Fun, Fashion and Frugality

Last month marked our biannual trip to the consignment sale.  Rebecca loves coming with me and I really enjoy both her company and her help.  Shopping for multiple children is a challenge and this year we shopped for a few extra little girls.  :-) 

I end up buying more things at the sale when I take Rebecca - and that is probably a good and fun thing.  One example - shoes!  I'm happy with just a casual and dress pair.  I would not have come home with 6 pairs - but for a couple of dollars each for almost new shoes, I don't mind.  (One pair of boots is not in the picture below if you are counting.  They are on the little model if you scroll down farther though.)

We also bought for the boys, but they didn't need as many things this year.  (I hope I don't find mid-season that I've estimated their needs incorrectly!)  Since we pass a lot of things down, we get a lot of wear from our boy's clothes.



Eliana doesn't have many hand-me downs.  (And to be honest it is soooo much fun to shop for a little girl!)



Part of the fun of new clothes is trying them on, right?  Eliana happily obliges her big sister's desire to see how it looks.  I think they are both having a blast!





Some of her outfits look cute from the back and now she often shows us the back of each one.  LOL



And check out my new boots!





Eliana is fascinated with the camera.  It's probably no surprise given the number of photos we take.  It is cute to see her hold up the camera and make a clicking noise with her mouth when she wants to "take pictures'. 





Another area in which things were bought due to shopping with a big sister ... costumes.  "She needs more dress up clothes because we mostly have boy dress up clothes!"  It's true, though perhaps we made a dent in that.

A butterfly





A pirate.  (Only a little girl with big brothers!)



A really cute tutu and some hair accessories (hard to see in this picture).







I know I talk of Eliana often and partly it is because I want to advocate for people with Down syndrome.  It is much misunderstood.  I have to believe that is why more than 90% of pregnancies of babies with Down syndrome in our county are terminated.  That just hurts my heart.  People don't know what a joy it is to have a child with Down syndrome (Ds).  I want to spread the message.  I want  people to see the joy, laughter and delight that is a part of our life due to having a sweet girl who happens to have Ds.  I pray that perhaps people might make different choices if they knew that Ds is not an awful thing - but perhaps just a different thing than you expected which is also going to bring you joy!  I hope that a peek into our lives might just change some perceptions and hearts about what it is like to live with Down syndrome.  For our family - it is a huge blessing that is much enjoyed every day!

Blessings

Leslie

Fun Friday - A trip to an Apple Orchard

We went on a spontaneous (kind of) field trip today.  I've been wanting to go to an apple orchard and recently heard of one that was relatively close by (one hour away).  I called to find out how long the season was going to be and heard that our best time to come would be today.  So, with just one day to plan, I mentioned it at the park after our field trip yesterday.  There were 5 other families wanting to do this too!  What fun!  (Lots of pictures to show for our day too!)

We left early this morning to drive to



It was an absolutely gorgeous day!  While waiting for our tour to start, Christopher was playing with the settings on my camera.  (I need to do that more often!)  I thought these pictures were a lot of fun!



Running around and playing in the tire swing was a fun way to start our field trip.





A picture of our group at the start of the morning.



Our "tour" lasted for about 1.5 hours.  We started outside by learning about a few varieties of apples.  We sampled 3 different types - Fuji, Granny Smith and Pink Lady.  We then voted on which we liked the best.  Pink Lady was the winner.  (It was so delicious!)

We then moved inside to learn about the machine that they used to clean the apples.



First they were washed.



Next they were sorted based on size.  The smaller apples were taken out and used for cider or baking.  Then they were polished using rags.



We saw the outside/starting point of the cider making machine.  A conveyor belt carries the apples up to another belt which has one on top and another on the bottom.  It gets tighter and tighter squeezing the juice from the apples.



We then moved outside to make some cider.  We learned the difference between apple juice and cider.  Apple juice uses any apples and in any mixture.  It is heated and pasteurized.  Cider is made using specific apples for a unique taste.  The children used a machine to help chop the apples.



