Early Fall Bike Rides

There are a lot of trails in the woods around our house. The kids absolutely love riding their bikes down these trails - and it is nice to feel like you are in the middle of the woods when our neighborhood street is really just a few hundred yards away.

Through the forest, into a meadow, and past our neighbor's tree stand. Our evening walks and rides would soon come to an end, as hunting season was soon to begin.

This is the best time of year where we live - it is sunny, not too hot and humid, and the trees are starting to show some color.

The sun still shines brightly at this time of year, though the days are starting to shorten.

I can't believe how big my boys are, and how independent they have become in the past year. They ride down the trails and almost never need any assistance.

We take the dog with us on these hikes, too, and he loves running and sniffing - it is nice for him to be so free.

I can't wait for summer to begin again, so we can resume our walks in the woods!

Apples!

Our apple trees bore fruit again this year. Picking the apples became a neighborhood event for the little ones on our street!

I was surprised by the number of apples our little Macintosh trees produced. I had enough for several pies! Next year, I will have to can them - or make a lot of applesauce. I love having our own trees.

Back to School: September 2013 - First and Second Grade!

I am always sad to see summer come to an end. My kids thrive on routine, but the free summer days are so much fun for all of us. Still, a new school year arrived and we took the school supplies into their new classrooms, met with their new teachers, and hung the backpacks back on their hooks.

The boys were excited to head into their new classrooms. It is hard for me to believe I have a first and a second grader!

Here's to a year filled with learning and growth!

The Zip Line

Matthew loves to build things. He is constantly creating different areas to explore in the backyard - and building in his fort in the woods. Dennis had the brilliant idea of buying him some rope and carribeeners - Matthew set out immediately to create a zip line.

His zip line worked, but it was impossible to get enough tension on a nylon rope. Next time, we'll have to try steel cable. On the other hand, this rope kept Matt entertained for DAYS on end.

The rope eventually became a swing that Matt hung over a tree branch. It was fun to see all of the different ideas he could come up with!

Audubon Monarch Festival, 2013

At the end of August, our local Audubon Society tags and releases Monarch butterflies so they can track the migration of the beautiful insects to Mexico. Unfortunately, there were very few Monarch butterflies this year - the loss of milkweed and droughts in Texas have been devastating to the creatures.

The boys loved holding a few of the Monarchs, and we watched the process of tagging the butterflies.

We headed outside to watch the release of the tagged butterflies, then explored the Audubon for a little while. They had large butterfly nets the kids could borrow - Nolan and Matt really enjoyed this. Matthew caught a large grasshopper and Nolan caught a small butterfly (not a Monarch).

We had to stop by the photo-op stands before leaving. It was such a nice afternoon - I miss summer and all of the summer activities so dearly!

Nolan's Sixth Birthday: August 27, 2013

On Nolan's sixth birthday, his Grandma and Grandpa L rented a speedboat on Lake Chautauqua. Nolan was so excited to ride in the boat!

We drove the boat up to Mayville, then turned around and went to the Casino for lunch. There is nothing better than a summertime lunch on the lake.

The boys took turns driving the boat. Matthew really loved it and was a very good driver!

After riding around for a while, we attached the tube and took turns tubing on the lake.

The kids were so cute and excited to go for a ride. They had never done anything like this before. Would they like it?

The answer was a definitive "YES." Matthew always rode with one hand in the air, proclaiming his glee.

Nolan always wanted to go faster, and was disappointed when his turn came to an end. He was so small, sometimes you could only see the top of his hair from inside the tube!

Grandpa took a turn and zipped over the wake.

Dennis took a turn, too. He really enjoyed it.

As it turns out, I think I prefer pontoon boats to speed boats. I was game to go for a ride on the tube, though, despite my reservations. At first it was fun! Whee!

Then it was scary. Terrifying, really. Speed is not my thing.

After spending a wonderful day on the lake, we went home and sang Happy Birthday to Nolan. Then we had a delicious ice cream cake.

Nolan opened his birthday presents and was all smiles.

He had an excellent sixth birthday. I am not sure how my "baby" turned six so quickly!

Last Day in Toronto: August 2013

On our last day in Canada, we decided to head out of the city to High Park in Toronto. There is a fantastic playground in this massive park, called the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground. The kids had a great time playing on this creative and fun plagyround.

One of the towers had a slide that was wonderfully tall. Matthew is coming out of its spiral in the picture below. The kids had a marvelous time.

After playing, we hiked up to where the cars were parked and had some lunch. The day was sunny and warm - a perfect day to play!

We left after lunch, and headed to Niagara Falls to walk around a bit.

 The sun was shining and the rainbows were glowing at the falls. Nolan, however, petered out and was unable to walk anymore.

We took a few last glimpses of the falls, and enjoyed their mist for a little while.

Everyone bought some ice cream and sat in the shade to cool down before the drive home.

Crossing the Rainbow Bridge back into the States was a nightmare. It took forever to cross the bridge, and every car was inspected before re-entry into the United States. Entering Canada was so much easier than returning home! Thankfully, we made it into Buffalo by dinner time and we had a smooth drive the rest of the way home.

We really enjoyed Toronto - next time, I think we'll stay outside of the city center and visit African Lion Safari, the zoo, and a place called Scenic Caves.