Squishy Pumpkins!

Oliver and I made squishy pumpkins this morning, and I just had to share since it's so easy and fun! (Please excuse his dirty face... I made a pumpkin spice latte this morning, and he convinced me to share.)

Using a permanent marker, draw a pumpkin on a plastic baggie (preferably a heavy-duty storage or freezer kind). Older kids can draw their own silly or scary faces. Squirt in some shaving cream, and add in a few drops of red and yellow food coloring. Try to get out as much air of the bag as possible, seal, and then as added precaution, use tape along the top.

And then.... SQUISH!!!!

And SQUISH some more!!!

Until the squishy pumpkin 'magically' turns orange! ^.^

Thank you Naturally Wise for sharing this fun idea on your FB page!

Wordless Wednesday - Autumn Afternoon

Click here to read my previous Wordless Wednesday posts, or click here to visit the official WW site.

Wordless Wednesday - View from our front porch

This was taken on our front porch:

And in the backyard:

I love living in the mountains, especially during autumn!

For more Wordless Wednesday, check out their website at http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/

Happy First Day of Autumn!

Well, it's technically the second day of Autumn as it's 1:40am as I write this, but the sentiment is still the same.

We have a huge oak tree right outside our backdoor, and for the past few days, it's constantly been raining acorns. Every few minutes, you'll hear one hit the roof, skitter down the shingles, sometimes pinging off the gutter, and bouncing to the ground. Luckily no one's been hit as it that would not be a pleasant experience.

The kids, though, are having a blast playing with the hundreds of acorns on the ground. Isaiah likes to collect them in a bucket, then throw them into the wagon full of rainwater. And I found Abbie using a stick to dig holes to bury them in. We also gathered them and made little piles around the yard for the squirrels.

This afternoon, we were fortunate enough to see one scamper across the backyard, complete with a nut in his mouth. Abbie was thrilled! We've also been singing Gray Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, which reminds me of all the summers I spent volunteering at Girl Scout camp. I have probably sung that song (complete with tail-swishing) at least a million times to countless campers sitting around the fire circle.

I hope everyone had a lovely first day of Autumn, and I hope the rest of the season is filled with lots of magic!

Autumn is just around the corner...

We spent a good part of the afternoon playing outside today, since it was just gorgeous weather. Although it was still quite warm (warm enough for the kiddos to strip down and splash in the kiddie pool- thank goddess we don't have nearby neighbors), you can tell that sweater days will soon be upon us. Lots of sunshine and blue skies, but with the ever-so-slightest nip in the air.

Here's the only rose left on my rose bush. Abbie wanted to pick it, but I told her we should leave it be, so we could come back tomorrow and see it. Roses always remind me of my mom, as she has these two huge rose bushes. Totally wild, in the sense that there are no dainty trelises or neat beds that contain them. Just a rambling, tangled mess of beautiful blossoms that smelled absolutely blissful on humid summer nights.

While we weren't able to have any peaches this year, one of our pear trees is pretty loaded. They're not quite ready yet, but maybe by next week, we'll be able to pick them. (By "we", I mean my husband, since most of them are really high up, and I don't see myself balancing on a ladder any time soon). If you have any pear recipes, I would love to hear them!

I do believe autumn is my most favorite season! What are you looking foward to in the coming weeks?