A Boy and His Maple Tree

A few weeks ago, on our back-to-school date, Ben started talking about finding a maple tree. Unsure of how one goes about finding a maple tree, I asked for more details. "Mom, you go in the woods and dig out a tree with red leaves, then bring it home and plant it in the yard." Duh.
You may wonder where this all came from, this desire for a maple tree with red leaves. You will continue to wonder, even at the end of this post, as we still have no clue. Sadly, we did not go tree hunting that day, as mom had no clue as to how we would actually dig a tree out of the woods.
Thank heavens for Papa Jim, resident woodsman, and, I guess, tree picker and digger. The last time we were there, Ben, Papa, and Grace went into the vast Northern Minnesota woods and came out with this tree:

The tree is about 2 feet high, and very interestingly shaped, to say the least. Nonetheless, the desired and very beloved tree now resides in our backyard, where it will (hopefully) thrive, someday filling the back yard with red leaves all over the ground.
The planting of the beloved tree was a very fun, if somewhat messy, process. Ben and Grace were involved in all steps from the picking and digging, to the planting and stomping. Which part do you think was the most fun?
Welcome to the family, beloved maple tree!

Fall time in northern MN!!!

Fall time in Northern Minnesota can be a beautiful thing. Or a not-so-beautiful thing. It totally depends on the day (and sometimes hour). Ben and Grace are clearly Minnesota born, as they have no problem making the most of any weather.

This is from yesterday, at Papa Jim and Grandma Kathy's house. The high reached about 50 degrees, and there was a nice light drizzle most of the afternoon. Lovely. Ben and Grace, however, had a blast. They went 4-wheeling, and sat by the fire. Ben even found his dream maple tree to dig up and bring home. They had a great time, and the weather did not stop them a bit!

Today started out nice, even with some sunshine. By afternoon, the clouds had rolled in and the temp had once again dropped. Emma is a bit young for damp weather, so the older kids had to make do with an indoor activity. And make do they did! We got some foam stamps from Target, and they had to try them out! What a mess! Although they may have started with stamps, they ended up only using their hands (clearly the stamps were too neat!). This kept them busy for almost an hour while I made dinner-completely worth the mess and subsequent 30 minutes of scrubbing walls, tables and floors.

Five months!

I truly do not know where the time goes. How is it possible that my 3rd child is already 5 months old? I don't know how it happened, but it did. Emma was 5 months old yesterday.
What a sweet little girl Emma is! Laughing at her silly brother and sister is a favorite activity, as is playing with her toys and eating! She loves to eat, especially her cereal and fruit (veggies not so much, but she is warming up to them). Emma makes us smile all of the time, and we are so grateful that she is a part of our family.
Ben and Grace love Emma so much, and spend alot of time playing with and taking care of her! The smile that Emma gets on her face when she sees one of her siblings is the cutest thing! We fear that she may become a bit spoiled, as they do not let her cry, and do not feel that it is acceptable for me to ler her cry. Fortunately, Emma is so sweet that she could use a little spoiling:)

First Day of School

Last Tuesday (I know, I know) was Ben's first day back to school. This is his second year in the same preschool class, and so far he is doing well. 5 of the 6 kids were from last year, so Ben started out knowing the kids, as well as the teachers. He went willingly onto the suburban, and had a great first day, switcheroo and all! We are so proud of Ben, and know that he will work hard this year to get ready for kindergarten.Here is the first day of school outfit- I love Ben in orange and blue!
Grace was very sad to see her brother go, as they had gotten very close over the summer. She waited all morning for him to come home, and when he did he was so crabby that she wished his day would have been a little longer. The second day she was not quite as anxious for his return. However, after the first day or so of being very crabby and tired, Ben and Grace seem to play better after that small time apart each day.
Waiting for the suburban, with a mixture of excitement and apprehension!

Happy first day of school, Ben! We love you!!!!!!!!