The kids asked for these flags at the dollar store last weekend, and we found Americana music at the library. All week they've been marching around to "You're a Grand Ole Flag" like they do at school. None of us know the words, so it goes kind of like this... "You're a grand ole flag of the red white and blue, da da doo, red white and blue...."
Though we couldn't be with family this year, we are thankful to have celebrated with our friends, Emily and Nathan and their kiddos! We had a wonderful, relaxed day and the kids all had a blast playing outside. 
Mark and Nathan, with Evan's supervision, put together the lighted deer I made Mark buy. Thank you honey! Have a great weekend everyone!
Adventurous Autumn and Evan on the playground, gorgeous sunlit hills and beautiful fall colors in the background...
Last weekend, Mark took the kids to Columbus where they met Grandma Laurie for a fun adventure at the science museum, COSI, and a hotel stay! We unfortunately don't have pics from that adventure because the camera bag was left in the taxi cab. And that story goes like this, in a nutshell: Mark and the kids took me to the Charleston train station Friday night to go to Chicago to visit Alex, Darin, their 2 yr. old twins and newborn baby, Shai, and help out there for four days. I had planned everything to the tee for my first time away from Autumn and Evan, packing their bags for Columbus, mine for Chicago. At the train station, the kids and Mark were waving goodbye to me as my train chugged away, and only then did I realize that I still had the van keys in my pocket. A wave of panic overcame me as I realized I had abandoned my dear husband and children at the train station at nine o clock on a Friday night! I pretty much flipped then, much to the amusement of my fellow passangers (several of whom recognized and befriended me on my return trip home Tuesday!). There was no hope of the train stopping, and when I reached Mark by phone he calmly reported that he had already called a cab. The kids fell asleep in the cab, and Mark was focused on getting them into the house through the rain and paying the driver when he got home, and the camera bag remained there. Luckily the kind driver held it for us, and luckily our van was not towed, stolen, or broken into overnight, and luckily our friend Chris drove Mark and the kids back downtown to get the van in the morning, and luckily we had a spare key that my dad had recently sent to us after finding it in a random suitcase! This very strange and complicated plot all resulted from the train being late, the kids being fussy, and me running out to the van to get a snack for them. As I ran back, the train was coming, and I forgot to toss the keys back to Mark. OK, OK, on with the pictures! Thanks for enduring this (now) humerous story!
I had so much fun bonding with 2 yr old Ilana and Orli! They are such sweeties! Below is the handsome Mr. Shai (Hebrew for gift), one week old here and already 10 pounds!
A few days before Halloween, the kids and their friend Cody helped prep the pumpkins, along with our one-eyed scarecrow in the background (I did manage to get the other eye back on in time for the festivities)...
Trick or Treat fun!
