More Fun at the Arboretum

Here's Caroline relaxing on top of "Big Rock". We had to hike about a quarter of a mile into the woods to get to it. It was such a beautiful walk, though.

Here I am looking up at the kids on top of "Big Rock". :)
Since we were studying habitats in science, we visited the "Animal House" exhibit that is at the Arboretum right now. It was wonderful!!

Luke is sitting on a squirrel.

So is Caroline. :)
Whenever we were at a habitat, the kids pretended they were that animal. I was always the predator and they kept trying to hide from me in their homes. Here, they are little raccoons.

Here are my two cute little beavers.

The beavers are going for a little swim.

Awww. . . look at these cute little birds.

Here is a giant ant digging a tunnel through the dirt.

Another ant!!

Do I see two little squirrels in that tree?

The kids (and I) had so much fun learning more about the habitats that we have been studying. We love the Arboretum!!

Fun at the Arboretum

It has been so rainy here for the last couple of weeks. Every time the sun comes out, I want to take the kids somewhere outside!! The Morton Arboretum is one of our favorite places to go!! It is just sooo beautiful there this time of year. We had such a wonderful afternoon there.

Luke found a swan gourd.
The kids were determined to find tadpoles. Caroline had a sketchbook along and she so badly wanted to sketch one! (no luck today, however)

Candy, Candy, Candy!!!!

Oh my!!! Whatever will we do with these MOUNTAINS of candy?!? Can you believe the loot these kids got??

It was a beautiful, chilly Halloween night and we sure had a lot of fun!!We had a veterinarian.
Darth Vader.Paul Konerko from the White Sox.A Jedi joined us for the fun. (Jacob Kainer)

We just had to visit our favorite Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kremers. :)

Luke had a wonderful time. He even kept up with the big kids pretty well.

The Jedi and Darth Vader stopped every once in awhile for a friendly duel.
Darth Vader got the urge to sample some of his treasures every now and then. ;)

The veterinarian ran into some of her good friends, Snow White (Bethany Dunham) and a police woman (Kelsey Bowling).

She even got to trick-or-treat with one of her buddies, the Candy Corn Fairy. (Noelle Backode)
Paul Konerko got to trick-or-treat a while with his buddy, Survivor Man. (Brandon Backode)
Better make sure Darth brushes his teeth extra well tonight! ;)

Fall Tea Party

What are Luke and Caroline doing in the kitchen this time?? They are getting ready for their parties!!Caroline decided that she wanted to have a Fall Tea Party so I let her plan the whole thing. She invited two of her friends over, Emma and Noelle. They had a lovely time together. Caroline wanted to have it up in her room which the girls thought was very special. Caroline's menu included macaroni and cheese, pizza rolls, and strawberries dipped in whipped cream with sprinkles. yum! She also made a sparkling punch recipe that she found in a Fancy Nancy book.

After supper, the girls played a little "dress up". Look at this fancy lady!

Pretty in purple.Caroline decided to go a different route by wearing her vet costume. :) Always the animal lover.While the girls were having fun upstairs, Luke had a little party for the boys downstairs. He kept telling me it was NOT a tea party, it was a Star Wars party! :)