Apples, year 3

It's hard to believe that this is our third annual trip to the apple orchard. We started going the year Jack was born and we decided to make it a fall family tradition. I just can't quite wrap my brain around the idea that we've been doing this for three years now. Time is really flying.

This year we picked over 70 pounds of apples! Luckily our neighbors, Katrina and Mark, turned us on to this fabulous apple peeler. When you are mass producing applesauce with two small children underfoot, anything that saves time is a huge help. We all pitched in for the first of many batches (easiest baby food recipe ever!) over the weekend and already we've eaten through a giant Nancy's yogurt container of the stuff. It is so good.

Sawyer Swings

This picture makes me laugh every time. There is nothing sweeter than a happy baby...

Floating into Fall

Well, the big news around here is... well, it's nothing much. I guess I kind of like it that way, though. Thanks to Brent's hard work and some fancy flagstone that we scored a few years back, we now have a new patio in our backyard. I guess that's pretty big news.

In case you were wondering, chickens are not very helpful when you are building a new patio.

Sawyer is an eating machine. He's also fond of making really loud screeching noises, so it's nice to have some food around to keep that little mouth occupied.

The three older members of the family snuck out on the boat last weekend to savor that fleeting early fall warm weather. Jack likes to watch his dad fish and he even did a little fishing himself with a toy fishing rod made by Brent. No bites, though. Maybe next time. (Secretly I was relieved- even though Brent does catch and release, that whole hook through the mouth think kind of freaks me out. Not sure how Jack would have reacted either- he may have inherited the Mitchell sensitivity...)

Man, we live in a beautiful place. As we floated along the McKenzie I was kicking myself for not venturing out on the boat sooner. We scouted out some sweet swimming holes for next summer.

Brent is off on a river trip this weekend and I am taking the kids to an orchard harvest party with some pals tomorrow and calling in sick to work on Monday. Woohoo!

Sawyer Smiles, Monkey Scores, Lily Twirls

Oh hello there! Have you been expecting blog updates? 

Things have been pretty busy around here what with Sawyer's new mobility and his enthusiastic appetite/lack of table manners. He rolls and rolls all over the place- sometimes from room to room if you don't keep a close eye on him. Sawyer's foods of choice so far are bananas and peas, but I think he is starting to catching on to the fact that we eat way better than he does. Last night he grabbed a fistful of spaghetti off my plate and shoved it into his mouth. He is a messy, messy guy, but man this kid is happy. He smiles with his whole body and his laugh is totally contagious.

This is what happens when you cut the fabric for the baby's pajamas and set it aside for two months. At least they fit the monkey. We've been talking about Halloween and Jack is pretty excited to be... a puppy (once again! Hey, that suit was big on him last year- I think we can get another season out of it!). But I think Jack has become confused about the upcoming holidays as he said something the other day about Santa bringing him a pumpkin on Christmas. His vocabulary and imagination have been running wild lately and he's been quite entertaining.

And finally, this one is for my Grandma Helen and Aunt Bobbi: Lily in the twirl skirt. 

Happy fall. I love this time of year, even though it means I am back at work. I love the fresh newness that comes with the start of a school year and the flexibility and creativity that my job entails. I love seeing kids get sucked into a book and make meaningful connections between something we read and their own lives. I love the fact that this is my fifth year of teaching and I finally feel like I know what I am doing.

Most of all, though, I am loving coming home each afternoon to my three happy boys and hearing about their adventures from the day.

One last trip...

before it was time for Mama to head back to work. We celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary and spent a few days in Oceanside with our friends Lissa and Arlo and their son, Jack. 

The big boys were adventurous enough to go crabbing in the bay. We weren't sure if Jack could handle three hours on a boat, but he was a champ (he even took a power nap while at sea).

They came back with a ton of crab! We had a lovely dinner outside and it was noted that Arlo had dressed appropriately for the occasion.

We came home to a wonderful surprise- an egg! Hazel has finally begun to lay and it's been so nice to have a fresh egg appear in the hen house every morning.

(Love that curl! )

A Day at the Zoo

(No really, the Portland Zoo. Not just another day at the zoo we call our house...)

First exhibit: the backhoe! So exciting.

Jack with his sister/girlfriend/arch nemesis.

We got to see Sam, the baby elephant. Man, the zoo is kind of depressing. I wish those animals would frolic or something. They just seem so morose and downtrodden. Except for the hippos- they seem to have a good time tossing a ball around and biting at each other.  

Sawyer's first trip in the stroller as a big boy (without the carseat). New and exciting straps to chew on! He was a fan.

Jack's favorites- the train and Nuncle Nick (the uncle formerly known as Uncle Ick) and Aunt Mishaun! Do you like his hat? (I made it.)

"Hey Mom! How 'bout we get a giraffe?"

Hmm. I don't think so.

Life in Black and White