Fall Wish List

Temperatures are getting cooler and I can't wait for Fall and all the fun activities. There are so many things I want to do with little R but know time, distance, and $$ will put some limits on it. BUT, girls can dream right??

OUR Fall Wish List

• Pick your own pumpkins (somewhere!)
• Paint pumpkins
• Collect fall leaves
• Crafts with fall leaves
• Pumpkin craft
• Corn Maze and more at Sweet Seasons
• Peanuts and fun at Holland Farms
• Make caramel apples
• Make pinecone turkeys
• Make pinecone bird feeders
• Plant spring blooming bulbs
• Plant lettuce
• Camping at Joe Wheeler for Thanksgiving
• Bake a sweet potato casserole
• Bake pumpkin bread
• Smores by the campfire
• Fishing at cypress Cattle
• Play in a pile of leaves
• Church Fall Festival
• Buy discounted costumes for dress-up 
• Visit dad
• Play w/ cousins

 

51 things

Saw this list over at Alphamom.com and thought it was really neat!!
http://alphamom.com/family-fun/51-things-your-child-should-do-before-growing-up/

so far little R has done the following:

1. Camp out in a tent
2. Wear a costume as clothing-all the time, we've been to Walmart with wings on, dinner in a tink costume, etc
3. Climb a tree-yep, specifically the fig tree in our backyard
4. Catch fireflies-at Mom and Dad's
5. Fly a kite
6. Plant a garden and eat what grows-she loves bellpeppers straight from the plant
7. Go fishing
8. Take care of a pet
9. Build something out of gigantic cardboard box
10. Ride on a ferris wheel
11. Roast food over a campfire-did this Christmas 2011 in NC
12. Have dessert for dinner-does Toaster Strudel count??
13. Build a snowman
14. Get a library card-done
15. Go on a hayride-done
16. Get lost in a corn maze-Milton 2012
17. Pick the perfect horse on the carousel-Pier Park
18. Run through the sprinkler-many times
19. Make a slingshot
20. Carve a jack o’lantern
21. Make mud pies-and mud soup!
22. Run a lemonade stand
23. Play on a sports team
24. Swing on a rope swing
25. Build a sandcastle and stay at the beach until the tide washes it away-done!!
26. Roll down a big grassy hill=Seaside flutterby festival but it isn't very big
27. Build a gingerbread house-attempted w/ sissies but not so successful
28. Hatch a monarch butterfly from a cocoon-no but we have w/ gulf fritallarries
29. Make homemade ice cream
30. Blow bubbles-yes
31. Play kickball outside with neighbors
32. Go on a family car trip-yes
33. Fly on an airplane
34. Paint a painting-lots! They make great Christmas gifts
35. Have a water balloon fight
36. Play miniature golf
37. Make a tie dye t-shirt
38. Eat lunch in a blanket fort
39. Play in the rain-Did I mention she likes mud?
40. Go to a county fair
41. Ride a horse-only walked but she was on one
42. Identify the constellations in the night sky-we have watched a meteor shower
43. Play jump rope-trying to learn
44. Learn to play a musical instrument
45. Put on a puppet show
46. Have a picnic-yep
47. Learn to ice skate
48. Learn to juggle
49. Do a cartwheel
50. Catch tadpoles and watch them change-done
51. Rake and jump in a giant leaf pile

Hope to add to this this Spring and Summer!

As I sit here in the office trying to focus on work, my mind and heart inevitably end up with my Dad. He is back in the ER for the 2nd time in a few short days. He complains of pain in various places, is not eating much and is losing weight. Today's ER trip was due to complaints of pain when he swallows and stomach pain but when he gets there he tells them his feet/legs hurt and burn. Just a few days ago he fell and hit head (earlier ER visit). No news as to what is going on but at least this time my brother is there to keep me informed.
My dad's brother has been the primary support for him with me being 300+ miles away and my brother being 100+ miles away and at times overseas. But now he is having his own health problems and has a new grandbaby he wants to visit-this leaves my brother and I trying to figure out what to do. Dad has not wanted to move every time we have addressed it in the past but now I'm thinking we must insist even if it's against his wishes. I feel like I should move him here with me but then I consider how small our house is, our need for a dedicated office (tax purposes and practicality since we are both self employed), our demanding 5 year old, and having unfamiliar people in my home for hours a day caring for him. I feel guilty and feel like I'm being selfish for thinking about those things but remind myself I have to be realistic.
What to do?????????????????????????????????

Christmas Fun

How did you spend your Christmas? We spent ours in Georgia and Alabama with family. We headed to Georgia a few days before Christmas and visited the Georgia Aquarium (awesome) and Stone Mountain (okay, should have reserved a snow time) and spent time with the sisters-hubbie's two older children. R had a fabulous time hanging out with her sisters-watching movies, playing games, going to the playground, getting her nails painted and more. I also got to spend an afternoon with my college roomie and her sister!
We opened presents Christmas morning, spent some time with the sissies and then headed to Alabama to see my Dad.
We stayed in Alabama for a few days and my nieces and their children drove down and spent the days with us and visited their Grandpa. It was nice for us all to be together, even if only for a short time. AND Dad got to eat real food the day after Christmas. Technically it was mush but it was food and not through a tube!