While they were being chopped, we could see some cider being collected in the container below - but not too much.





After everyone had a turn, they pressed the apples.  Wow, what a difference.  Lots of yummy cider to be shared.  It was really delicious!





The last stop on our tour was a hayride.  What fun!  The wagon was just the right size for our group too!





A peek at the person usually behind the camera - me with a couple of my dear friends.



We rode through the orchard and into the woods.  We finally stopped at a small field with small pumpkins.  Everyone got out to choose a pumpkin.  I loved watching Eliana do this!



The group with their pumpkins.



When we finished, it was lunch time.  There were plenty of picnic tables in the shade of the trees for us to use while we enjoyed our lunch.  The final activity was to go and pick apples.



There were two types available to pick today - Fuji and Pink Lady.  We went to pick the Pink Ladies first.  The trees are dwarf trees which are small and easy to pick from.



We are just getting started.



This one didn't seem to get that we wanted to keep them IN the basket!  She did have fun though!  I have to say it - this sweet little face just makes me smile!



The Fuji trees were larger and the abundance was at the top of the trees!





We came home with a bushel of apples!  I'm not sure what I'll do with all of them.  If you have ideas or suggestions for how to put them up, I'd love to hear it!

If you live in the area, this was a great outing!  I know we'll be going back again.  If you want apples, you can just go to pick apples and not do the tour.  There is also a small store which sells cakes, pies, pottery and even cider slushies.  Today was just a delightful day!  It made me think that I need to have more days like this.  We had a fun outing last Friday with just our family (I'll post it soon).  Maybe this can be something new - Fun Fridays.  It won't happen every week, but hopefully more often if I'm planful!  Hope you had a fun Friday too!

Blessings

Leslie

PS  No Rebecca in the photos because she wasn't with us.  It was really odd not having her too!  We all missed her.  She was off today having a fun outing with her Daddy.

31 for 21: A change for Eliana

Well, she had a new experience.  Something that many children experience at an earlier age in life.  Certainly my boys did.  Rebecca though, like Eliana, waited until later.  Not that it was by choice for either of them.  LOL  She got a haircut.

For awhile now, I"ve known that Eliana needed a haircut.  Her ends were uneven.  Her hair was long, which could also be a challenge when dealing with knots in it. 

I tried to get a good "before" picture, but didn't.  Rebecca, Eliana and I headed out to a local salon which caters to children.  Roger offered to cut it as he does the boy's hair.  You've seen my boys' haircuts and can imagine my answer.  LOL  The short cropped look it great for my boys, not so much for my girls.

We really weren't sure how Eliana would do, but were hoping for the best.



She liked sitting in the little car.  There was also a movie playing, but she wasn't all that interested in it. 



A squirt bottle was all that was needed to get her hair good and wet. 



The first try wasn't enough of a cut, so we asked for more to be taken off.  If she was going to get her hair cut - I wanted it to show!  Not sure why she is making these goofy faces for the camera these days.



Her hair was about half way down her back before the cut.



Love the cute bow on the side.  Wish she would keep it in her hair!



Am I the only one that thinks she looks older with her hair cut?  I'm not ready for my baby to be getting big!  (Any of them.  LOL)



Getting a haircut was a great experience.  Eliana was a little wiggly, but she did a super job at listening and making it easy for the stylist.  I love her new look!

Blessings

Leslie

No one warned me

I'm not sure why I didn't see this one coming - or why I haven't heard other moms talking about it.  But I haven't it and it hit me out of the blue.

Christopher has been getting a LOT of mail lately.  A lot.  Taking the college exams has brought letters and applications from schools all over the US.  I think it's been fun for him to see the different schools and to look around at his options.  I think too it is nice to be courted from universities who believe you have something to offer. 

Checking the mail has never been Christopher's job - or at least not for a long time - but I notice that he takes it on some days.  I would too if I were getting the volume of mail he does (and junk mail does not count!). 

