10/17-10/25

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

William's class had a field trip to a local pumpkin patch on Tuesday and I went along as a helper.  There are nine children in his class and there were 7 adults helping.  It was almost enough!  William and I were paired up with one of his classmates.   They enjoyed the hay ride, bouncy house, meeting the farm animals, playing on old tractors, and finally picking out a pumpkin.  I was gone from home for a little less than three hours and Elizabeth (who was home doing school work in theory) called me five times!

William's class

His main teacher is the blond woman with a black shirt,

the other two ladies are para-educators in his class

Mexican Pack

I'm having such fun using the items we got in the Mexican Pack with the co-op last Saturday.  I made delicious green sauce chicken enchiladas, fresh pico de gallo, and tried chayote squash for the first time, first sauteed and then as a thick soup.  Yum!  I did learn a weird thing about chayote squash though (also called "vegetable pear" or "mirlitin".  I peeled a few for the soup I was making and the hand that held the peeled squash had a strange reaction.  My skin instantly felt hard and dried out.  It didn't hurt, it was just really really dry, like thick leather.  Lots of lotion that night and all day the next and my hand was back to normal.  I found this on google, "The skin of chayote contains a resin that can be extremely drying to the skin and is nearly impossible to wash off. The resin dissolves the oils of the skin immediately on contact. If you have sensitive or dry skin, take the precaution of wearing rubber or latex gloves before peeling and chopping the squash".   Dode says we really shouldn't be eating things that will do that!  So, if you ever cook a chayote, you've been warned!

Anastaya's Cross Country Race
On Wednesday afternoon, William, Elizabeth and I went out to River Meadows Park to support Anastaya in her cross country. The kids enjoyed cheering for her and it was fun to run into people from the area who I usually only see at day camp or the produce co-op.

Anastaya's coach made all the students tie-dye shirts for their uniform

1/2 way through the race

approaching the finish line

Anastaya's time for 1.62 miles

Piano Lessons
Last week, Anastaya and Isaac started up their piano lessons.  They are in a group class and attend at the same time.  It might not end up working out.  There is a lot of competition between those two and it can quickly turn ugly.  Then, this Thursday, Elizabeth and I started lessons.  One of my friends is teaching us.  It was funny because her son who is Isaac's age came home during my lesson and he sure did a double take to see me sitting on the bench getting a lesson!  Now I just have to find out how to squeeze practice time into my days.

Corn Maze
Saturday we went to Foster's Corn Maze on Hwy 530 between Arlington and the freeway.  We've been going for years.  I remember going while pregnant with Elizabeth and she's 10 this year.  As usual, the kids gave up before we found everything hidden in the maze but they still had fun.  One of the things the kids like at Foster's is their trained goat.  He has a ramp that takes him from his pen to the 2nd story of a false front building.  When you put his food in the tin cup, he'll pull up the rope until he eats out of the cup.  We had a few extra kids with us, Seth, Ellie, and Isaac Colson.  Jacob stayed home.

which way should we go?

the amazing goat

our group, minus the photographer (Dode)

Seth, Miriam, William, Elizabeth, Ellie

Seth peeking out

Busy Times
We watched Seth and Ellie for Sheri on Friday and Saturday.  Isaac Colson also came over Friday/Saturday.  So, we had nine children roaming around for two days.  It was a busy house, but glorious chaos.  Kids were playing everywhere, enjoying our circular floor plans, building things with legos, laughing, bouncing on bouncy toys, and doing a bit of crying. 

Isaac and Anastaya spent hours riding around on the motorbikes with Big Isaac.  Seeing them out there riding around, it's hard to believe we live inside the city limits in a light industrial area.

Miriam found a new use for her play food.

If you look closely, this spells "Miriam"

(the "a" is backwards and the last letter is a little "m" with an extra tail in the front)

                                                        It was also time for pumpkin carving.

Dode hard at work babysitting Ellie