We went to Missouri  for Thanksgiving to see, well, everyone!

Uncle Justin came down with his children and Grammy, uncle Tim and Shelly came down and we all went to see The Greatest Grandma.

It was a full house. The first night the children all ran wild through her house terrorizing her glass baubles. There was only one fatality, a heavy glass bowl of Christmas ornaments that had sat under the dining room table. 8 pushed them off with his foot right onto Grandma’s feet. The cousins loved each other though and were happy to play until we hauled them off to the hotel pool so the adults could talk in peace.

The next day brought more pool time then lunch and an afternoon spent at BassPro shop. We all splintered in different directions with so much to look at. 8 and The Goblin Child liked the escalator best and ran  laps, down the stairs, up the escalator, down the stairs, up the escalator until I was exhausted. The we met up with Justin  and children again to play with all the toys and the carousel. Finally exhausted we retreated to the hotel, without swimming.

The next day there was more swimming then we collected Grandma and were off to Silver Dollar City. It was a beautiful day and the streets were packed with people. We managed to get a few rides in though. Both kids rode their first real roller coaster. The Goblin Child loved it. 8 not so much. Then it was a mad rush through the park, total sensory overload as they tried to take everything in. I think the favorite ride was the pirate ship that swung back and forth. They both begged to ride it over and over again until grammy and I begged to stop. The Goblin Child loved Fire in the Hole! as much as I did when I was young. 8 loved the swings that went around and around.

I loved Silver Dollar City so much when I was little it was good to see them get to enjoy it too. By the end of the night they were exhausted. Again.

The next day it was time to go already. Everyone was sad for the trip to be over. We had long drives home though and needed to get going. The children had one last chance to wreak havoc on Grandma’s house as we said  our good byes.  We drove half way home and stayed at Tim and Shelly’s, mom and Justin had to drive the whole way. It was a long trip with tired grouchy children but it was sure good to be home!

We went ice skating the other day.

It was one of those perfect fall days. Warm and sunny. A light jacket would have been good but of course they wouldn’t wear anything like that. We went to check the cows and found the windmill pond still frozen over from the cold days earlier in the week. It was somewhat frozen at least. Jumping on the ice and watching water squirt up through the holes was the best part. It wouldn’t have been disastrous if they had fallen through, it’s a shallow pond.

It was nice to get to ice skate here at home. We’ll have to get back there, play a little more.

Gymnastics are still going very well. It’s so much fun to watch the kids out there doing their thing. They’re very good. They spend lots of time swinging and climbing and walking the balance beam.

This last week they started working on a routine on the balance beam instead of practicing pointing toes and touching them to their knees. It was much harder.

The kids aren’t allowed to watch tv or play on computers when they get home from school. They’ve been sitting most of the day, they need to burn energy. This is the result of that rule now that it’s winter and dark by the time they get home.

It was cold. That pretty much sums up Halloween this year. At least it had warmed up from the days before. From near zero to the forties during the day at least.

Both children went trick or treating with their classes. I got to go along for both. The Goblin Child actually asked me to come with her class, she never wants me to do anything! Of course I went! 8 still likes me to come along for everything. I’ll enjoy that while I can.

The preschool class went down main street t all the buildings then to the nursing home. The first grad went to the nursing home then around the school.

After school we ate supper at the church and enjoyed their trunk or treat and the meal they provide. It makes it so much easier than trying to rush home or pack a supper. Then  we went around one block. Whitten Brenna and Owen cam with as usual. They were sweet and well behaved. Our never are.

The Goblin Child took off with her older cousins and some friends of theirs. We didn’t see her again for the rest of the night. She was of course frozen solid when we found her to bring her home. She had refused to put on the coat I brought her and the long sleeved shirt that had been comfortable in the evening was not warm enough for the cold night.

8 was very tired from a full day of celebrating and cold barely make it around. He was warmer since he had allowed me to put a sweat shirt on him of not his ghost costume. He declared in the middle of the crowds of people also out celebrating that he had to pee. We were no where near anything or houses of anyone we knew. We found the deserted corner of a recently emptied lot and wished it was darker. So much fun 😉

They were finished after the one block and begged to go home. They didn’t want to go to any of the other houses we usually stop by or see the neighbors we visit on the way home. We drug them to a couple then went home and let them go to bed. Very early. It made for a nice night for us. We watched Sleepy Hollow.

A friend invited us to go play in the river. It was one of the few really hot days we’ve had this summer and the invitation sounded wonderful.

After searching a bit for the perfect spot we found one on a neighbor of the friends. They had mowed a nice parking spot along side the road so obviously it was a favorite of theirs and easy to see why. A small waterfall tumbled gently over some rocks adding interest so a wide sandy bank perfect for kids to not drown on.

I didn’t have my swimsuit on and didn’t intend to get too wet at first. If I only waded up too my knees I could play with the kids without getting soaked. That didn’t last long though. Who could resist that beautiful water. The kids wanted to play at the base of the waterfall and it got really deep there. With many little hands clinging to me and begging to go deeper I was soon as soaked as they were.

The Goblin  Child is getting big and brave. She liked to jump off the rocks around the rapids into the swirling water to go under and float down  stream. Watching her disappear under the water was terrifying requiring a deep breath of relief every time she did actually surface again downstream.

8 learned that he could jump off too. Once he got brave enough to let go of my hand he spent lots of time leaping and climbing and float off downstream. Above water at least, not near as scary for me.

Hopefully we will get to go back again before summer ends!

The Goblin Child has been hard at work helping her father get the computers ready for the up coming school year. She is amazingly good help and takes after her father in her skill with these things. 8 not so much, not yet.

After she put inn a hard morning 8 and I picked her up and we went looking for new places to play. There is a small dam off deep inn the sandhills that I thought would be fun to visit.

It was nice, very secluded and pretty. No beaches or even just a place where they could play yin the water though. There was a small playground. Squeezed between the highway and the waters edge it should have been cramped and tight. Instead the thrill of swinging out over the water and the road being nearly deserted made it quaint and quite enjoyable. We watched schools of minnows dart through the shallows, spooking from the children as they laughed and frolicked. It was cool and breezy in the shade of huge old cotton wood trees, their cotton drifting down around us.

Hopefully we can make it back again someday.