkin to take home. Leah and I ended up staying for an extra hour and had lots of fun together.

Here's Leah's teacher, Ms. Kim, holding a brown bunny.

Kathleen, Kyla, Leah, Grant, Ms. Kim, and Brody. (Ana was absent.)

Eagle Point Park

I grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, and one of my favorite places to go was Eagle Point Park. I brought Jadon and Leah there today before our visit with my grandma. They had fun on the various playgrounds and they enjoyed all the climbing and exploring. Then we visited my Grandma Pins and took her out to lunch. It was a nice day in Dubuque and a beautiful drive there and back with all the fall colors.

Camping

This past weekend we braved the elements and camped at Rock Cut State Park for 2 nights with our friends Sarah, Greg, Julie, Jeff, and Charity. Our site was right on the lake and the trees were starting to change colors. It was so beautiful. We hung out around the fire a lot to stay warm, it was about 60' during the day and almost freezing at night. We had morning devotions together, went for trail runs, hiked, played cards, and had lots of good conversation. It was a great weekend. The kids stayed with my parents in Gurnee and enjoyed their getaway too.

Here's a picture of Jadon after school one day. He loves pre-k and comes home with some cute things.