Nellie's first first grade report card

Nellie brought home her first quarter report card today. One highlight: the teacher commented that "Nellie radiates the gentleness of Christ." (It's a Christian school.) I was looking through all the "grades" with her in the car, and I read that part out loud. Only we kept getting interrupted, because DJ was loudly calling "bye-bye" to Nellie's friend, Avery, who was already in her house. Nellie responded by turning around and repeatedly shouting, "STOP IT DJ! I DON'T LIKE THAT!"

I tried explaining to her why the situation was ironic, but she just said, "well that's at school, this is at home."

I've said it before and I'll say it again--it's so much harder to love the ones you love, isn't it? If you know what I mean.

First fall fest at LCS (and some bonus cider mill pictures)

At the apple orchard

Annie's freezing in cold storage. Love this face!

On the hayride

In the pumpkin patch 

Pre-race picture - it was a 1-mile fun run

Waiting for the ready-set-go

The girls were nervous...I'm the one who can barely walk the next day! I need to start running again...

So sad not to be running with his sisters. 

Poisoning our kids with whatever's in cotton candy

Very proud of their cool makeup!

Annie, at four and three months

Are you excited to be four?  
Yes!

What kinds of things do four-year-olds do?   
Do big-girl things. Like help with little brothers. Share things with your sisters and your brothers. And if your mom and dad needs things you can share with them. Go to Kid Konnections and go to preschool.

What do you like best about preschool?
Learning how to read, except I didn't learn to read yet. I can't find any books yet. Making pictures for the Brown Bear book.

Who is your best friend?   
Everybody! 

Who are your favorite people to play with?
Natalie. Mommy! And Nellie, and Daddy, and DJ.

What do you love about your Nellie?
Sharing with her.

What kinds of things are you good at?
Sweeping, writing words, being a big sister, loving DJ, singing, tricks, making fires, carving pumpkins, fixing lights [you can see what's on her mind today!] 

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I don't know! I know. A superhero. Wait. I think I just want to be a regular mom. 

Why do you want to be a superhero and a regular mom?
I still want to have babies.

What’s your favorite song?   
Twinkle Twinkle!

Favorite movie?   
That's a hard one. Rapunzel and Jasmine and Ariel! I mean, Aladdin. 

Favorite book?   
Every one we even have! Pete the Cat.

Favorite color?   
Purple

What’s your favorite thing to play?   
Baby dolls

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?   
Annie did this. I love Mommy, I love everyone in our family! Even the dogs. Even the ones who bite.

Fun times fall

It seems kind of funny to be writing this post, since I never even wrote a summer post. Eh, that can come later. We're now one week into fall, and we've already had lots of fun.

Which is a little surprising, really, because fall totally snuck up on me this year. Usually, I'm happy and ready to greet new seasons, but for some reason I was unprepared. Being back on campus with all the undergrads and going to back-to-school events seemed almost...disorienting. Ads for fall clothing and decor seemed out of place, and football was rather unappealing.

I think it's because spring this year came sooooooo sloooooooowly, and then the summer was relatively cool. Plus, the summer seemed to fly by even faster than usual with Nellie at home and a class to teach. I hardly feel ready for cold-weather clothes and long winter nights!

But here we are, and so far the Wernets are making the most of it. Kevin's been doing some hunting, of course, and last Saturday he took Nellie up north for the whole day. She loved it! Then Sunday we drove out to Holland to Our Brewing Company, which is a wonderful family-friendly microbrewery, to watch the Lions game, drink root beer (and other kinds of beer), and visit Kilwins for treats.

Yesterday was the American Heritage Festival. It was sunny and warm, and the leaves are just starting to change. It was a great day to be outside all day! We ate, went on the pontoon boat, rode in the horse-drawn wagon, petted the farm animals, and got sunburns. We're having fires in the fireplace and the house is decorated with pumpkins, leaves, and scarecrows. (And one angry-looking turkey.)

Next weekend in is the fall festival at LCS, and the weekend after that we'll have a mini-vacation/long weekend at John's. We're starting to think about Halloween (Nellie wants to be a bat, Annie wants to be a princess super hero) and Thanksgiving. So, fall, here we are.

Nellie walking with my dad, and learning proper gun safety

Kevin's at home one day a week this semester, so Annie and DJ got their turn to go hiking, too

DJ at the American Heritage Festival

Sister secrets and cornhusk dolls on the wagon ride

Nellie, age 6 (and 2 and a half months. Better late than never!)

Are you excited to be six?  
YES! 

What kinds of things do six-year-olds do?   
They like to do homework and play with their friends. They can write only one capital letter in a sentence, instead of like, 5.

What do you like best about 1st grade?
Friends!

Who is your best friend?   
Avery.

Who is your favorite person to play with?
Leah at school. And my cousins, and Annie.

What do you love about your friends?
Leah and Avery like to play princesses with me. They're really great friends.

What kinds of things are you good at?
 Drawing pictures, reading, saving money, helping Daddy with his work [particularly stacking firewood, which we did today.]

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Um, a teacher. 

What kind of teacher do you want to be?
Fifth grade.

Why do you want to be a teacher?
I think it would be fun to be a teacher. You could get to do the calendar a lot.

What’s your favorite song?   
The "Ode to Joy" song from Psalty 4.

Favorite movie?   
Sleeping Beauty

Favorite book?   
Meet Kaya...and all the Kaya books

Favorite color?   
Pink and purple and blue and green and red. There aren't really any I don't like.

What’s your favorite thing to play?   
Basketball. 

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?   
I really like bats. [Today] I like to have fires. [We're having one right now.] And I like to stack wood. I like American Girl dolls. And milk.

Dinnertime without dad

Kevin's working late tonight. The girls made cornhusk dolls at the American Heritage Festival today, and they've been playing with them all evening. While I was cutting up quesadillas, I overhead them (the dolls) having this conversation.

Nellie's doll (Wood): Did I tell you I do gymnastics? I fell over backward and broke my ankle.
Annie's doll (Hannah): I don't believe you.
Wood: Well I did. Look on facebook. I wrote, "I broke my ankle." Read it!
Hannah: I still don't believe you.
Wood: I did! Didn't you read my text? I texted you that I broke my ankle.

Cornhusk dolls these days.

When I went to bring DJ his quesadilla, he was dipping apples in salsa. Also, one of the girls had brought him his portable Lightning McQueen toilet seat to hold while he waited for his food.

And that's how it goes, sometimes.

Lesson learned

My friend just posted a very affirming (to me) story about how Americans are too quick to throw away food that's reached the "best by" date, resulting in tons of wasted food every year.

And that reminded me of a story. We ate at Cancun Grill the other night with my dad. At one point I looked up, and saw that Annie looked like she was about to cry. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, "the milk smells like...bugs." I smelled it and Kevin (brave man that he is) tasted it, and we confirmed that it was sour. Annie had already taken a good long drink of it.

So the moral of the story is, at restaurants, always give your kids' milk a quick sniff before they drink it. And, maybe bugs smell like sour milk?