Labour day was far from work for me… of course Ken wooed me into another LATE evening with 3 more episodes of Dr. Who… the first was a 2 parter so OF COURSE we had to watch the second part and then he was sneaky and turned on a 3rd when I was feeding Echo. So… I slept in… and then got up to get up and was sent BACK to bed due to lack of things to do… so (and I shudder to admit it) I did not get out of bed until past 2pm! But what an amazing morning/early afternoon of snuggle time with Baby Echo. Something I would not trade for ANYTHING.

The boys spent some time outside prepping the backyard for our visit with Harley. Apples up off the grass and toys in the garage. It is not much longer before we have to go through all the outside toys and toss the cracked and broken. I don’t have high hopes on a lot of salvageable toys BUT we have to move next spring anyway so we have no idea what sort of a yard we will have. Hopefully FENCED!

After all the apple picking I have a much clearer picture of how far behind I am on the applesauce. I am determined to catch up and get it all done and frozen, but wow a bit intimidating! And there is STILL more apples on the tree…

The most red they have been!

Over last week the boys and I managed to get our Gardening Lapbooks done. They always enjoy the process of putting together the final product and this time there was lots of glueing and some creative placement to make sure everything fits.

Front cover

Interior

Inside flap

Back cover

My goal for this week is to assemble the Apple Lapbooks. We did all the work and then got busy with our summer outside activities and time just got away from me. Good timing anyway with the boys doing their summer/fall chore of cleaning the apples up and my constant applesauce making. I am thinking it is time to make up some apple leather for a special treat!

Chris and Chris joined us for dinner Monday night, mom had to leave right when we got our hamburgers done to take Harley to doggy school. It was nice to have someone over to hang out with even though She Chris was feeling ill from a cold. Mom is helping them plan their wedding and us our Halloween costume for Echo so there was lots to talk about.

Grandma Anna and Echo

Playing in the backyard with Mike

Our new set up of having folders for the boys to work on in their drawers seems to be going well… they spent their morning working on numbers (and ignoring the letter practice TOTALLY… so I guess I need to pad the folders with more FUN letter activites). Then Gavin sat down at the easel and worked on a picture.

Zander decided to do a more “hands on” approach to art and built himself a castle! I love it when they take initiative and make their own creations.

Of course we managed to get in a little more number fun with the Cars themed workbooks – just one page though before Trinity woke up VERY insistent that we look at the Cars dvd we finally unearthed in the basement (don’t ask me how half the dvds I was looking for for the van got put in a box with books).

Some play in the now VERY fall like weather in the backyard with a new set of chalk and some of the better quality balls and the kids have had a rather full day. Too bad the basement is a mess and we are loads behind in the laundry. Figures a long weekend and we DON’T get ahead on that! Gavin also reminded me that it has been FIVE DAYS since he got his forehead hurt. I am very proud of him for keeping track himself AND for reminding me each day how long he has to go.

Group project (Gavin)

It has certainly been an adventure this afternoon – Ken had a 2:30 appointment that managed to last most of the afternoon and into the evening leaving me with all 5 kids… I did manage a bath – Echo actually LIKED the bouncy chair with its vibrating setting long enough for me to have a bit of a soak. Love the thing – we got it way back when when Emanuel was tiny and on sale…

After she decided Mommy had relaxed enough my afternoon got a bit more… difficult. I have not managed more than a few minutes away from her without her sensing and waking back up! So I got in a bit of a video of her tummy time, sorted out an argument in the backyard and came back to one VERY angry baby girl on her tummy and HOWLING!

And then I find out how “smart” Canon has gotten with their cameras… apparently the one I have to replace the dying model I HAD (made my goal and now have a new one to attain!!)… its battery is SMALLER, so I had 3 batteries charged and waiting that won’t fit in the camera… and ONE in the charger that will. Talk about frustration.

Speaking of photography and my current addiction – taking pictures of Echo… I have managed a few more, Ken has yet to do any editing on them however minor or major but I am having a blast racking my brain and deviantArt for ideas and going wild with them. After I finish Echo’s nursing necklace, my next project is to make her a tutu using my tulle and a plastic hairband. Seriously, it is suggested by the same person who made up the instructions for the tutus I make. Photo props for the win!

So not the best background but I am loving the higher pixels

With Ken gone over 5 hours our week’s plans have altered slightly, the conservatory is moved from tomorrow to Thursday so Ken can get things put off today done. Which means tomorrow we crack out the brand new play-doh that I have been hoarding for the past few months. After all what good is NEW play-doh on a sunny day? I figure we get our lapbook fun on and then move on to making the kitchen a play-doh creature creation area and maybe even SAVE a couple of the really good ones to dry out and put on shelves (as I remind myself we have NO spare room upstairs… but I can always find a place to show off something special, that’s what Mommies do).

I still have that baking calling me to be done… after all what is the Reinsch-Johnson home without applesauce muffins? A sad sad place that’s what.

Grandma Anna always gives the baby a piggy!