An October Day at the Park

We had a nice family outing to the park today.

Anna looked very festive in her Jack-o-Lantern shirt, even though this warm October day felt more like August.

Joy helped Todd navigate the jungle gym . . .

. . . especially the slide.

She also showed him how fun it is to bury your feet in the sand . . .

. . . and made some sand art in his honor.  It's sweet to see how much she loves her baby brother.

Joy Loves Harry, Todd, and Cake

A few glimpses into the life of Joy lately:

 Joy likes to help bake goodies, and a few days ago she asked if we could make a cake just for fun.  She used decorating gel to write "Family Cake" on the top.

Joy is a sweet big sister to Baby Todd.  She loves to play with him, make him laugh, . . .

. . . and carry him around (fortunately he enjoys it, most of the time).

Joy is also a big fan of Harry Potter.  She has read the series several times, and when she was sick today she reread some of her favorite parts to make time pass faster.  My hardback Potter tomes aren't in the pristine condition they once were, but I'm glad my daughter has learned to love Harry like I do.

Conference Saturday

We enjoyed a relaxing Saturday at home today.  The adults watched General Conference while . . .

. . . Joy worked on a project, Daniel played Snail's Pace Race against himself, . . .

. . . Anna sorted pom poms . . .

. . . and Toddzilla struck terror into the hearts of miniature railway riders.

Mobility and Cookies

News from Toddland:

Todd has learned to stand up, if he has something to hold on to.

He and I are both glad he's mastered crawling, because now he can explore and he isn't as dependent on me for entertainment (cuz ya know, I'm so entertaining).

"Forget the upside-down stroller--I'm coming for your camera with its flashy light!"

Todd also wishes everyone a happy first day of autumn.  Per tradition, I made pumpkin cookies to celebrate the event.

Todd was pleased to discover that pumpkin cookies are good for both food and recreation.

Rides and Slides

Some of my favorite pictures from our outing to the park today:

Daddy leads the way

Sandy Sisters

Sliding Brothers

E Ticket Ride

B Ticket Ride

There's More Than One Way to Play on a Slide

Family Construction Project

Hogwarts

Crunchy Leaves

I love the telltale signs that fall is approaching.  This morning we went out front and found hundreds of golden leaves scattered on the ground.

Anna loved running back and forth through the crackly leaves.  As for Todd . . .

"Mmmm . . . crunchy!"

Mushrooms and a Crazy Hat

School is in full swing again, which means our jogging stroller is getting a lot more use these days . . .

. . . and the yellow mushrooms are blooming again (do mushrooms bloom?).

Anna was curious to know what this mushroom would feel like.  It looks kinda squishy, but it's not.

Joy's class had Crazy Outfit Day last week.  She wore her apron and Anna's raccoon hat.

Speaking of school, Todd is studying his ABCs.  He can't tell one letter from the other, as far as we know, but he loves that they stick to the fridge.  He's also sitting up really well these days.