Happy Thanksgiving

The kids decided it should be a fancy meal this year with candle light! They set the table and practiced passing dishes during dinner.


Alstan also decided we should have family game night be a Thanksgiving Day tradition for us.

Chapter Book

Elsie was up early this morning reading her new book from the school book fair last week...



And, she finished it. This was her first chapter book!

Putting up the Lights

Next weekend is supposed to be quite a bit colder than this weekend, so we thought we had better get our lights up outside. Plus, mom and Elsie were ready to get into the holiday spirit. Alstan was excited to put lights up, but he sided with dad that we can’t start holiday activities until after Thanksgiving Day.

Elsie’s First Sleepover

Elsie was invited to her first sleepover birthday party. Elsie was super excited. Dad was happy for Elsie. Alstan wished he had a sleepover, but was excited to have mom and dad to himself. Mom worried through most of the first day, but we all survived! Now we have a tired little girl who will need to go to bed early.

New PJs

Elsie and Ella are sporting their new pjs that Elsie made!

Day of the Dead

Mom has been all excited about the Mexican holiday “Day of the Dead”, since it is a brightly colored celebration of life. We didn’t go all out with parades, sugars skulls, dancing and music, but we did do a couple of activities in remembrance of Uncle Jeff. He enjoyed playing chess, learning and being a jokester. Elsie played a game of chess on the nook (tried to anyway), Alstan and dad read a book about the Wright brothers and flight (not as much about celebrating as Alstan just wanted dad to read it to him), and mom gave each of the kids a “Wet Willy” in the morning. Elsie and mom also made sure they wore their “Day of the Dead” leggings on the first.

Happy Halloween!

New Sewing Machine

Last weekend Grandma Zielicke gave Elsie a sewing machine that she was not using anymore. Elsie has spent a good share of this weekend sewing with it. She started by making another stocking for a different doll. She then moved onto making a pair of pajamas for herself.


She didn’t quite get the pj’s finished.... but maybe next weekend!

Today was Elsie’s first day of basketball,


and Alstan’s last soccer game for the season.

Pre-Halloween Visit

This past summer Grandpa Zielicke lost a bunch of trees during a storm, so he told the kids he would have a great big bonfire in the fall. Alstan and Elsie had been waiting ever since. Saturday ended up being a beautiful day for it! Since Halloween is right around the corner, Aunt Carrie suggested we do a little “Trick-r-Treating” around the house to give the kids an extra chance to wear their costumes. Our littlest trick-r-treater didn’t quite know what to think of it, but she did enjoy her Nilla wafers afterward.

Pumpkin Carving

Alstan’s pumpkin had super thick walls, so he enlisted dad to help him with his carving this year. Elsie did hers all by herself...almost. (Mom did the eyebrows.) Now we just have to hope they are still ok by Halloween.

Sewing Project

Elsie finished her stocking for her doll Ella! Now she wants to make one for her doll Lucille. (And, Yes, I may have taken these photos just as much for her cute hairstyle she gave herself as for the sewing project.)

Fall Farm Visit

This post is a week late, but here are some photos from our visit to a local Adventure Farm.

Sewing Project

Elsie has been busy on her Christmas sewing projects. She is making stockings for two of her dolls. Here is what she has for the first one so far. Their babysitter makes stockings for each of the kids on their first Christmas, so Elsie is trying to make hers according to how she has seen Lisa make them.

Kid's Special Day

Today was a one-on-one day for the kids. Alstan wanted to go fossil hunting again, so mom took him to Fennimore. After fossil hunting, they checked out the train museum and played at a playground.





Elsie and dad went shopping in Madison. A stop at Starbucks is always a given.