Yes, Zach is digging under our deck.  (The only place in the yard I said it was okay to dig besides the sandbox, which apparently wasn't very exciting.)  He and Emma are looking for remains of a Lakota Indian city.  (????)  Emma is holding up a rock that they are sure is from a Lakota…

We went through the Kohl's checkout line three times… of course they remembered us because I spent most of my time in the store chasing Carter who refused to be carried, refused to ride in the stroller, and ran away every time I put him down.   We have done puzzles.  Lots of them.  Emma…

 We are LOVING this fall.  It is the first time since we've moved here that the leaves on our oak tree haven't fallen in layers of snow.  Here are a few more of our happy outside leaf pictures!  (The one of Zach and Emma and "Grandma's traveling owl" is of their "birds nest"… )    

56* Raking leaves Watching Carter wander through the pile, dragging them onto the cleaned up grass Burying myself in them with Emma, and then laying there covered in the great-smelling leaves looking up at the branches and the beautiful blue sky Finding leaf pieces the rest of the day in my hair, in my clothes,…

 Maybe (okay, probably) because he just loves ALL TV… but Carter just might have been the biggest baseball fan at our house during the world series this year!  All day long for a week or so, he'd run to Zach's room, put on the Phillies hat (which actually fits him because his head is so…

The year Carter insisted on dragging his heavy bucket he could no longer carry all the way (a death grip, honestly); the year Emma wanted to be a bee because she saw one in a random book we got from the library; the year Zach was far more interested in imaginary light saber battles than…

 It was raining, but he didn't care.  This boy LOVES to be outside.  I am thinking it may be a long winter…

 Zach was (as ever) totally disgusted.  Emma loved it.  They both had fun carving their pumpkins themselves (with some help from Dad.)        

The leaves were WET and SO DIRTY and Carter and Emma wanted to be tossed in them over and over and over.  Clothes are washable, so we did.       

 Finally… picking pumpkins from a real pumpkin patch… at our favorite local apple orchard.  We had such a good time!  The kids had so much fun tromping through the patch, Emma picked her (BIG) pumpkin decisively and early, while Zach looked and compared and asked for advice… love the differences between them.  And Carter loved…