October Overview 2018

October swept by nearly as fast as fall in Colorado this year.  The leaves turned and we had a few earlier snow falls and within a few weeks most of the leaves were gone and the trees were bare--well before October even ended...

Some homeschooling art studies + some normal days working hard at the books.  

 

 

B is for Ballerina project.  

 

Fine motor skill practice for the littler people 

 

From left to right: Sophie's, Ava's (she drew hers on her own too- I drew the ballerina outline for the other two), and Kolbe's.  

Chris attended the Avalanche's season opener with a friend.  

Chris got a fishing license and has been taking the girls out fishing from time to time.  When the weather was nicer, he'd switch off taking a kid during one of their sisters' dance lessons.  

      

Hard to tell, but this was the first snow.  Kolbe had his tongue out to catch the snowflakes. 

Some lovely fall days

Leaves changing....

And beginning to fall....

the girls helped out around the neighborhood gathering up leaves in big bags. 

And then the following day after that sunny-with-a-high-of-75-day, it snowed again.  

 

These two goofballs.  

Wearing bloomers on their heads. 

More lovely Colorado days after the snows melted. 

This girl has been reading up a storm.  

Kolbe developed a love for this old bunny from Chris' childhood. He insists on having Bruno in his crib now.  It's so sweet to see him hugging a bunny that his daddy hugged when he was small. 

 

Pumpkin decorating contest at their homeschool charter school. 

Elise made a Minnie Mouse

Kayla made a hot air balloon

Lovely CO skies

We were so blessed with an opportunity to venerate a relic of St. (Pope) John Paul II.  It came to our parish and we waited after Mass for a chance to pray and kiss the relic.  We touched this prayer card we had to it to bring home.  St. John Paul the Great, pray for our family.  

The picture behind it is one that Ava completed in art class for our homeschool co-op.  I need to find a frame for it.  So lovely.  

Grouchy Kayla 

Now, she's happy

These two always melt my heart

A lovely print by Brass and Mint Co that my MIL grabbed for me knowing it would touch my heart, which it did.  

Fall hike to the "fishing lakes"

Homeschool co-op 4-5 year olds building "coconut trees"

Homeschool co-op drama performance 

Go-go-go Joseph (from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)

And I Just Can't Wait to Be King and Hakuna Matata (from the Lion King)

            

Sophie has been really into playing games, especially Go Fish and Memory lately.  

             

She also loves to play with the Magnatiles and build houses and churches and schools and other buildings for the Saint Pegs. 

              

September Overview 2018

A smattering of pictures and quicktakes from our month of September.  

Park fun with one of my monkeys

Ava finally was brave enough to keep pedaling and learned to ride her two-wheeler. 

           

           

           

She was so proud of herself. 

Kolbe received Hungry, Hungry Hippos and it makes everybody giggle. 

 

 

 

Kolbe also received a little lawnmower from Grammy and Granddad 

so he can "help" Dad mow the lawn.  

One of Chris' younger brothers, Nicholas, moved out to Colorado and moved in with us for awhile.  It's fun to have him around--he's a mellow goofball.  

 

Good friends invited us over for a pancake brunch one Saturday morning.  They had cool train sets.  My kids were intrigued.  

Our parish homeschool Co-op began for the school year.  Father Javier came to give us a beginning of the year blessing.  

Chris got a fishing license and began to fish as he was able, mostly at a few small lakes near the girls' ballet studio while they dance each week.  He'll often take one of the other girls who doesn't have dance that day to have a little Daddy/daughter date fishing.  

 

A is for Apple projects with the littlest ones during Charter School day for the big kids. 

Chris and Ava have been working on a HUGE puzzle together.  Lots of progress.  

The Where is Waldo craze at our house still in it's early stages.  I found one at the library one day and since that day, we've snatched up every one we can find and Chris and the kids can be found poring over them throughout the day.  Chris takes short work breaks sometimes during the day to find a few characters with the girls before heading back up to his "office" (our room) to get more work done in always busy day.  

Pipes and firepit night with Nicholas.  Perfect weather for it. 

Chris brewed me a batch of hard apple/cherry cider.  Mmmmm.  There he is bottling it.  On the right is Kolbe in his little music corner.  He likes to retreat there and play his jams sometimes.  

 

Reading with Uncle "Nicky".   And the girls working on some map activities together for a school assignment one day.  

 

The weather was lovely in September, so we got out for family walks to the park on a pretty regular basis.  Chris and I often had a few minutes to toss the frisbee around.  Sometimes we even join the kids on the play structures.  

Candy corn math day for all different grade and skill levels.  

A is for Angel craft for the smaller kiddos. 

 

 

With Nick around, Chris and i were able to sneak out to some local breweries/taphouses a few times after the kiddos went to bed to enjoy an adult beverage and a little date. 

We attended the baptism of our friends' baby and Kolbe got some Father Javier time in.  He adores Father.  I think the feeling is mutual.  

 

Chris and Nicholas attended the Denver Oktoberfest.  Later that day we attended the local Oktoberfest as a family- Chris and I wearing our vintage "Zinzinnati" Oktoberfest shirts from great Aunt Winnie.  

Then we came home 

and took terrible selfies.  

Nick snapped this really sweet shot of Chris and I while still at the Oktoberfest.  

If Kolbe is going to wake me up early, at least I got to see a lot of beautiful Colorado sunrises. 

Goofy girls hanging out.  

 

It was certainly a fun-filled month around these parts.  We always love jumping into fall.