So far we’ve had two kittens (one ours, one stray) and some sneaky mice down in the basement, but today we were very surprised to find this:

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So, after a wicked cold snap (highs in the low 60’s) we got what will probably be the last really warm spell before winter. I mean fall. We took full advantage and went, where else, our favorite splash pad. The kids were freezing after awhile (it was 88 degrees out! My kids just have zero body fat!) and as the lake had recently been treated with essentially aquatic weed-killer, we spent the rest of the early evening hours at the nearby playground (that wooden structure in the background). So fun!

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Sorry, we’re a little delayed, lots more to come… this is a combined post, so the title may be a bit misleading…don’t think you’ve seen it all yet!

Neils has had a loose tooth for quite some time now, I believe since we visited Matthan & Brenda in Ohio at the end of August (pictures to follow), so it was no surprise that while we were camping for Conan’s birthday (the first weekend in September) it came right out in his watermelon! He was SO proud, as you can see!

Well, we’re not really much for the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus at our house, but I figured talk of the tooth fairy was probably already rampant among his peers, but I wasn’t sure where he stood on the matter, so I just asked him:

M: Neils, have you ever heard of the Tooth Fairy?

N: No, what’s that?

M: Well, some people believe that if you put your lost tooth under your pillow for the night that the tooth fairy will come and take your tooth and leave you a quarter.

N:(looking quizzically at me) What?

M: Well, they do, they put their tooth under their pillow to see if they’ll have a quarter there in the morning. Do you want to do that?

N: (still looking at me as if I’m from Mars) No, not really.

M: (laughing in surprise) I’m giving you a quarter, just for that! 

Though he did ask me more about it later, and wanted to try an experiment to see if it would work. Well, I’m weird about all that stuff, I just can’t lie to my kids like that. I explained about the tooth fairy game, and said I’d be happy to play that game next time he looses a tooth if he’d like to. So, that’s how we do the tooth fairy at our house.

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I am lucky enough to have met some fun people out here with some great skills. I am learning so much (just like always) about parenting, living, and the journey of life from each of them. As an added bonus, one of our new friends also has a degree in teaching art.

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Neils asked me to teach him to knit, so I obliged. We have had just a couple of knitting sessions, but I have to say I am quite pleased with how quickly he caught on, and delighted to share something I enjoy so much with one of my boys.

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Right around Conan’s birthday, he received a bonus from work. Since it was an unexpected, non-essential for daily living income, we decided it was a good time to get Conan that wii he’s been wanting:

He really likes to play Zelda (so does Neils), and SSX Blur… a little tricky, but I might get into it once I practice a bit. 

Yes, I’m about to brag, so if that troubles you, DON’T READ ON!

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