October

I thought I would go back and do some of the stuff I missed in the fall.

In the beginning of October we went to the Renaissance Festival.  It was really really cold outside but it was the next to last week of the festival so we didn't have a lot of choice.  We would have had a better time if that cold wind wasn't blowing. We didn't stay too long.  The most memorable part was Cora going on a ride.  She chose a different one than Bohdin and Nyla so she had to go by herself.  She didn't seem like a little baby when she climbed up there with the other kids.  We couldn't help her onto the ride or help her get off.  She even did well when the kid across from her started freaking out.  They stopped the ride for that kid so he or she could get off. 

With an upcoming move it was time to visit all of the places we still wanted to get to and revisit favorites.  We went to the a nature preserve in Lawrence but I didn't realize they would be closed on that.  The inside looked really neat and I think the kids would have enjoyed it.  Unfortunately we never made it back.  We briefly explored the outside but it was raining lightly so we didn't last long.  We did walk around downtown Lawrence a bit and stopped at our favorite bakery so the outing wasn't a complete loss.  Lawrence is a nice town. 

The kids did a lot of activities in October.  Nyla had dance, swim, and horseback riding.  Bohdin had swim three times a week and horseback riding lessons.  I really liked the horseback riding lessons for him.  All of the kids enjoyed being out at the ranch.  Cora played in the dirt, Nyla played with her friends, and Bohdin enjoyed the lessons.  He also played with the kids when his lesson was over.  Nyla and Bohdin weren't in the same class although toward the end I think she was getting enough to be in his class.  There were a lot of cats there that the kids enjoyed playing with and just outdoor stuff.  Who knows what they were doing.  Nyla was often a little sad that it was her turn to ride.  She enjoyed the playing more than the lessons.

One of the favorite places that we revisited was the Deanna Rose Farmstead.  That place is wonderful and it's free which makes it even more amazing.   We made it out there when they had some extra Halloween stuff going on.  That part was not free but Nyla had been begging for a pumpkin for weeks and admission included a free pumpkin.  The kids played in corn, went down a big slide, had a hay ride, and some other things.  Nyla also got her pumpkin.  On the way out we said goodbye to the animals.  The kids wanted to come back one more time but I knew that was unlikely. 

Before Halloween there was a short race for kids with trick or treating afterward.  I ran with Nyla while Bohdin and Cora ran with Buddy.  I should have switched.  Nyla ran fast.  Even after a slow start she was among the first to finish.  She didn't have to wait at all to trick or treat since only a handful of kids had already finished.  By the time Bohdin and Cora came through the line was really really long.  Bohdin had a swim lesson afterward so Buddy took the girls to another trick or treating event in town.

I had to go to Georgia to take care of house stuff and I missed Halloween.  The new group of people that came in the summer were mostly lame so it wasn't very festive.  Also the autumn fair on post was cancelled due to the budget shut down.  Nyla was a bunny, Cora was a dog, and Bohdin rewore his old costume.