To The Apple Orchard We Will Go

This past Saturday, we loaded up the kiddos in the ol' Saturn and headed for Eckert's to do a little apple picking. The most memorable part of the trip, hands down, was the ferry ride we took to get to the other side of the river. Unfortunately, we had to wait a good while before it was our turn to cross, as the boat was just pulling away when we drove up.

Our lovely ferry

It was worth the wait, though. Iris LOVED it! She felt very Mark Twainish floating up the river. However, because somebody forgot to factor in ferry-waiting time when making the plans AND that same somebody is fairly particular about nap time occurring at home and not while driving in the car if it can at all be helped, there was actually a very small window of opportunity left for apple picking by the time we arrived at Eckert's. There just wasn't going to be enough time to do everything! So we decided to ditch the apple picking and just sample some of the other attractions Eckert's had to offer.

There was "apple" checkers:

Lydia was a bit confused about why she couldn't eat the "apple".

And a scarecrow growth chart:

Iris was amazed that she is three AND three feet tall!

A pony ride:

Say hello to Peppermint!

And even some baby animals:

Lydia got a kick out of the goats!

The girlies had a great time, and they didn't even notice the absence of any apples. Next up on our list: The pumpkin patch!

One Crazy Ride...

This week we've been celebrating the beginning of Autumn by taking some morning nature walks around the neighborhood. Iris has been inspecting leaves, collecting "cat-tails" (just weeds, really, but I don't have the heart to put a damper on the creativity I love so much, so "cat-tails" they are and will remain), and generally just noticing all the differences the change in season brings to God's creation.

And, of course, for Iris, nothing could be more exciting while out for a walk than pushing her baby sister in the stroller like a maniac!

She pushed her like that all the way to our mini-park - which is several blocks away, I might add, I couldn't believe it - Lydia squealing with joy the whole time! There's some Herculean strength hiding out in those skinny little arms and legs, I think. And I'm happy because with Iris doing all the work (hee, hee), I get to just enjoy a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood.

A Tisket, A Tasket...It's Lydia in a Basket

Iris: Daddy! Daddy! Lydia climbed in a "bas-tic" and can't get out!

(...And this is what Daddy discovered upon checking things out...)

Judging by the look on her adorable face, it appears that Lydia isn't too terribly worried about being stuck in a "bas-tic" - despite the frantic concern of her very vigilant Big Sister.

What a silly (and very cute, I might add) Little La...

Little Lurch

We're proud to present....


Drum roll, please....


Lydia Walking!!

I was finally able to get some decent video footage! I had to be pretty crafty and stealthy to obtain it...whew! Every time I'd bust out the camera to capture this milestone moment, she'd be like, "Forget trying to walk...I'm way more interested in this object you're pointing at me," and she would crawl right over into my lap and try to take it from me. After several rounds of this - me trying in vain to capture her first steps, Lydia not cooperating, I was forced to give up and admit defeat. So, I've been biding my time (sort of) waiting for a golden opportunity, which came last night while she was distracted by Iris and Daddy playing "wrastle, wrastle" (the noise you hear in the background)!

Isn't she so big?

She Wears Her Sunglasses...

Sock Monster

There's a sock monster living at our house who is apparently a Cardinals fan! Very strange...

A Little Family Vacation

We flew to Denver this past weekend to spend a lovely four days with my sister Emily and her family.

It was so much fun! Iris had a blast running around and playing with her cousins (and Katy Kat!). The daddies were so sweet and took the older three on a nature adventure along the creek behind their house on Friday and on Saturday for a hike on Lookout Mountain! It was Iris' first mountain-climbing experience (the hills of Missouri don't count), and she loved it - despite the fact that in my ignorance I didn't pack appropriate footwear. Lydia surprised us all by taking some tentative first steps! It was only one or two at a time, but I'd say it's a "step" in the right direction, don't you think? We're super proud of our big girl! I think all the extra encouragement helped boost her confidence. Todd proved he was worthy of his championship belt by defending his Catan title. And of course, I got to spend lots of time talking and hanging out with my sister. It's amazing how we never run out of things to say!

Thanks for the great time, Schildt Family! We love (and miss already) you! Christmas seems so far away...

Future WWF Superstars

Let me introduce you to a little game the girlies like to play called "wrastle, wrastle".

Now I know you're probably thinking, "Hmmm...is it really safe for your three-year old to be 'wrastling' with the baby??" And our answer would be, "Hardly. But we actually don't have a problem with it because they have sooo much darn fun while they're doing it!"

Besides, who cares about safety when family entertainment is at stake? (Just kidding! I'm just kidding! They are very carefully supervised at all times, I promise.)

Here's a little taste of the action:

I love how in this clip Iris looks like she's just going to give Lydia a nice friendly hug, but actually her ulterior motive was to body slam her sister to the floor:

Oh, I tell you!...It can get pretty crazy around here sometimes. They would do this all day if it were possible. Lydia doesn't back down either, as you can see. She really gets right in there and absolutely loves every stinkin' minute! Iris does too!

Who would have thought my girlies would bond over 'wrastling'?