Keeping Busy 🎢

Flowers and Dutch Letters are not my thing, so on Friday night I stayed home while Charlotte and Daphne went to the Tulip Time parade at Pella.

When I have the house to myself, I like to make my favorite meal - grilled steak with onions.

On Saturday morning we went to opening of the Downtown Farmers' Market. It seems like I take this same picture every year.

Daphne and I shared a BLT pita from Breakfast Delights. The greens might make up for my Friday night dinner.

Char kept the Dutch theme going with an order of poffertjes. 

US. Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was there, too. I don't know what he ate.

After the market, we walked down to the Johnston library for Kites on the Green. We started in the barn where they give you a kit to make your own kite.

Getting some help from Mom.

Finished!

The only problem with Saturday's weather was a lack of wind. That made flying a kite tough, but we tried anyway. The kite did get off the ground.

Char's last level 3 swim lesson was on Sunday, and we squeezed in a trip to Adventureland between church and the pool.

We have been trying to get Charlotte on a rollercoaser for the past four years. Char didn't enjoy her first ride on the Tornado back in 2015, and she has refused to get back on the horse. Until Sunday, that is. Not only did Char willingly ride the Outlaw, she admitted it was fun. She even rode it again, and began discussing the merits of the other coasters in the park. 

Yea! Now we don't have to ride coasters alone while someone waits with Char on the sidelines.

Later, Charlotte received her swim lesson report card.

She passed level 3! Good job, Charlotte Manson!

Her's a link to Char's first rollercoaster ride ---> link

Fall is Here!

I enjoy not being at school, but I'm not really a summer guy. I'd rather wear a light jacket than a swimsuit, and I'd rather walk through a pile of leaves than beach full of sand. 

Last Saturday was the first day of fall, and boy did the weather cooperate. At noon it was 60 degrees and sunny - a perfect combination.

We started the day at the Art on the Lake Festival. This was our first time at this event, and it was cool, "The festival is a family-friendly event that is free to attend & features music, food, kids’ crafts & over 50 local artists." Copper Creek Lake Part is also a beautiful area. We didn't buy any art, but Char liked the sno cones and popcorn.

Next was the Living History Farm's Fall Applefest. Air bobbing for apples is not as easy as it looks.

Home made apple fritter on a cool, autum day? Yes, please.

Char, can I have a bite of your fritter? 

I guess not.

Char went fishing for toothbrushes after lunch. I'm not sure why, though.

When you tour the history farms, the tractor ride drops you off at the 1700 Native American Farm. You then walk to the 1850 Pioneer Farm and finish at the 1900 Farm.

Char got to pick some corn at the 1850 farm.

This is called Bloody Butcher corn because of its red color. That has to be the coolest name ever given to a vegetable.

Thirteen and a half hands. That girl is growing like a weed.

Here Charlotte tries her hand at shelling corn. I wouldn't want to use if to shell a crop of corn, but the sheller is an ingenious devise.

Despite the great weather, we couldn't stay outdoors all day. Char has swimming lessons in the afternoon. Eventually we'll get back to pool weather, so we have to get Char ready for that. 

I grilled on Saturday night, but I think it's about time to dust off the crock pot. 

Chili, soups, pot roasts, stews, mashed potatoes, pumpkin-everything, fresh baked bread... there's a reason autumn ends with mmmmm.

The Swim Report

I didn't take swim lessons when I was a kid. I had tubes in my ears due to a medical condition, and I couldn't put my head under water for several years. By the time the tubes were removed, I refused to take lessons at the pool with kids three or four years younger than me.

Char didn't wait that long, but she is a little older than most of the kids in Group 2 swim lessons. You can't tell by this picture, but someone is pretty nervous about getting her swim report. She will find out if she can move up to Group 3 at the end of this lesson.

It's not a great photo of Char's backstroke, but when I showed this pic to Daph, she said, "Look at that straight arm."

Here's an action shot fail.

Okay, it's time to get the swim report. That smile looks like good news.

Yay! We're moving to Group 3.