Snow 2011 (...to be continued? It's only January, after all)

(This is one of my more ho-hum videos, due to major computer snafus during the creation process.)

Fourteen

 This little boy... we remember him so well.

He's just had his fourteenth birthday.  With lumps in our throats, Dad and I sang the Birthday Song.

I had to laugh when I noticed the similarities in the shirts in the two pictures; I guess some things never change! 

Taking Form

Claire Bear with no hair up there

"A guy who is so mad his eyes turned all red"
(Even though it was drawn in all green marker...)

Ethan and friends on a sunny day

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Ethan's drawings have started taking shape. They have gone from swirls and scribbles, to actual people and places.  I think this is my favorite "season" of drawing the kids go through!  It is so fantastic to see his little wheels turning, chubby fingers clutching a marker while a thought develops on paper.  Not to mention the fact of graduating from crayons to markers.  

When I find the one of the bus driver in the bus with a rainbow overhead, I'll be sure to post it :o)

A Daring Dayton Defies Dynamics

Sparklicious!

If shoes could speak, they would sing Audrey's song!

Is October Over Already?

Hit the Pumpkin Patch in October.  Went to one and it was jam packed like a Disneyland parking lot...isn't that crazy for a pumpkin patch??  Maybe it was the "Field of Screams Haunted Corn Maze" that was a big draw. I heard a guy in a scarecrow costume jumps out at you in the maze, laughing maniacally and holding a chain saw.
No I am serious.
And doesn't that sound like good fun?  NOT.
Got back in the car and headed down and around the road to a different patch that was crowded, but family-friendly.  I can handle that.
It was a gorgeous, fall day and strolling around was very pleasant.  We waited for a while to get on the tractor-pulled hay ride, but it was worth the memory.

See the happy faces?  That makes the half-hour wait worth it!! I remember this part well because we were getting pretty hungry at this point and the folks in line in front of us had bags of popcorn they were crunching on.  We were totally salivating and had to divert ourselves by watching the Pumpkin Hurling Game going on behind us.

This was a great day with the Daytons. You shoulda been there...

 It was a cold, crisp fall evening at the Dayton Household....

We hosted our very own Harvest Party.  Adults: 2,  Kids: 4 , Candy: 1 million pieces

The pumpkin that had sat alone on the porch, attempting to look harvesty, was about to be carved.  I think it was glad since it didn't have any mini-haystacks or crafty scarecrows to keep it company out there.  It stared all day at some shriveled up pansies in a pot.

Julian and Mother did most of the slimey work.  Claire offered to help, but using an ice cream scooper so as not to touch the stinky slime. (Apologies to the Pumpkin) Father thriftily recommended roasting the seeds for a snack later.  Mother, of course, had a recipe. 

Audrey insisted on a quick photo with Pumpkin, apparantly relating to his demise.

Things turned out quite well for Pumpkin, I'd say.  He looks brilliant!

Leaving the savory behind and moving onto the sweet....
caramel dipped candy-coated apples.

Each child waited patiently for their turn dipping and dripping the caramel.  Mouths watered and fingers twitched to pilfer candy bits.

 One wanted a Nerd coating, another Reeses Pieces would be his fancy.










And then there is the child who wants it all....

At the close of the day, the Daytons had had a spot-on good time.  Oversugared, but together.  

And the pumpkin seeds were roasted to perfection to boot.