Happy Halloween!

Fifth Grade Crayons

Fifth graders are the only class allowed to wear a costume to school. They parade through each classroom in the morning. It's a big deal! Thankfully, the scary ones had to take off their masks for the little kids.

Lucky enough to help in Theo's class for his halloween party. Gabriel was a great helper too! No parent party for the 5th graders. Wah.

Curious Gabriel waiting for the Man in the Yellow Hat

They found each other!

The crayons and their boxes

They could spend hours sorting and deciding.

Our pumps - left to right, youngest to oldest. Gabriel's has heart eyes and nose, Theo carved his own this year, Maddie's has lumpy, bumpy skin. (My shelves have become a bit cluttered!)

Halloween Window Painting

Maddie decorated one of the best windows in Newtonville at the Village Bank for Halloween Window decorating. Bloody fingerprints on the bag!

Tuesday Adventure

Every Tuesday the kids have early release. Last year, we had piano lessons on Tuesday. This year it's wide open so I've been trying to do some fun things on our afternoon free. We made a cupcake stop as I'd forgotten about Theo's half birthday (another thing the poor middle child can lament in therapy). Luckily, he'd forgotten too so it was a big celebration and not a guilt trip. We then headed out to the Blue Hills to the Trailside museum, which was closed. Oh well, they had a small wildlife zoo that was open with the cutest otter who loved the back flip. After exploring the animals and feeding the ducks, we took a little hike. I didn't expect to make it to the observatory but these three little hikers were determined. Gabriel needed a talking to as he tends to lead the hike so far in advance that I can't see him. It was a great afternoon especially as the cold descended on the region the next day!

Girl Scouts in Hemlock Gorge

Fourth year of Girl Scouts. Working on our Animal Habitats badge. Beautiful afternoon for a hike, looking for signs of animals and trash pick up (amazing what people leave).

Harvest in Maine

With Nathan back in Italy for the weekend, the Atris invited us to Maine for a night. It was a lovely break. Beautiful weather, ocean view, a darling harvest festival in York, lots of kid giggles - a fun time!

Tour of Newton

Twenty miles, 13 villages, stop at each village and collect a pin. Gabriel and I made it to 3, Maddie to 6, and Theo and Nathan to all 13.

Down by the Bog

We met the Coles at the Cranberry Bog Festival. It was still great but the word is out, making for a very crowded bog tour. Lots of lines for the buses. 

Still so impressed with harvesting. The poor cranberry farmers are having a tough year - good crop super low prices

A cold wet job. They funnel the cranberries into a tube that sucks them up to a conveyor belt and into a truck.

The sand hill. The boys had sand everywhere which ended up all over their rooms as I forgot to empty pockets...

Making their own cranberry bog. Who knows maybe we will harvest our own next year?

Apple time

Early release Thursday and off to Honeypot to pick apples. We have to have the right conditions to pick - coolish and leaves changing (you'd think I was a New Englander). It was a bumper crop this year. Huge apples and lots of doubles. I was steamed that they now charge for the hayride to the fields. I showed them and we walked. 

KIPP

We hosted a fundraiser for KIPP, the charter school that Nathan is very involved with on the Board. It was a great success. We had a nice crowd and the speeches by staff and students were super compelling. I just can't get these kids and teachers out of my head. I truly believe that the trajectory of these children's lives is changed because of the school. One boy spoke about his experience in the Lynn Public School compared to his experience at KIPP (he was in the middle school, left to go to high school when KIPP didn't have a high school and is now back at KIPP high school), it was shocking how different the two experiences were and how much more accountability he has at KIPP. It was a gift to be able to share the school with some of our friends.

My children were a bit up in arms over 60 people being in their house on a school night. They pulled it together and helped immensely. Maddie made this sweet note on the white board in the basement.