Thanks again Laura Ingalls Wilder

Last week the kids and I (and some friends) drove out to Meyers farm to pick some apples.  We love this farm because there are farm animals to bother and I can let the kids run and run without worrying.

We picked a 20lb bag of macintosh apples (what was I thinking????) I have made applesauce and applecrisp and still haven't made a dent in the bag.  Then, thanks to the genius of Laura Ingalls Wilder (we are reading Little House in the Big Woods) we discovered that if we spike the apples with cloves we end up with a natural room freshener ....believe me....we really need it!!  

We created a tutorial for these apple pomanders over here @ bunchland....it is adorable if I do say so myself.  These two are mine and Ava's....Anthony's was not such a success.

He started off innocently enough

Then started getting a little aggressive

This is Anthony's completed pomander....delightful! 

mmmmm...bonbons

Yes, i haven’t posted in a while and NO, I haven’t been laying on the couch eating bonbons (although that sounds so delightful).  I have been busily preparing this basket of bibs, skirts and fall bonnets to be sold in Little Bird for the Ottawa Giant Street Sale.  Music, food, fresh market produce and bargains.....it is an event not to be missed!

Hope to see everyone there.

this is totally what dreams are made of

Am I the last person on earth to find out about double dream hands?  THe kids are working on perfecting the routine.

be brave

YAY!!!! we all survived the first day of school for Ava....in a new school and french immersion to top it all off.  I was so proud of Ava today.  She was brave (and actually was heard saying quietly to herself as she got out of the car "be brave ava, be brave ava)....much braver than I ever expected and is willing to return back to school without a fuss.  What more can you ask for.

She has spent the evening speaking "french", which really consists of mispronouncing english words and rolling her r's. 

I need help from all of you lunch takers out there.....what kind of containers do you suggest for a litterless lunch?  THe ones I have are too heavy for ava.... I asked her to spy on her classmates to see what they had but she was unwilling to accept that mission.  

farwell dear friend

Goodbye summer vacation.....you have left us too soon....but thoroughly exhausted.  We have loved the long summer days, the evenings we have played outside well into the dark, the snack plate meals, the impromptu road trips, the time spent with family, the wrinkly skin of spending HOURS in the pool, the park playing, the making of random friends and oh so much more.  Here are some highlight pics from our summer vacation romance 

outdoor movies at city hall

searching for tadpoles

being given (not winning) a HUGE jar of jelly bellys

Lake Nippissing sunsets

LOTS of roasted marshmallows

our first wedding party debut

pipe cleaner crafts with SUPIE

making mustaches

often feeling like I was free falling over the falls

practicing for next season of Survivor

contemplating feeding the horses

LICORICE!!!!

Fall is right around the corner and tomorrow is the first day of school for Ava.  Check the blog tomorrow to see how the day went (Ava is predicting HORRIBLE!)....also look for pictures where I am standing in the background wiping the tears from my eyes (why are my kids growing so quickly???)

winner winner wear your apron at dinner!

shuffle...shuffle....shuffle

Thanks to everyone who participated and all of your kind words about the aprons.  I loved having this contest so watch for more to come!!!!

Winners.....you will be hearing from me very soon!