Trick or Treat

The girls painted and crafted their pumpkins (from the pumpkin patch) into Mr. Jack-O-Lanterns.

Our little trick-o-treaters...

Princess Briarkennedy

Princess CindertieganThankfully, the rain held off so that we could get in a good hour and a half of trick or treating.Braden was a dalmation doggie. YAY, he wore his costume without any fussing. AND he even let me brown his nose. (Might not be so lucky next year.)Original Post: October 5, 2008

"You're the B-E-S-T-E-S-T Mommy"
Finding Halloween costumes for the kids was on our "things to do" list this weekend. For the past two days, we have walked many stores and spent many hours taking mental notes to several costume "possibilities." Can you guess what the kids are going to be this Halloween Night?

Girls ' costumes... (Not in any specific order)

1. Supergirl

2. Minnie Mouse

3. Kitty Cat

4. Flower

5. Butterfly

6. 50's Gal

7. Flapper Girl

8. Cheerleader

9. Princesses

10. Pumpkin

Boys costumes...

1. Peter Pan

2. Lion

3. Pirate

4. Scarecrow

5. Spider

6. Lion

7. Doggie

8. Turtle

9. Monkey

10. Giraffe

HINT: At the end of the day... The girls tell me... "You're the B-E-S-T-E-S-T Mommy!"

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm

Last Friday, I hired a substitute for my class so that I could MAKE A MEMORY with Tiegan on her first Kindergarten field trip. We (Kennedy, Braden, and Gramma Lynda too) tagged along with Tieg's "GECKO" class for a fun day at Bishop's Pumpkin Farm. Her teacher is SO AWESOME! She is well-organized, CREATIVE, and not afraid to brave an out of the classroom learning experience with 20+ little people. (The ratio was almost 3:1. That is... three mommies/grammas to every ONE child. A teacher's dream.) The kids were excited to say the least. For most of them, it was also their first time riding on a school bus; which, I might add, IS A BIG DEAL. (We/I followed behind Tiegan's bus. I'm not THAT crazy.) Check out the class made, eclectic designs of the kids' G-E-C-K-O t-shirts. Here are some picture memories and a little history about the pumpkin patch. A little "Bishop's" history.

The farm which is now Bishop's was a Wild Rose Dairy in the first half of the 20th century and many of the barns from this busy dairy remain today. By 1972, the farm had fallen into disrepair. Bill and Sandy Bishop were attracted to the old barns and the large poplar trees lining the road. They were able to purchase 40 acres and the farmstead. In 1973, Sandy planted about an acre of pumpkins in a small field in front of the house and invited the local schools to come out on field trips. Sandy had been a teacher and she knew how much kids could learn from visiting a real farm. The pumpkins would just be an excuse to get the kids out.

The field trips proved popular and Bill and Sandy soon learned that many of the kids wanted to bring their families back on the weekends. More and bigger pumpkins were planted the following year and customers did indeed start showing up on the weekends. Word was also getting around about the pumpkin pies that Sandy was baking in her kitchen. An old farm wagon was put into service for hayrides and the kids' ponies were saddled and tied to a tree for self-service pony rides.

Many things have changed over the years. Food service started with popcorn and later hot dogs in the late 1970's. The Bakery was added in 1985 and the train in 1991. More recent additions such as Coyote Mountain and Corn Maze have been added since Bill and Sandy's son Wayne and his wife, Ann returned to the farm in 1995. (You can also enjoy a "Weeland" farm animal petting zoo, pig races, three levels of fun in the Tree House, and Farmer Bill's barn slides.)

Today the Bishop's plant about 50 acres of pumpkins for the enjoyment of over 100,000 visitors each fall. Although, none of the Bishop's ever envisioned the Pumpkin Farm growing to its present size, they are still thrilled to be able to make a living in a way that is so uplifting to other families, as well as, their own.

I think the Bishop's don't feel that they have had a good harvest unless every family leaves with smiles on their faces, pleasant farm memories in their heads, AND A LITTLE DIRT IN THEIR SHOES! We definitely did!

She's gone...

...back home to Bonn, Germany to finish her last two years of college.

I hate good-byes! Hurry back, Karin. We miss you already!

Love you, Brae

I think God designed our little babies PERFECTLY! I love Braden's tipsy waddle walk, kissable cheeks, wittle button nose, cute dimply heinie, chubby fingers and toes, baby talk, puppy dog eyes, arms reaching up asking to be held...EVERYTHING! (Even the not so happy moments... when he just wants to cuddle. He is teething something fierce right now... "I know, buddy... it HURTS.") He is so curious about his world right now! Much of what he does is a first time experience. To watch him learn new things, play and keep up with his sisters, test the waters, overcome obstacles, or simply enjoy the little things makes me smile. The last picture above I captured tonight when he thought I wasn't looking. "Supposed to sit in your silly, sing-a-long, music chair, Brae." Of course, it is more fun to stand on. Love you, son!

Rules for Teachers (1872)

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, and clean chimneys.

2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day's session.

3. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.

4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.

5. After ten hours in school, the teacher may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

6. Women teachers who marry or engage in umseemly conduct will be dismissed.

7. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.

8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity, and honesty.

9. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.

We've come a long ways from the one room schoolhouses. Any thoughts?

TRICKS gymnastics

The girls LOVED gymnastics today!

TRICKS... (over, under, on, across, through...)

1. warm-up, stretching, jumping, hopping, dancing to music

2. climbing, jumping, balancing

3. trampoline

4. bounce house, sliding

5. floor tumbling, spring boards, balance beams, swing

Bike riding

Tiegan crashes... Visiting Gramma Lynda's house. Getting in our bike ride before the storm clouds rolled in. Yay, RAIN!