Autumn has Fallen

I've got an overload of pictures in this month's folder on my computer. And even now, getting them uploaded to my formerly preferred hosting site (PhotoBucket) it took forever and lots of work. It didn't used to. It's so frustrating and I'm about to just start posting pictures over on Facebook and giving up on sharing pictures on the blog.

Anyway, it's finally starting to feel like fall around here. We broke out the Halloween decorations:
















Dalton and I worked on a fall craft in anticipation of baby cousin's arrival. We used leftover brown chalkboard paint to cover this pumpkin:

Then we wrote an encouraging, "C'mon, Kevin!" with chalk. :) We erased that and wrote "Caise" and brought it to the hospital when the kids went to meet him.

Fall also means football. And Autumn was in need of a Saints bow. So I made her a korker bow in Saints "old gold" and black:


We can go with a more literal translation of "Autumn has fallen" for this one:


Poor girl was walking around carrying her favorite book and tripped and fell on the edge of that book, bussin' her face all up:


Fall means it's finally cool enough to spend more time outside. We got out the boys' bikes for maybe the second time this entire year...yes, in all of 2010! And now Easton can ride on just two wheels!

October 8th was the day he learned how, for my own record keeping purposes. I feel bad for the kids, we don't have a great place near the house to ride and to go somewhere that is better for riding involves more than I'm usually willing and able to do by myself with all three kids in tow. Mr. Balance picked it up in no time once he was able to spend some time on his bike in a flat area. Now he desperately needs a bigger bike, but again, we really don't spend that much time on them. I wish we did/could.

The cooler weather has also found us enjoying the fall foliage at a nearby park recently:


Autumn in her fall fleece and boots:


And the boys harvesting dandelions:




Easton said, "Okay, Mom, now give me your camera and I'll take a picture of you with your flowers."


The season also brought a bake sale at Easton's school. They hosted one during conferences so while the families were going in and out for meetings with teachers, they'd pass the table full of baked goodies. Genius. I was happy to contribute and whipped up some festive treats...pumpkin spice cookies, these bat cupcakes:


And then I dipped Nutter Butters into white candy coating for these:


And Oreos for these:


Of course the leaves on the trees have started falling...and we took full advantage this week:














Burying brother:




Easton insisted Miss Autumn herself be involved:










She kept leaving:




E in the tree trying to "shake off more leaves":


Dalton got a hair cut. I do not like it:

It keeps making that strange curlique in the front.

Yesterday I accompanied Easton's class on their farm field trip. Lauren came to stay with Autumn (and Dalton once he was out of school) so that I could go.

I got to the school and saw I had four boys in my group. Everyone else had 5 kids. Once I met Chance, I understood. That boy was the equivalent of, like, 3 kids!

Anyway, Easton was most excited about riding the bus, I think:

That's his classmate Austin next to him.

My group of boys:

Chance is the one on the far right. The other kids were great...to make up for me having to deal with him, I guess.

Easton and sweet little Logan L:


Picking out a pumpkin for me and one for him:


My group again:


Waiting for our turn with the hand sanitizer and to pick up our sack lunches:


Then we were turned loose on the farm for a bit. And that's when Chance got the most challenging. Oh well:


"Milking" a wooden cow:




I took this one while Chance was off getting water:


Good times.

Then today Easton had yet another fun day. The entire school did a "Pumpkin Fun Run". The police blocked off some streets near the school and each grade chased a cop car through the half mile course. Well, the older grades did a whole mile but the kindies did just a half. We headed up to the school to check it out:


It was super chilly. Dalton is in two shirts and his fleece jacket...plus we brought that blanket:


The principal led the kindies through some warm ups and stretches:


And then they were off! Oh it was the cutest thing. They were all so excited! Easton's not necessarily the fastest as far as sprinting goes, but dude has got endurance. Out of at least 70 kindergartners, Easton came in 4th! However, he must've been running so fast they couldn't see him because they gave 4th place to the little girl significantly behind him who came in 5th. :( I wasn't sure if Easton was aware he was 4th...he's not competitive like that, just happy to be out there doing a "fun run". But the little two and I stuck around for the assembly and they had the first three boys come up and then the 5th place kid...but she was the first place girl. If that's what they were awarding, they should've specified, because they said they were the top four and I have video proving that's a lie. :( Easton's not bummed...but Jason and I sure are!

Oh...anyway, a super sweet moment as we watched the stragglers arrive:


He really does look up to his big brother:


The kids then headed over to a grassy patch (so the first graders could get started) and had popsicles and picked out a pumpkin. We headed over to watch:



Easton picked out his pumpkin for Dalton. Yesterday at the farm, picking out his pumpkin, E said he was going to give the one from the race to Dalton. I didn't say anything to Dalton, thinking E might not follow through but he walked right over to D:

When Mrs. S came around labeling them, he even told her it was for Dalton. :) He told us, "I saw a harvest punkin and I wanted to get that for Dalton (they have green on them) but when I went to get it, it was gone." He's got such a sweet, sensitive heart.

Oh, and Autumn was there too...in the sling:


That's all the fallish pictures I feel like sharing for today. So there ya go.