A Visitor

New neighbors moved across the street a few months back, and with them came their outdoor cat, Milky.  Milky thinks he lives with us though.  He is over at our house constantly.  He is constantly trying to get in, and has a few times.  He makes it real tricky to get into the garage without him coming too.  Milky is a sweetie though and we don't mind his company one bit......Pickles may feel a little differently though.  Milky likes to come hang out in our front windows and it drives Pickles nuts! 

Side note:  Jed loves to ride his big wheel down the incline in our driveway.  Then he gets off and has us drag it back up to the top for him to do it all over again and again.

Service Project Award

It's a proud day for a parent when your child comes home from school super excited to enter a service project contest.  Evangeline was so excited about this idea.  We brainstormed lots of options but finally settled on visiting the home for people with Alzheimer's and dementia.  She went with Peggy and a friend of Peggy's.  They helped the residents paint pumpkins and she played the piano for them.  She said that the residents loved to hear her play the piano.  She played through her pieces several different times for them.  She mentioned that one woman lit up and instantly came to the piano to listen each time she played.  Evangeline had many stories to tell about the people she worked with there.  It was such a wonderful experience for her.  (Peggy took sent me these pictures of her at Willowbrook.)

After completing her service project she had to write an essay telling about what she did.  Her essay read, "For my service project I went to Willowbrook.  Willowbrook provides care and services to those that are afflicted with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.  At Willowbrook, there are two houses.  They can put 12 people in one house.  I went to Willowbrook with my grandmother and two of her friends.  I brought my piano music.  I played the piano.  They all love music!  Sometimes they would clap.  We also brought paint.  We all painted pumpkins.  I had so much fun, and I felt good!"

 

She ended up being one of the winners selected to be recognized for her project.  The award was an opportunity to meet the visiting author, Julia Durango and receiving a certificate.  Proud Mama indeed.  

Happy Things

I dread the day when Jed is to big for baths in the sink.  :( 

Did I ever write about our family movie night tradition?  Evangeline started it about a year or so ago.  On Friday nights we all four sit down to watch a movie together.  The kids love it!  We all snuggle up on the couch together.  It's special.

 

Sure do love weekend mornings in my home full of sunshine with my kids full of sunshine.

We're close to around 60 house plants of different varieties.  They make me so happy. 

My Daily Blessings

Evangeline LOVES to bake.  She would bake something every day if she could.  She had Kyle put a kids baking app on her tablet and she was eager to try out a recipe for cinnamon toast.  She let Jed help.  I could tell she felt grown up as she helped him add ingredients.  He was so excited to help her.  They are the sweetest. 

Several weeks ago Kyle and I took a very impromptu trip to Indy to see Jason Isbell in concert at White River Park.  It was such a lovely evening. 

The fall sky has been breathtaking. 

We like to spend time outside after school.  We play ball, play on the swing set, run around the yard, take walks and play on the scooters.  One of these days we will come home from school to see that the corn has come down. 

I sat Jed in this tree and he thought it was pretty neat.  

A few weeks ago Kyle noticed something yellow hanging in the tree.  Upon further investigation I noticed that it was a pumpkin.  There were actually two pumpkins hanging in the tree.  They grew from the Jack O'Lantern I threw in the woods last fall.  The vine had wrapped itself around a tree resulting in pumpkins hanging from the tree.  It was the coolest thing! 

Jed has been so into this Halloween Oriental Trading Company magazine lately....