So one day, he placed one of his letters out on the counter for me to see.  This is the no warning part again.  I'm not even sure how it hit him when he saw it.  I don't guess he saw it coming either.



Should have I known that this was coming?  Maybe.  My reaction?  If you know me, I'm sure you can guess.  Tears.  I'm just not ready to believe that my "baby" is almost 18.  I remember when he was little (2ish) and I met a woman with "older kids" and feeling sorry for her as I didn't then realize that all the fun kept going and didn't stop when they were little.  (Oh, and the older children were the ripe ages of 5 and 7!  What a silly thought it seems now - but perspective will do that for you!) 

The draft.  Did I even know that they still did this?  I know it's an honor to serve our country, but I'm still not ready for my son to be in that position, kwim?  And I don't like thinking that I'll get to see that same letter 3 more times.  I'm sure I'll cry each time too. 

Time to count my blessings.  I'm so thankful to have Christopher as a son.  I'm thankful he is healthy and strong and has lived a good life.  (This really hits home when we are studying in the colonial period where the life expectancy was much, much shorter!).  I'm thankful for the fine young man he has become and I love being his mom!!!  I'm thankful to live in American and thankful for the men and women who have fought for our freedoms.  I'm thankful to serve a loving God who holds us all in His hands.

Blessings

Leslie

Field Trip to the Joel Lane House

Our last field trip with our Five in a Row group was to the Joel Lane House in Raleigh.  It was a very hot day for a trip to this historic site of the man who is considered the "Father of Raleigh" and the "Father of Wake County".   This was a perfect tie-in for our study of Betsy Ross since the house was built in the 177os.  It was on Isaiah's birthday, so Roger took the day off of work and spent it with us.  It was a fun outing.  (Of course, I think that of all field trips.)  We brought along another visitor - a "Flat Stanley" from a friend. 



We split into 3 groups by age.





Roger went with the "middle" group and I went with the younger children.



The docents were all dressed in period clothing which gives a much more authentic feel to the trip.  Our guide did a wonderful job of answering questions and giving information, in a way perfectly suited to young children.



Each group rotated areas.  We started in the small herb garden.  Many herbs were used for food, flavoring and medicinal purposes - just like today!  The Lambs Ear, which Daniel is touching the photo below, was used for bandages.



Next we visited the kitchen - a separate building from the house in order to reduce the incidence of the house burning down.  We learned about various tools used in the kitchen.



Additionally we learned about how clothing was made the the types of fibers used in clothing (wool, cotton and flax/linen).  I couldn't help but think about the smell of people in all of those clothes, in the heat and with infrequent baths.  (Sorry for the image.  Time around sweaty football players lately has affected my senses.  LOL)



Next we entered the main house.  It was considered quite a nice house at this time period.  There were three rooms downstairs in addition to a large entry.  First we were in the dining room.  The painted walls were a symbol of wealth.



Next was a parlor with a writing desk in addition to some games and examples of food.



 The docent told about the money used during the colonial times and the children loved holding and examining it.





There was also a bedroom used for guests and travellers.  They could fit 4 to 5 people a bed!  Can you imagine?!!

Upstairs were two bedrooms - one for the children.



We learned about the various things that could be in a "ticking" (mattress) including moss and corn husks.  We don't always realize how very good we have things today!

The other bedroom was for the parents/baby. 



I think the clothing from this time period is beautiful, but I'm also thankful I don't have to wear so many layers during the hot southern summers.



The last part of our morning was spent outside in various stations.  This was in a little courtyard in front of the house.



One was on kitchen stations.  This was a favored spot due to the cool position under the arbor.  Here they learned about kitchen implements.



There was a station about schooling and also on on toys.  All the children loved the toys.  Some things never change!









After our morning was finished, we headed to a nearby campus for a lovely picnic.  Even though some mornings it is hard to get up and get everyone ready, I know it will be worth it!  These days are a sweet time of  learning and hanging out with friends.  I'm thankful for these days.



Blessings

Leslie