In a nutshell

Well, where do you even start when you're 2 months behind on blogging? It has been an amazingly busy Fall for us. I know I say that every year, what with holidays and no less than 12 birthdays just between August and November, but this year set a new record. I didn't anticipate how much our schedule would change with not only two kids in school, but also a teaching schedule on top of it. But am I complaining? Not one bit. It's been such a fun joyride so far!

In hopes of sparing you the longest catch-up post ever, I'll condense the past few months for you.

September:

- School field trips to Sunny Patch Farms for pumpkin-picking. Josie's, Maddie's, and my classes all participated on a gorgeous day. Thankfully, Bill was able to attend as well, so the two of us split our time between the girls and my class own class. It was a juggle, but lots of fun, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

- Trip to the North Georgia State Fair with Uncle Todd and Amanda. Jungle animal shows, a petting zoo, rides, clowns, and games. The highlight for the girls seems to have been the music-playing pig. No, I'm not kidding.

- Atlanta Greek Festival. Baklava, Spanikopita, kiddie rides, and Greek music and dancing. Opa! It felt like a walk down memory lane, as my family attended Greek Orthodox Church when I was little. All the flavors and colors and music came flooding back to me. The girls really seemed to enjoy it as well.

October:

- The girls' 1st rodeo, including riding a mechanical bull! We got the chance to go while Grandma and Grandpa were visiting, so they had the wonderful opportunity to experience it as well. I was so impressed with the cowboys and their skills. I definitely would have been nervous around some of those bulls!

- Maddie turns 6! She spent her birthday weekend with breakfast at IHOP (her favorite), a Superhero-themed birthday party at the park with her friends, and lunch at The American Girl Cafe. She also picked out her very first American Girl doll, Kirsten, a present she'd been requesting for months. Like years past, we were so lucky to have many of our family members in town for her birthday: Grandma & Grandpa, Nana & Poppa, Aunt Mic & Uncle Heath, and Uncle Todd.

- Apple-picking at Hillcrest Orchards in the North Georgia mountains. It was our first year going here and we loved it. The girls picked apples, milked a cow, petted various farm animals, participated in a tricycle race, and enjoyed the gorgeous warm Georgia weather. We may have started a new annual tradition.

- And we finished off October with a fantastic Halloween. The girls each celebrated with class parties at their school. We also attended a pumpkin-carving party at the home of the Hites. Halloween night ended up being rainy and cold, and Maddie hadn't been feeling well earlier in the day, so we took the girls trick or treating at the local mall. They got a chance to get some candy while still keeping warm and dry.

and that leads us to November:

- A school field trip to The Center for Puppetry Arts to see the show "Dinosaurs." The girls loved the show. We'd been there before to see "Cinderella" but this was a much different experience. A little darker and more serious, but very educational.

- The girls each had their class Thanksgiving parties this week, as they are out of school all next week. Yes, we did only have their Halloween party 3 weeks ago, and yes, we will have Christmas/holiday parties another 3 weeks from now, but that's what makes this time of year fun, right? It's all about the celebration!

We hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy as we wind down to Thanksgiving next week. We will staying here and hosting, as we do every year. My family will be coming from Alabama for dinner that day, as well as an old high school friend of mine and her family.