The leaves are our favorite past time. I rake them up. They rake them up. They jump around. It seems that everyone has helped me build the pile. I have one in front and one in back. They are huge. Their favorite thing is to back all the way up to Mr Vern's pickup. Count down (or up) (or in general, depending on the loudest counter) and run at the leaves. This is where I'm not sure what's happening. I don't know if they are trying to run through them and they are getting stuck. I don't know if they are running at them and falling in them. I don't know if they are trying to race each other to them... I'm not sure but it's always the same. Counting, running, leaves, laughing, and then starting over. My biggest worry is crashing into each other or running over Ainsley.
E has started to dabble a bit more with her pedal bike. We are now letting her take it for walks with us. She can't keep up with us on family bike rides but she's on the verge of getting it. G hasn't tried using the bike for a while again now and has gone back to his strider again.
Apple season is winding down. We have gathered all the apples we think we need. Matt has made apple juice - for those of you wondering about why you haven't made homemade apple juice, there's a reason. Don't do it. It was a lot of apples for a very thick syrup. I think there were better options but the kids thought it was a good idea. He's a good dad for seeing them through to the idea but I believe we've now learned our lesson. We also made and finished up apple sauce this week. We tried a new processing technique this year, we ran everything through the food mill after it steamed a bit. Worked like a dream. We have not canned this year as we have in the past and it's something I've missed but the mess and the sticky in my kitchen is not something I miss at all.
I was alone with the kids on Saturday. Matt pulled a couple extra shifts at the airport due to COVID. I was pleasantly surprised at how things are changing. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy street but there were moments of bliss. Don't hear me wrong either, these weren't hours or solid blocks of time past 10 minutes but there were moments. Let me explain, I got each dressed or assisted where needed. E has been dressing herself for so long, I don't remember the last time I actually pulled a shirt on for her. Sometimes she does need some assistance in zipping up her dress or tieing a sash or turning something inside out or getting her shirt forwards from backwards but the girl knows what she wants to wear and I'm good with that. Grady is a moving target and Ains is still allowing us to select ensembles for her. So back to the point, I was getting the herd dressed and as I got one done, they'd meander off to find something of interest. As I moved into my room, they'd bring me things to look at or ask me questions on but I worked with it. For an hour, with very little fighting, they made approximately 49 trips from their room to ours to read books, show me toys, have me unknot knots but it was all very harmonious and they played fairly independent. I actually even got the vacuum out and was able to run the whole upper level. Later they also decided that they were going to play at the table alone together. Meaning, they each played potato head or barbies, if you are E, but they did it together. That was a wonderful 20 minutes. The next day wasn't as simplified, they attempted to pick at each other, bite each other (way to go Ainsley), irritate each other, steal each others' _fill in the blank_ and drove me crazy BUT we had a an amazing Saturday morning where I did more than keep them alive.
EER and ALR come home.
GRR is in the garage.
GRR: Me going to the backyard.
EER: Me too!
The two head off.
Unbeknownst to ALR, they've taken the long route to the backyard through Mr. Vern's yard, to his apple tree. They pick the low hanging fruit that they can reach and proceed to the yard.
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