Fall Festival at Daddy's Work!

Last Friday Jon’s work had a special Fall Festival day for everyone, where people could bring in their kids (in costume of course) and go trick-or-treating from department to department. I brought in Elijah, all costumed up in his monkey suit, after finally persuading him to wear it with the promise of candy (I blatantly bribed him, but it was the only way he was getting in that costume!). He wasn’t too fond of the hood on the monkey suit, so most of the time he didn’t wear it. He still looked cute as a button though. There were a TON of kids there and lots of candy, so Eli was having a blast. A good preview for Halloween!

Daddy and Eli at Daddy's desk, with Eli's "pumpkin bucket"Off we go!Hmm, decisions decisions.

Yep, a lollipop is what I need.I better make sure to get some chocolate too so I have a well balanced diet.

A digger in the front yard? A little boy's dream come true.

We had quite the eventful day last Friday. First we woke up to this in the front yard!

Mom and Dad were being hooked up to the new city water line that was put down their street, so a big pipe had to be placed across their yard and hooked up to the house. This meant a big digger had to come out! Elijah was in seventh heaven when he saw it outside! We of course went out to watch, and brought our digger along too. Elijah really really wanted to have his little digger go and help in the trench, but had to content himself with watching from the grass. He was also convinced that the big digger his. “My digger! My digger!” was a common refrain, especially when it was time to go inside. And that night Eli insisted that his little digger go to sleep with him. It’s not every day you get to see a big digger right in your own front yard! What fun for a little boy!

Eli was entranced by the digger and watching what was going on!

My digger! My digger!

Elijah works his scoop just like the big digger.

Building Forts!

Last Thursday it was raining and cold outside, and Elijah was not interested in any of his gazillion toys. So Mom had to get a little creative. I always loved building sheet forts in the living room when I was little, so I brushed off my old skills and built one for Elijah! It was fun to figure out how I used to do it (I was a little rusty), but in the end Elijah thought it was pretty cool to run around inside and have to crawl out the tunnel to exit. Lexi and Tori came over Thursday afternoon and we played games in the fort. We had a lot of fun, and I already have some ideas to improve the fort on the next rainy day.

That's a pretty sweet fort, if I do say so myself.

Elijah runs around inside the fort! Around and around he goes!

Leaf Jumping

Eli just had his first chance last week to experience a fall ritual for many children – jumping in leaves! At our old house we had almost zero leaves to rake up so we never did, and at Mom and Dad’s house we don’t usually rake up the leaves (who wants to rake up acres of leaves!? Not me!). But Jon and I decided one day last week after he got home from work to rake up the leaves in the front yard and make a leaf pile for Eli. At first Elijah wasn’t so sure about what he was supposed to do, but with some coaching he learned that he could run through the leaves, throw them at Mom and Dad (without getting told not to throw), and jump in them all he wanted. He would crouch down, grab two handfuls of leaves, yell, “Here I go!,” and then give a big jump into the pile. What fun!!

I think Eli’s favorite thing was when he and Daddy decided to bury Mommy in the leaf pile. And then he decided that climbing on top of Mommy and then jumping off of her was just about the greatest thing ever. Now the leaf pile is Eli’s favorite thing outside, and any time we go away or come home we need at least ten minutes in the leaves. He’ll even bring me the rake from the garage if the pile is getting a little spread out and tell me, “Rake leaf Mommy.” It is so fun to play with Eli and spend some family time just being silly together. I think I just learned why people bother to rake leaves in the first place – it’s worth it just to hear the sound of your child laughing!

Elijah mows the leaves while Mommy rakes them up.Daddy shows Eli the finer points of leaf throwing.

Daddy said it's all right if I throw these . . .
so gotcha Mom!

This is gonna be the big one! Here I go!

Daddy buried me in the leaves!

Elijah can't contain the sheer joy of

standing on top of Mommy's tushie.
Mom's buns make a great jumping platform!
Here comes Super Eli!
Now Eli is standing on Mom's tummy . . .
and jumping! Ouch.

Whatcha doing Mommy?
(that's really what he said as he jumped up and
then landed on me with his face an inch from the camera)

With his long arm span Jon snapped this picture of us.
What a cute couple. Ahh. :)

Bike Riding!

I could swear that I posted this already, but it is nowhere, so I obviously didn't. Anyway, at the end of this summer I went to a resale shop and bought a bike - my first bike since I was a teenager (I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 11, and then I never really liked it). I hadn't ridden a bike since we went to Thailand and did a biking tour one day, and before that it was over 10 years since I'd ridden a bike. My Mom was the instigator behind everyone in the family getting bikes so we could all go on the Kent Trails together - so now Jeff and Lori, Jon (we went and got his bike from his Mom's house) and I, Noah, and, Lexi and Tori, all have bikes!!

We've gone biking together since then quite a bit, and Noah is turning into quite the biker. The first weekend we all had bikes Noah, Jon, and I went on a 6 mile ride while Lori, Mom, and Jeff, helped the girls. The next day Noah was all fired up to do a 10 mile ride. So Jon, Jeff, Noah, and I headed out to the trails. We accomplished the feat, with Noah still having plenty of energy, and the old fogeys dead-dog tired.

Elijah wasn't too sure about this bike riding thing at first - he protested quite a bit the first time we tried to put him in the bike trailer (he couldn't see Lexi and Tori and didn't like that). Now he likes it more though (I would like it too if I got snacks, a drink, books, and the pleasure of not having to do the work!). I think the cutest thing though is that he will sing to Jon while Jon is pulling him. I'll bike up beside them and hear Eli just belting out songs - Zaccheus, the B-I-B-L-E, and Old McDonald.

Besides the Kent Trails, which are great, we also found a beautiful trail in Middleville that goes through a wetland, with herons and swans, and then a beautiful forest. Two weeks ago when the weather was so nice, Mom, Jon, Eli, and I headed over there for a ride after dinner. What a gorgeous evening for a ride! I wish Jon and I had gotten more in to bike riding before, but it's better late than never! I brought my camera that day, so here are some pics of us biking . . .

Elijah's riding in comfort with snacks, books,
and toys all at his fingertips!

Eli's compartment is closed, so Dad's all ready to get on the trail!

Eli gets out of the trailer at the end of the trail and
lines up his snacks on the back of Dad's bike. Very organized, Eli!
Here's a view of the trail -
it went right through a beautiful forest and marsh land.

Elijah climbs the rail at the end of the trail
to get the wiggles out before heading back into his trailer.