Downtown Adventure...a little late

Realizing this post is terribly out of order, but I forgot to post it and then came across the photos again just recently. This was a perfect Sunday afternoon adventure! We took the kids and their bikes and headed down to the river for a little hometown sight seeing. We just love doing outings like this and need to do more of them!

Field Trip

E and S went  on their very first school field trip (ever) to a pumpkin farm! In pre school ALL of the parents go along because the pre school can't do transportation, so of course I loved going with the girls. It was really fun to see them with their four year old friends and to see them on their first field trip. I found it interesting that Sophie was fine walking and hanging out with her friends without me being right by her, but Ellen liked sticking close to me and needed to know where I was at all times. That is a priceless glimpse into who they are right now! It was a great day on the farm, though too muddy for the hayride. We got to feed ears of corn to the cows, crackers to the goats, and the kids got popcorn bags and juice while we sat on bales of hay and listened to the farmer tell (the parents) about different types of gourds. Then we all walked to the pumpkin patch and the kids got to pick out their own pumpkins to bring home. What a great time!

Family Fun

Let me say, Brett is the best dad ever! On the weekends he is all about the kids and having fun as a family all the time. It actually puts me to shame! Truly. The day after we went to the Harvest Festival the girls decided they wanted to do more face paint...but they wanted to be the face painters. So Brett said, "I know, let's have our own Schatz Family Harvest Festival and you girls can paint pumpkins and do face painting!" Don't get me wrong, that sounded fun to me, too. Until the girls asked if they could paint our faces. I was not excited about that, but Brett was such a great sport and volunteered to let them paint his face...and arm. So Corinne did a rainbow on Brett's cheek, Ellen did polka dots on his other cheek and Sophie painted his arm. Like I said, he puts me to shame and I love it. I am thankful that he is all in when it comes to our family.

Festival

We went to a Harvest Festival and had lots of fun! We rode ponies, got faces painted, watched a little juggling show, painted pumpkins and more. Love this time of year! C and S got their faces done, E wasn't all about it.

Lunch at School

I got to take and have lunch with Corinne at school one day - so fun!! C was chosen as STAR of the Week in her class, which means she was interviewed and her picture and answers were up on the wall in the school hallway. So it was a great opportunity to come see her STAR info and also enjoy eating with her. But wow! I forgot how quickly lunch time goes from my days of teaching! Literally lunch was over before I knew it. I got to meet the kids sitting with us and hear a little about C's day and then it was off to recess for her. But I love that parents can come and have lunch with their child any day of the week, as often as they want. She and I are already talking about next time.

Great Friends

And good kids! We met some families at the park on a (rainy and cold) Saturday. Aren't they sweet?

New Concept Playground

We LOVE this new park! It rocks.

Outdoor Dance Concert

C really enjoyed the opportunity she got to be part of the annual dance concert in the park that her dance company puts on! This was the first year that the girls Corinne's age were able to participate. She loved it and did a fantastic job on her piece. There were just three sweet girls who danced in her piece and she enjoyed telling everyone that she was part of a "trio"! Her face was beaming the whole dance through. We love to watch her dance and use her God given talent this way. We are proud parents every time. The only downer of the perfect afternoon was that S got stung by a bee right before the show started.

 

Twins

Ellen and Sophie. Twins, yet we really just think of them as sisters. They are similar in lots of ways, but really have different personalities too. They appear to be pretty independent of one another and they really don't go around as a unit or only stick to one another. However there are sweet moments where I do see their bond come through. Walking into a new place together, for instance, and holding hands and looking out for one another. Sometimes I even forget that I have Corinne and twin girls because I really just think of them as our three daughters. But we've begun to talk about how special it is to be twins (not that Brett and I know...we certainly never knew a thing about twins until we had them!) They have begun to become more aware of their twin-ness as well. Now that their friends are more aware too, they've begun to be asked "Are you Ellen or are you Sophie?" It's always interesting to me, because I wonder what that feels like. And yet I'm sure they don't fully grasp the reason behind the questions...or maybe they do. We just haven't ever emphasized that they are twins, nor have we ever spoken of them being alike or looking alike. So I'm not sure if they realize how similar they look to other people (because we don't think so). And I'm not sure they think it's weird at all to be asked who's who. Only from my adult view do I wonder if that is strange. It is all they've known, and I'm glad. I want them to know that it is special to be a twin, that they are unique from one another and also special and unique as twins, too. I hope we can help them navigate being twins and all the cool and not so cool comparisons, questions, and issues it brings up, with grace and confidence in who God made them to be.

E & S Off To Pre School

Ellen and Sophie started pre-school a few weeks back (I am so behind on my blogging)! They are really enjoying themselves and have some really good buddies in their class, not to mention two awesome teachers! Hard to believe they will be off to kindergarten next year. I really do not know where the time has gone--the "little" years are a thing of the past for us!