Autumn Harvest Festival

Our harvest festival this year was at a beautiful persimmon orchard on some beautiful land. 10/16/2009

Fresh air, open space, play, itchy hay, buzzing bees, crazy red ants, dirt roads, hay ride, story and a little history, picnic, harvesting our own persimmons, swirly tire swings, dressing scare crows, yummy picnic with schoolmates and new friends, father sun's beaming rays, sun burn, beautiful trees, wonder, games, local pumpkins, natural fun!









A perfect autumn celebration!

Our Jack 'O Lanterns 2008

Thank you Miss Shannon for your help in activity and creativity.
...and thank you to the neighbor who was selling the organic pumpkins from your pumpkin farm in Central, IL (How cool it was to stubble across you)

In the Light of Hope and Gratitude We Walk

Earlier this evening Maxx, Allison, Shannon and I met many others at Uncommon Ground to light the handmade lanterns and begin our gratitude walk. It was magical. Many said they came to see the little ones and how important it is to see their awww and how amazing that is. There was a story about a lantern told and then songs began as we walked our 3 blocks to the garden. It was so beautiful to see those lanterns in the dark and enjoy the night in a magical place. How grateful I am to be able to give and have this experience with my beautiful son and my amazing friends who rekindle my spark every day.

At times our own light goes out
And is rekindled by a spark from
Another person Each of us has cause to think
With deep gratitude to those
Who have lighted the fire with in us
-Albert Schwitzer

Above is Maxx's lantern as he is walking around the dark garden. Beautiful.

I walk with my little lantern,
My lantern walks with me
In heaven, the stars are shining!
On earth, my lantern shines too.
In darkest night, it guides my way
Glow little lantern glow.

Harvest Time/Michaelmas

Maxx is singing this amazing song he learned at school and we sang it as a community at the Harvest Festival.

This is my trunk, I'm a tall tall tree
in summer the wind blows through me
I wave, I wave

This is my trunk, I'm a tall tall tree
in autumn apples they grow on me
they fall, they fall

This is my trunk, I'm a tall tall tree
in winter the snow falls on me
I shiver, I shiver

This is my trunk, I'm a tall tall tree
in spring the leaves bloom on me
they bloom, they bloom.

These past few weeks we have been celebrating the harvest. It is just amazing, watching the world through four year old eyes. Maxx loves to get a hand full of leaves, throw them up in the air and watch as they dance there way to the ground. We have seen squirrels gathering nuts getting ready for the winter. On our walks we have enjoyed and studied the trees that still have leaves, knowing it won't be long until these trees will be bare. On the way home from the library we crunched the leaves that had fallen onto the sidewalk.

In celebration this week we went to Maxx's school for the Harvest Festival and had a blast. We came home a dirty mess. Looking at my pictures, I was more into the festival myself than capturing it with pictures. Miss Allison joined us and we helped the school replant some of the the Sophia garden, ate fresh picked apples, homemade apple cake Maxx had made in class, sang, danced, made an autumn craft out of grapevine, leaves, feathers, and tufts of wool... and really enjoyed this beautiful day.

"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower."
- Albert Comus

Time Flys When You Are Having Fun

Here in Chicago we have had some amazing weather after all that rain. 70s with sunshine!
Wow! That was a lot of rain! We got some of Icke's devilishness here in the Midwest.
The family down in Texas are still in clean up mode while some are still waiting for the lights to come on. Everyone is safe and sound which is the best part.

There has been a lot of living these days. I am having the hardest time keeping the undies washed and balancing the demands of this school schedule. My basket feels totally turned over and there is so much going on, but it all just too much fun and we are loving it.

Kurt has gotten the nighttime rhythm down. I am very proud of my lions. They have had the biggest adjustment with this new PreK/EC gig and they are becoming pros. I think Maxx could run the C.T.A. he has the schedule tuned in...and while he is playing with his trains his memory recalls all of the commuting announcements word for word. I am amazed with his memory.

Miss Shannon was called upon for a play date of cookie baking and dog walking. Maxx had a blast enjoy the pictures of loving Abby and Lucy...some of the sweetest dogs in the whole world and we love Miss Shannon. Thank you Shannon, you made Maxx's week, mine too!!!

Maxx and Abby sharing some lov'n

Lucy's turn...Lucy smiles when you pet and love on her it is the greatest!

The dog walk...

