Hints of Fall

We made our traditional trip to an apple orchard last weekend. Unfortunately, we were not able to pick apples this year. Our area lost 75% of the apple crops due to two late spring frosts so none of the farms are allowing pick-your-own apples. There is just too much waste when everyone heads into the fields and picks apples that aren't ready. We were able to buy a bag of apples at the farm store and they were delicious. We ate all of them already! We also had apple freezies, apple cider donuts and brought home a gallon of apple cider. 

We had so much fun playing at the apple cannon. They use apples that dropped and aren't salable. 

Since we couldn't pick apples, we decided to pick one of the other crops offered. They had both grapes and flowers ready for picking. We decided to pick flowers. It was a perfect morning. I do cherish these moments with my nearly grown up children. Who knows how many more we will have before the two youngest have flown the nest?

All the Rest ~ We are still dealing with lots of shortages at the stores. I am not sure if it is worse here, because we are a small central city that supports about five rural counties around us or if everyone elsewhere is also experiencing shortages. What is it like in your area? This was the cat food aisle at one of our local grocery stores this week. I haven't tried the two pet stores because they are more expensive, but I may need to if they don't restock soon. I am trying to stay at least one week ahead in supplies for the cats.  

Rebekah needed a professional grade training tutu for her training program. Her new one came in and is so stiff. It moves perfectly with her. 

Otherwise, things are flowing along well. Helping kids grow into adults is filled with so many teachable moments. I always seem to be realizing (sometimes after the fact) something new that I haven't taught the kids. Nothing earth shattering, just little things, such as "It is good you didn't get a store credit card and here's why" moments. There are so many little teachable moments that still come up every single day. I don't know how others just turn their kids loose and hope for the best. 

Blessings, Dawn

Another Fun Outing!

We won't be going to the state fair again this year (even if it doesn't get cancelled), so I thought going to a place that had fair food would be fun. We went to a small shop here in town that sells lots of carnival foods and specialty desserts. We got six different things to share. Talk about sugar overload for a family that doesn't eat that much sugar. None of us felt very good later in the day, but we had so much fun trying the desserts.  Most were new to us and some were old favorites.

Funnel cake is an old favorite and was the best thing we had.

Donuts, Fried Oreos and The Spawn
(a very strange drink with coffee, chai, caramel, chocolate cake and who knows what else in it)

A Root beer Float, which we all liked

The Fried Oreo was so interesting and tasty, but I would pick the funnel cake over it any day.

Butter Beer which tasted mostly like a caramel chai tea, but who could skip a nod to Harry Potter.

Elijah liked the donuts and the Spawn the best. He will eat anything with coffee in it. Tim and Rebekah liked the funnel cake and donuts the best. Dad liked the Butter Beer and Fried Oreos. I liked the funnel cake and root beer float. We ended up tossing about half of all the drinks. It was just way too much sugar. 

Update on the rest ~ Rebekah has now completed two weeks of the professional day program. She is tired and sore, but so appreciates the opportunity. The audition results for Nutcracker are in, and she is the Spanish soloist, a demi-soloist snowflake, a demi-soloist flower and the understudy for Snow Queen. She is very pleased with the results. 

Elijah is doing wonderfully at Target. He is even starting to come home talking about "my friend this and my friend that". I am so glad he is making work friends and feels accepted. He also seems to be doing a great job getting his work done and reaching out to Human Resources when he has questions. He is doing a marvelous job managing his anxiety.

They both still need lots of support to get out of the house each morning, and I am doing a bulk of the driving. This is in part due to the need for me to have the mini van and in part due to the difficult places that Rebekah would have to drive on her own during rush hour. She is fine getting to and from work, but the dance academy is in a very difficult part of town and just getting out of the parking lot is complicated during many times of the day. So for now, I spend upwards of 3.5  hours a day in the car driving, supporting a new driver while she drives and waiting for them to get in or out of work/dance. It is an adjustment, but one I don't mind a bit. Motherhood is a constantly changing experience. 

Lastly, our daughter Katie is having many health and mental health issues right now. Everything seems to be going wrong, and she is struggling to get in with doctors who can get to the bottom of things. She is absolutely refusing help from family and friends. I am not sure how much help she is accepting from the group home since, she wants to be independent and doesn't share her information and we can't talk to them. Unfortunately, she is her own worst enemy much of the time. We are trying to be supportive from the sidelines.

Blessings, Dawn