Good Pickin's

Blackberry season always marks the end of summer. Not so much the end of "real" summer, just the end of state-dictated summer. Blackberry season is, thus, bittersweet. Sigh.

This year, we headed in the direction of Paris, KY to one of our old favorite farms, Reed Valley Orchards. The blackberries were plentiful, and the kids were fantastic helpers. In fact, they picked more blackberries than I did . . . GOOD ones too!

It was hot as . . . well, blackberry picking always is . . . but the kids kept on going. They were troopers, and we ended up with more than eight quarts of blackberries (eight of those little baskets filled to the top).

Luckily, we had some friends join us. That always makes the time go by faster . . . and the heat more bearable.

By the end, though, the kids were HOT and tired. Good! That means we worked hard and played hard. It also means it's still summer . . . for a little while at least.

It also means we get to enjoy the fruits of our labors: juicy, delicious blackberries!

It also means the kids get to take turns riding in the wagon on the way back to the car.

The photos at Reed Valley Orchard have also become a family tradition. The kids insisted on photos.

"My turn!"

Last year, I made blackberry freezer jam with some of the pickings. The two measly jars I ended up with barely lasted us through the rest of the summer. This year, I was determined to make enough to last us through the winter. Mmmmmmm. There's nothing like the taste of summer to get you through the cold months of winter.

The Children's Garden

Yesterday was a teachers' work day at school which meant that the kids had a day off from school. YEAH!! We decided to head over to the new Children's Garden at the Arboretum for a water and dirt-filled playdate with friends. Sadly, I didn't bring my camera yesterday, but what luck! I never posted the pictures from the last time we visited the Children's Garden over the summer. You can just use your imagination . . .

They've been raising money for the Children's Garden and working on it for a couple of years now. It's fun to finally reap the rewards of two years of waiting. It's better than I expected, with lots of things to look at, but more importantly, lots of things to DO, touch, play with, etc.

Phoenix is emerging from his chrysalis in the butterfly garden.

One of the absolute best parts about the garden is its extensive use of water. There are small streams and ponds throughout the whole area. Not only that, but the kids are allowed, nay, encouraged to wade in the streams, build dams, fill up buckets, and generally explore. The first time we visited, we were dismayed to find that we weren't prepared with water shoes and swimsuits. Yesterday, the kids were more prepared to get WET.

After meandering through the garden, the stream finally ends in a large pond. The garden has small fishing rods on hand for the kids.

It would be *really* fun it the fishing rods were real and you could actually catch some of the very tiny fish in the pond.

Although, when I think about how many times the strings of two or more rods got tangled up, I'm sure there would be too many injuries for that to be a viable activity. How many hooks would there be caught in faces and eyeballs? Ugh.

There are paths to be taken, flowers to be sniffed, ponds to be fished, dams to be build, and holes to be dug.

Yesterday we spent four hours at the garden. FOUR! We definitely got our money's worth.

My Old Kentucky Home

School may have begun, but summer has surely not ended . . . at least not on the blog. One of our "field trip" Wednesdays this summer took us to Fort Boonesborough. It is a replica of the fort built by Daniel Boone and the first Kentucky settlers upon their arrival to the state.

The last time we visited the fort was a year ago, and Lutece specifically requested this field trip. It was extra fun this time because our good friends the Richards and the Poulsens went with us (Both of them are gone now. GONE! . . . deep breaths.)

It was also more fun because the kids were older this time around and were more capable (and willing) to listen to the re-enactors explain about the different skills practiced in Daniel Boone's day. The tinsmith (above) and the weaver (below) were favorites.


A rare shot of my friend Annie. I've got to go to Colorado now to visit her. Oh, and my sister. Of course my sister! :)

Kentucky already misses everyone.

First Week of School

The kids started school on Thursday to mixed feelings. Phoenix was excited, with just a twinge of nerves. Lutece was equal parts excited and nervous. (Oh, the drama!) I was not ready for them to go back to school, sad to see them go, relieved to see them go, and excited to enjoy a quiet house. And Stayc? I think he was as stressed about Phoenix as I was this year. You see? Lots of emotions in our house this week. (And not all of them mine for once. :)

Oh my goodness, though. Just look at that kid! Completely ready for first grade.

Even with a year of public school under her belt, Lutece was very stressed about starting back up. What will my teacher be like? Who will be in my class? Will I make friends?

Luckily, they started out together this year. One bundle of excitement, one bundle of nerves.

Even though it's Phoenix's first time in public school (as a first grader), his class is just two doors down from Lutece's classroom from last year, which means he knows his way around, having walked these halls every week last year. His teacher seems very nice, and very firm (perfect) and we've heard good things about her. When we left him at his classroom, he found his desk and sat right down. He waved at us from the door and got to work.

Sigh. My baby.

When we picked up up at the end of the day, Stayc asked him how his first day was.

"I loved it!"

Day two was just as good as day one. I went to the school to join Phoenix at lunch on Friday. He seemed to enjoy my company . . . but not overly much. Lutece happened to be in the lunchroom at the same time, so I went over to say hello and meet her new friends. She was already surrounded by a small posse of girls and she dismissed me gently after saying hello and snagging the extra cookies I had brought.

Sniffle, sniffle. My baby girl is growing up.

We ended the two-day week with snowcones after school (cause if the snowcone truck is there . . . you just gotta). Let's hope next week goes as smoothly.

As for me? My nerves were short-lived, I LOVED the quiet in the house, and Stayc and I went out for lunch on Friday. Lovely!

Hiking with Grandma

We decided to take Grandma hiking while she was here . . . see what she was made of. I let the kids choose the destination, and they chose a new hiking venue that we'd discovered earlier in the summer.

"No, no, no." (The kids discovered Talking Tom while Grandma was here. Arrggghh! Curse that Talking Tom!)

Even on a Saturday morning, the forest was deserted and we only saw one other person the whole time. This place is reeealllly out of the way.

Phoenix brought along his notebook and some pencils (along with some bug catching tweezers, a plastic bug case, and a magnifying lens). Occasionally, he'd drop down and sketch something on the trail.

We had a grand time hiking, bug-watching, climbing, and of course talking.

We even brought Stayc with us to enjoy the great outdoors (since, sadly, he's spent most of the summer indoors).

After hiking, we drove the 15 minutes back into Berea for lunch, ice cream, and window shopping. A perfect day.

Although the summer is coming to a close and school starts tomorrow, I am behind in my blogging. Summer will last a little longer on the blog than in real life. I will, of course, take first-day-of-school pictures tomorrow. Summer is over all too soon.

Tea with Grandma

Grandma Terry visited last week and spent eight lovely days with us. The kids were so excited to spend time with her, that she had two almost constant companions. One day last week, Lutece informed me that she was having a tea party and requested my help in preparing the food. I was also informed that I was not invited. So sorry. Just Phoenix and Grandma (and a couple of Madame Alexander dolls).

After the party got underway, I could hear them talking and laughing and talking and laughing. I almost felt jealous.

Almost.

Chin chin.

Diligence

Sometimes I don't give Lutece enough credit for the hard work she puts into learning things. There are things that are difficult for her and that she strongly dislikes doing. She gives up pretty quickly on those things.

Lately though, I've noticed that there are other things that are difficult for her but that she really enjoys doing.

When she is motivated, she will work and work and work until she masters something.

Frisbee is one of those things she mastered this summer. At the beginning of the summer, she'd beg Stayc to go outside and play frisbee with her after dinner.

By golly, she was going to master the art of frisbee! She worked at it until she achieved . . . well, if not mastery, then competence.

Good job, little girl!