Overlook trail trek

It seems the leaves are changing color a little early around these parts.  Maybe it is related to the drought this summer or global warming, or something...  it makes for a pretty view at the top of the overlook.

I guess it's fall

There is no denying it.  The calendar insists that today is the first day of fall and it certainly felt like it....cool, rainy, leaves starting to change color....and to top it off, we went to buy our pumpkins!

It has become a tradition of sorts for each of us to choose our "perfect" pumpkin.  I use them to decorate the front porch for fall until about a week before Halloween.  Then we take an afternoon or evening to carve the pumpkins together.  Or rather, Kyle carves and Grace and I watch!

Grace borrowed my camera to take these
two photos (above and below) of our pumpkins.

This year we went to a new farm.  They were supposed to have hot air balloons, but they cancelled the lift off because of the weather.  It was fun anyway with a small art fair (I bought a Christmas present for Aunt Debbie), a place to "mine" for gems, an animal petting area, and other fall favorites like hay rides.  It was also a winery so we sampled some wine, but we ended up coming home with strawberry maple syrup.  Mmmmmm.....I think pancakes will be on tomorrow morning's menu for breakfast!

Come fly with me

Grace and I visited Aviation Day at the Kent State University airport today.  Driving there, we didn't know what to expect but were pleasantly surprised by many small airplanes (we see these flying over the lake and the streets in our area all the time),

...a life-flight helicopter from the Cleveland Clinic,

...and some military planes.  The biggest one carried 48 paratroopers in Vietnam, and is now a flying museum.

For my dad, who will probably ask, it is a C-123 flying boxcar.  The retired soldier inside said they put seats inside and the soldiers would sit until it was time to parachute out.  Then they hooked themselves to cables (sort of like laundry lines hanging the length of the plane) so they could put their parachutes on standing up.  When they jumped the cord would open their parachute for them. 

Grace took a peek inside the cockpit.
She said there were a lot of  "clocks" in there.

This other plane had 7 guns - three in the front and four on the sides.  Grace was amazed at how big the propellers and tires were.  There was a man inside but she couldn't find the door.  (It was underneath and you had to use a ladder to climb up).

That's a huge propeller, mom. 

I am NOT sharing my popcorn!

Kindergartener

This first photo idea comes from Pinterest.  If you are not on Pinterest, I highly suggest you start an account.  So many great ideas....

While we were outside enjoying an early fall evening, Grace let me take a bunch of photos as long as she was allowed to use my camera to take some too.  I was nervous, but the compromise was worth it to get cute photos like these:

Grace tried over and over to perfect her cartwheel and handstand.  I think she did a great job of the handstand here. 

And right before we ended the photo shoot and took Daisy for a walk, I got my favorite photo in a very long time.....

Love that new haircut!

First homework assignment

Grace's first homework assignment came home last weekend!  They are going to be talking about family, our neighborhood, city, etc...  Grace did a great job writing her answers to the teacher's questions.

I love the answer to what rules do you have at your house?
No throwing socks!
Yeah, right.  Grace and Kyle think it is hysterical
to throw their stinky socks on the floor....
just to drive me crazy!

A friend visits

I have really come to appreciate three-day weekends.  They just give you time to get all the house "stuff" done the first day and then you still have two days left to relax and enjoy each other.  On Saturday night, we had friends visit for our city's fireworks display (which you can see from our deck) and today we invited Grace's friend, Mariska, over to play for a little while.  One of the things the girls did was drive Grace's car to the gazebo at the end of the lake to feed the fish.

There were some pretty big fish coming to eat the chips!

It didn't take long for the geese to know there was food!  They came right up by the girls but by that time all their chips were in the water.  I am glad, since those geese can be a little aggressive!