Picture day is tomorrow, our four year old check up is Friday, and the Harvest Festival is this weekend...and to know that some do this with two and three cubs...appreciation and admiration...

A Quill of a Day!!

Today, Maxx had a rough morning due to our perfect rhythm being... well, "rocked".
The C.T.A. was on top of there game and the trains and buses were running smooth today.
Too smooth!

We ended up at school 20 minutes early and Maxx had some time to play with his new friends, free style. It was a beautiful morning and we had fun watching him play.
SLAP!!!
Maxx was down. He fell and scraped his knee. The school doors were opened...

Kurt wisked him off to wash up. He then was good and slipped into his slippers, and ran into the class room just like the past two perfect mornings. Kurt and I were out the door and headed to get some coffee... when we heard..."Mommy! Daddy!" We looked back and there Maxx was running out the main door. "I don't want to go to school, today!", he said. He then began to cry and lost his little mind...
He screamed and his head began to spin and the legs like little hammers kicking my shins, knees, and thighs while I am picking him up...he becomes limp, not wanting to be picked up. Something totally took over my child.

(Where did Maxx go? Who is THIS wild child? ...no, my Maxx is sweet and perfect and the easy kid...you know the cool little man...I don't know who this little person is.)

Oh my goodness, the scene, the work out, we were now in shoes we had never worn before. He was a mess to get back in that classroom door.

Whew...with the help of a grab from Miss Donkel, ( she got the screaming limp kicker...so sorry!!!) and the door shutting. Maxx was in!

Brows wiped...
Kurt and I back in route for coffee. We could hear Maxx screaming out the window, "Help me! Help me! I don't want to go to school!" Persistent, he is. Kurt and I kept walking in disbelief and knowing he was going to have another amazing school day.

While waiting on Maxx to get out of school Miss Allison and I met up and landed at the Swedish Bakery for a breakfast treat and coffee. Allison then picked out something super special just for Maxx.


What is it?

A porcupine!!! Awwwwwwwww How CUTE!!!
YUM!!!!


What an awesome treat, to see Miss Allison at the end of a beautiful school day, AND enjoy a chocolaty- cakey- and check out the almond quills!!!! A Porcupine delight!!!! Thank you for making our day!!

We asked how his day at school was..."It was good!" He then began to talk about going tomorrow and how he could not wait. (DOH!!! Little did he know... he has a four day break before the next day of school.)

On the way home he complained of his throat hurting. UH OH!!! (He did mention it last night...but I thought he was just trying to get out of eating dinner...and "crying wolf", like the little smarty pants he is...)
Little Mister Cranky Pants...might be coming down with a cold bug...

...maybe that explains the out his mind, out of control, slightly possessed kid I was dealing with earlier...in combo with new hair cut, breakfast refusal, new routine, excitement, newness, newness, and more newness.

...a "quill" of a day!!!

Maxx Sitter Extraordinaire!

Tuesday was such a hectic day with balancing work-hood, mommy-hood, wife-hood, and parent to a preschooler hood. It was a grab and go, in and out, up and down, fast and furious, good and bad, emotions rise and fall, bus and El train, walk and cab it, very extreme preview of what school days will be like. Kurt and I attended a "Welcome Parent Assembly Dinner" and "Parent Teacher Night" at Maxx's school.


But the best part of the day...
Was being blessed with having a friend you can trust with your child...

Maxx came home WORN out and he is the child that energy never stops... until his head hits the pillow... so I can only imagine how Miss Shannon felt on Wednesday.
They went shopping at the Asian markets, made vegan pizza and vegan chocolate chip cookies, walked Miss Debbie's "girls", read, and played outside. Shannon not only provided Maxx with a safe loving place away from us...she created an adventure filled with thoughtful planned out activities...Jam packed!!! This is much more than we could have asked for, and we will forever cherish the time given and memories Maxx made.
Shannon you are the best!!!

New Friends

Today was our Gathering with Maxx's class. It was so great to see all the children so shy and then warming up. It is going to be a great full year! Maxx meets his new classmates and reunites with his teacher...Kurt and I have homework due next Tuesday...how did that happen?

Caterpillar

Creepy crawly caterpillar
Looping up and down,
Furry tufts of hair along
Your back of golden brown.

You will soon be wrapped in silk,
Asleep for many a day;
And then, a handsome butterfly,
You'll stretch and fly away.

Mary Dawson