Halloween Preview

We completed thrashing corn on Monday, so the "official" harvest is finally over.

It feels good not to have that hanging over our heads any longer, especially since the weather has turned yucky.

We've been able to enjoy some of the Halloween festivities with our Dad.Monday night we carved pumpkins. Sissy liked cleaning the guts out, Brother preferred the carving. There's something about knives that intrigues that boy, luckily we had the little saw-type ones that come in the kits. He carved his entire jack o' lantern by himself.
The next night the mutual helped host a Halloween Carnival in conjunction with the Primary. Brent felt obligated to dress up since he was helping with a booth. And . . . well, I look for an excuse to get dressed up.

Quiet As A Church Mouse

Our church had a visitor yesterday.

Although the scurrying creature was quiet as can be, the congregation experienced a bit of an uproar as it zigged and zagged under the benches. A few squeals later and it had found it's way out of the door. A gentleman quickly followed it and put and end to the distraction.

Upon his return to the chapel, he signaled to the bishop: A slow index finger drug across his throat.

And that was that, a bit of excitement that lasted for a few minutes and had us all talking for the rest of our meetings.

Sissy Scissorhands

She had been complaining about her tag bothering her.

I was obviously pre-occupied and on the phone with my Scouting for Food assignments.

She took matters into her own hands.

The tags were still intact as was all of her hair, but she did manage to mangle her collar.

Now for a better hiding spot for the scissors.

"Real" School

Brother has his first day of pre-school today, so we served up french toast with whipped cream and sprinkles. It's taught at the high school, so he thinks it's "real" school. Without being naggd, he left his gloves, hat, and worn out boots at home. It was quite a shock.

Sis and I left him behind for our own little "preschool." We picked apples, read apple stories, and had a photo shoot.
I questioned him all the way home about what they did (I'd secretly love to have my own Preschool.) They played, colored, painted, and learned about the letter "a." He didn't make any new friends and didn't learn a single name. But he did assure me that he was the only one that shares. "The other boys wouldn't let a girl borrow the tools, but I let her have some."

When You're the Best of Friends

I have loved watching my two little ones interact with each other lately. The toy snatching and crying have been replaced with sharing and compromise. It's heaven on earth.

Most mornings they excitedly greet one another (usually with a kiss.) "Hey Sis! Did you sleep good?" "Yep." Their lop-sided conversations continue throughout the day. Brother knows just how to phrase things so Sis's limited vocabulary can keep things rolling.

They love reading books, playing house, and working together. I'll often hear them talking and giggling. Many of Brother's jobs have now turned into a team effort, like setting the table. Somehow Sis always makes the mess, but they work together to clean it up.

Sis is at a loss if Brother isn't around. He's the first person she asks for when she wakes up from her nap. "Bro-burh?" And who wouldn't want him around? He is the first to tell her how pretty or fancy she looks when we're getting ready to go somewhere. He has also started coming up with his own rewards to give her as incentives. "You can have this sticker (or wrapper or folded piece of paper) once you go potty.

Sis loves to kiss Brother goodnight. It's become a sort of game because he likes to play hard to get. She'll climb up on his bed and wait for him to pull back the covers, then she'll pounce.

Here's hoping their sweet relationship continues with the new baby, through adolescence, and into adulthood.

This Is What You Get

Brother insists on picking out his own clothes. His outfit usually consists of a John Deere shirt or button up plaid one, a pair of Wranglers, and a hand-me-down, holey pair of John Deere cowboy boots. I'm beginning to realize that all of the cute clothes in his closet will never be worn and there's no use in buying things in the future unless it meets his criteria. People will never know of my attempts to try to get my kid into something less hick. Hopefully he outgrows this before he has to go to school.

Consequently, he helped Sissy pick out her outfit the other day. It was love at first sight when he beheld one of his old pairs of Wranglers, that were now Sis' size, in her drawer. So when your four year old becomes the fashion consultant. . . this is what you get.

hip, HIP, hOOrAY

After some very long hours and a week of working out of town in Grace and Preston, the crews finished chopping corn on Tuesday! And it was just in time because it rained that night, leaving a huge muddy mess. What a big sigh of relief. There were times we wondered how it was all going to get done. We fought with the choppers most of the season. Once we realized that praying for things to go "smooth" wasn't really going to happen, we realized that the safety of everyone involved was paramount. And for that blessing we're truly grateful.

I love how harvest requires the help of everyone in the family. Reminds me of the olden days when everyone had to pull their weight. We all have to be involved, so it's a major feat for the kids and me when Brent finishes "his" work . The kids and I were able to go down for a day and a half (much less than anticipated because of all the dr. appts.) They were happy to get some "home cooked meals" and my sister did an awesome job of feeding them when I couldn't be around.
When the kids finally heard the garage door slam and the mudroom door open Tuesday night, shouts of glee and running and jumping could be heard throughout the house. Sissy had been planning on "rarrhing" (scaring) Dad all day long and she did just that. It was absolutely priceless. There was no question that the kids (and I) were happy to have Dad home.

In The Clear For Another Week

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers. I saw the Dr. today and he doesn't want to see me until next week! So no transfusion this week. We'll wait it out and see what next week brings.

My Helpers

We had so much fun gleaning potatoes from the neighbors field. There are so many fun shapes and sizes. Sissy loved finding the tiniest ones, she affectionately calls them baby. They're not real great to peel, but she loved picking them up.
Brother thought he was pretty big, climbing the ladder to pick apples. He found a humongous one. Later that day, he filled up my dehydrator with apple slices. He sat at the counter for over an hour. When he was finished he said "Wow, I did more than I thought."Sissy bagging up treats to take out to the crew.

Catching My Breath

Things here have been nonstop during harvest. Conference weekend was a needed blessing so we could cozy up in the house and recoup while the rain came down. But another week has brought it's fair share of running, cooking, and filling in to help keep corn harvest rolling forward. It's been a test of my endurance, my own marathon.

As our crews moved to Grace and Preston, I lagged behind for my ultrasound. As soon as it was over, I was hitting the road with my well stocked Suburban to keep people fed.

Or maybe not.

The baby's blood continues to thin and the trajectory looks as if a blood transfusion might need to happen within the ensuing week(s). So all of these IFs have thrown me a curve ball. IF a transfusion is necessary, there's the slight risk (5-10%) that the baby could reject the blood or struggle otherewise and need to be taken caeserean. Since I will only be 32 weeks, the specialist wants me to get the steroid shots to help the baby's lungs develop just in case. So instead of continuing at my frantic pace, I've been forced to wait around get in to see my doctor for the shots.

It's been kind of nice. We'll know on Tuesday if a transfusion will be needed or if we just wait for another week. Until then, the kids and I ate dinner in our kitchen, popped popcorn, and had a sleepover in my bed last night. It was really fun. Afterall, being a mom is my most important job.