Happy Halloween

Random October Pics

M was pretending to be a hair-stylist and cut Daddy's hair.  

Like the outfit?  

Learning to skip rocks.  

I can not teach her because I do not possess this particular skill.  

What else would you do on a nice fall afternoon?

Aaron was outside reading on his Kindle and M decided that she needed one too.

She came in looking for the "pad."  

Trying to get a good pic with my girls.

Impossible!!  Neither would look at the same time.

Caught in the act.  

Loving this because she is finally interested in books.

This cute little stinker is also mostly walking now (have to post a video later)

and she is signing all done, tree (fascinated by them), sheep, and dog 

(right now every animal is either a dog or sheep :)).  

Taking a family ride on a Model T at Greenfield Village.

Love that place.  So much history.  

I love fall!

Things you can't prepare for when you become a parent

Explaining to your 3 year old that their fish has died...

Me:  M, I need to tell you something.
M:  (eyes fill with dread/hesitation)
Me: (not wanting to beat around the bush) Last night Mama and Daddy noticed that your fish was not feeling very good and this morning when I checked on him he was dead.
M:  (lots of tears, which broke my heart)
M:  (after a while) We all die someday and go to heaven, huh Mama?
Me:  Yes.  We all will get older and eventually die and go to heaven.
M:  (shakes her head and is still crying)
Me:  I left him in the bowl in case you want to say good-bye to him.  When a fish dies, you say good-bye and flush him down the toilet.  You can think about it and let me know what you want to do.
M:  Okay, Mama.

Ugh!!!  Did I mention that Aaron had every day off the week that this happened, but just happened to have to work THIS morning.  Figures.  :)

She took it much better than I had anticipated and later that morning she went in and saw him, cried some more, and then she flushed him down the toilet herself.  I guess this was a good first experience with death.

BUT...a few days later I told her that I needed to talk to her about something.  She got very serious.  Climbed into my lap and asked, "Are you going to die?"

"No, baby!  Mama is not dying!"  But I'm pretty sure that my heart broke just a little bit more with that question.

There should be a parenting handbook for this stuff.  Geez!

A New Family Member (Again)

So back in August M worked really hard to earn the privilege of having a fish.   To get her fish she had to work to break her bad habit of putting EVERYTHING in her mouth.  Let's just say that it was an exciting day when we went to the store on the 30th to pick out Otto.  (She'd had the name picked out for weeks.)  We proudly bought him and brought him to his new home.  It was the most precious thing watching her carefully carry him to the car.  She watched daddy place him in his bowl.  

And she even had a tea party with him.  

Then...he DIED within 36 hours!!!!  

(I will have to post that conversation at a later time.  Ugh!)

M decided that she did want a new fish so...meet Emma.  Our newest family member.  

 She's lived for a few weeks now.  

The first few weeks, every morning M would walk in the kitchen and check the bowl.  

Then she would inform me excitedly, "She LIVES for another day!" 

We are very thankful! :)