Behind

Note:  If you are not in google reader, I know my blog looks horrible.  I am wanting to change some things.  Mainly make my pictures larger, but can't figure out how to get a large picture as my header.  Any suggestions? 

There are weeks I feel behind on everything, but lately it has been worse than ever.  Mainly because of the switching of the summer clothes to fall clothes.  I have thankfully been given many clothes for myself and my children but have not quite figured out how to absorb them into our closets and drawers yet.  And then there is the getting rid of old ones and figuring out if people can use them.  So for a few weeks I have had piles in various locations around our house and I am sloooowly getting through them all.

On to much more exciting things, such as the letter "F".  It was last week's letter.  So on Monday we took a visit to the firestation.  My friend Jennifer's brother is a fireman so she so kindly arranged the trip for us.  On the way Luke asked if we were going to see "real, live firemen."  Ellie and Luke were both a little shy about it, but they clearly enjoyed it and I actually learned a few things myself. 

This fall weather is too good to be true.  We have spent so much time outside.  Andrew eats it up.  "Side! Side!" he says.  Ellie attaches a rope to her bike and ties it to the little John Deere tractor and pulls Andrew.  Not super safe, but she tries her best to keep it fairly slow.  He has fallen off several times, but really is so tough.  His legs are covered in bruises and scrapes but it doesn't slow him down one bit.

We are having a fall festival at our church this weekend.  We brought home several pumpkins from the pumpkin patch last week, so I have been at work carving and decorating some.  It's quite an arm workout to clean out a pumpkin.  I got no help from my children, either.  I was ready to let them get messy, but they took one look and said "Eww, gross!"  

I found some adorable pumpkin ideas at bhg.com.  The owl pumpkin was my favorite, though.  So cute and so easy.  Ellie has claimed it as hers.  She wanted it to have eyelashes, I told her maybe we could put a bow on one of its ears instead. 

I am working on a spider for Luke.   I haven't done it in years, but I saved the seeds and toasted them.  Everyone likes them, except of course I don't give them to Andrew. 

This week is the letter "G".  Very behind on most of that.  However, we did make some granola today. You know, "G" for granola? :)  I have never made granola, but have often wanted to.  I thought it would be a fun one for Ellie and Luke.  They could actually measure, pour, and stir since some recipes are really hard for kids to help with.  Anyway, it turned out great.  I put pumpkin seeds in it, but I think if I did it again, I would probably leave them out-it just doesn't really need them.  Found the recipe here.

Luke is having a hard time these days.  He is constantly picking at Ellie, aggravating Andrew, whining, complaining.  It is wearing me out.  Don't you feel as though if it isn't one child it's another?  Not really sure what is going on with him, but I have been praying for a lot of wisdom.  Although most of the time I first resort to raising my voice, and then when that doesn't work, I think maybe prayer would've been a better choice.

Well, after about an hour and a half in their beds with no sleep, I told everyone to get up, which means my time on the computer is over.  I really didn't need to be on it anyway, but I just wanted to say hi!