Borrowing a neighborhood

I hadn't realized it until now, but a neighborhood was something I was kind of missing out here in the "country." It's been a while since we've been regulars at a neighborhood park. And Molly has plenty of room to run out here, but it's been a LONG time since she's had a walk on a leash. We recently discovered a neighborhood nearby that's perfect for dog walks. And there's a park that's perfect for playing and meeting new friends. Just what we needed. Just a short drive down the road.

A few things and a corn maze

First off, kindergarten is going great. Each day is better than the last. He comes home tired but happy. And so do I. I changed my work schedule so I can pick Walter up after school. Early mornings for me, but the afternoons spent at home are so worth it! I feel like I'm able to do a better job at both places. I'm loving it so far.

On to the corn maze adventure! What a fun thing to do on a beautiful almost-fall day. Every moment spent outside just makes me love where we live so much. I've found myself commenting on the scenery all summer long. It's beautiful here. And we have goofy things like corn mazes. Yay, Wisconsin!

The navigators:

Finding pieces of the map:

Erin brought candy corn snacks for the corn maze. I love treats that match the adventure. :)

Thanks for inviting us, Jess and Erin!

First day of kindergarten!

Nothing but excitement in this house this morning. He scarfed down his scrambled egg breakfast, happily posed for photos, and was off on a new adventure. No nervousness, no tears. Kindergarten is off to a great start. And now, this mama is going to enjoy a second cup of coffee and the quiet of an empty house for a while. (Because big days like this deserve a day off of work.) But really, I can't wait to hear his stories when he gets home. 




For comparison – today:

First day of 4K:

First day of preschool:

Sniff... ok, maybe a few tears...

End of summer

School starts tomorrow. Well, technically we just have orientation tomorrow. The first day of kindergarten will be Wednesday. But summer is coming to an end. And it was a good one! We checked off almost everything on the summer list. (Build something with every LEGO? What were we thinking??? But we tried. Oh how we tried.) The past couple of weeks have been filled with school shopping, Brewer games, t-ball, and a trip to Green Bay Grandpa's. And there's been a ton of produce going through this house. Last weekend was applesauce and apple pie (apples from Grandpa and Mary's house). This weekend was tomatoes, salsa, and tomato soup (tomatoes from a generous friend with a bumper crop). And there have been a few batches of jam in there too. The pantry is full! And we still have a few things to harvest from the garden.

I have a handful of photos that have been collecting on my camera. Somehow there's never time to pull them off of there. These are pretty random images, but a post isn't a post without a few photos, so here's a little t-ball, a peach pie, some chickens, and the deer that visit outside the kitchen window. Proof that the camera got some use through the end of our summer. Stay tuned for first day of school photos!