Our sleepover and our great pumpkin

Tuesday/Wednesday, October 8 & 9:  I took Brendan home with me from the Gardens. We were having a special "overnight" because tomorrow morning is Grandparents Day over at Trinitas and I will be Brendan's special guest! 

 We had stopped at McD's for a bite to eat on the way home and with Brendan's cheeseburger happy meal came a Matchbox car with a little track attachment that was pretty cool. Brendan added it to some track I had here and played for quite awhile with this.

 Our main goal, however, tonight was to CARVE A PUMPKIN--something I am notoriously BAD at doing. I've never ever carved a pumpkin successfully in my entire life. Seriously. When Kelly told me she and Brendan had picked out a nice big pumpkin to carve and suggested we carve it together over at my house, my heart sank. I thought to myself--DISASTER.

 I neglected to take any pictures of Brendan gutting the pumpkin. He did a very nice job of it out on my front deck. Thankfully, a few weeks ago, I picked up a pumpkin carving tool set on clearance--so I at least had tools at hand! After the pumpkin was gutted out, I casually asked Brendan what kind of face he wanted on the pumpkin ...

 Without any hesitation whatsoever, Brendan announced that he wanted the howling wolf from Great Wolf Lodge, and he wanted the wolf to look "authentic." Yikes. DOOMSDAY for Grandma Carol!

 But look at Brendan's precious face and tell me that you wouldn't do everything possible to carve a howling wolf for him? I knew it! We went over to my computer and googled, "Howling wolf" and found several pictures. Brendan picked one he liked, I enlarged it on my computer screen, grabbed a piece of paper and traced the design, taped the paper to the pumpkin and began carving! And VOILA!

 Dear Brendan was SO happy with his howling wolf! And I was very thankful for computers, tools, and the result!

 We lit it using one of my scented candles, but then remembered that Mr. Matey can't be around scented candles--so we didn't keep it lit for very long at all. But it was enough to see how super cool our wolf looks, howling into the night sky.

Before I tucked Brendan in for the night, we re-read our story of "Violet Goes to the Country" and Brendan delighted in it as much this week as he had last week! I love this so much about you, Brendan. We laughed through the story and talked as we read, looking at the great illustrations, and feeling Violet's pain as she got into scrape after scrape with Uncle Leo, who eventually rescued her and became her friend after all. We said our prayers together and then Brendan crawled into the sleeping bag in the main room and dozed off to sleep (eventually), as I edited photos on my computer in the same room.

Thank you, Lord, for being with us throughout our afternoon and even in this little pumpkin carving adventure night. I really didn't WANT to carve a pumpkin, felt like I was doomed to failure, looked up and asked You for help ... and our whole time together was a real blessing. 

Cuties at Meijer Gardens

Tuesday, October 8:  We switched our days around this week for Brendan due to the fact that he and his family are going to Great Wolf Lodge Wednesday afternoon through Thursday; so Kelly asked if I could pick Brendan up Tuesday afternoon over at Meijer Gardens where she would be hanging out with the home school group. 

 This is where I found these cuties ... in the Children's Garden over at the digging site. They were having SUCH a good time in the dirt. Wonderful. Truly. Kids need more dirt on their hands these days--something they will never get with their faces stuck in a tablet.

 Erin was having the time of her little life. She was exploring every single rock, had hand-fulls of dirt and was smiling from ear to ear.

 PS  Baby Erin loves having her picture taken--hopefully she will not outgrow this!

 Dear Aidan came running to me with open arms: "Gamma Carol!" This little barefoot darling was all about digging and exploring ... but he found time to climb all over me too!

 What a little man you are, Aidan Paul!

 These turtle pictures kill me ...

 Kelly asked if I wanted to see the pumpkin patch ... aren't these HUGE pumpkins? Oh my!

 Hey there, Brendan! I love these happy pictures of you!

 Pumpkins almost as big as Erin ...

 Erin's little scrunchy-face smile ... she is so darling.

 Hi there, Erin! Kelly was busy snapping pictures too--I bet her phone takes better pictures than my camera. !!

 Notice that Aidan is wearing his "piggie" slippers? 

 I hope heaven will be like this, don't you? Such beauty! Such joyful innosence!

So thankful to be able to enjoy a little time with these darling kiddos (and Kelly too!).

"Thomas" and more

Monday, October 7:  Aidan Paul came over today asking for "Thomas" and immediately found him in the train container ... so, once again, we built until all of the "fracks" were used. 

 The building of the layout is super fun. Aidan adds tracks and then tells me to add more, and we go back and forth. Sometimes, he definitely does NOT like the placement of a track and tells me so: "No, no, no!" he will say in his little voice. So, I'll remove the offending track and try it somewhere else.

Aidan laughing at Matey

 Aidan absolutely delights in my trains ... and spends most of his time here playing with them. I'm so glad. How worth the little bit of money I've put into my stash of train stuff!

I take a lot of pictures of this cute little person. I love him so much. He is fascinating to watch and listen to. He has a super kind little heart. There was a time, during the building of this layout, that I put a few extra blocks on the floor to kind of further define the pathway of the tracks, and Aidan immediately took them off, rather indignant even! I think I was a little bit surprised and I made a sad face. Oh.my.word. Dear Aidan retrieved those blocks, handed them to me, and said: "It's okay, Gamma Carol. You can use those." And implored me to do so, to put them back where I had previously placed them.  

 I'm a sucker for this little man ...

 Aidan always enjoys my "noculars" and was using them to get a better look at little Matey-Bird ...

 And Aidan enjoyed feeding Baby Bonnie too ... he's very tender with my baby doll and tells me that she is "cute, gamma." 

You are CUTE, too, Aidan Paul. I love you to pieces.