October Birthdays

I was just looking through some pictures to print for our Unit Celebration display tomorrow, when I saw this and realized that I had neglected to put it up here. 

 This was my birthday breakfast- homemade waffles, fruit (I requested fruit) and real whipped cream.  

Cute, isn't it?  My girls get up early to make breakfasts on special occasions.  They even made the coffee, and it was pretty good, too!

For the evening, I said that I didn't care what cake I got, as long as they used a certain chocolate frosting recipe.  I pointed it out and set them loose.  In our state, a seventh grader has to learn "practical arts," which has become a handy excuse to make a mess of my kitchen counters.  We are from -scratch bakers around here anyway.  So, last month DD12 learned that a white cake won't be white unless you separate the eggs.  I told her this but she didn't believe me, used a recipe that said "White Cake," and was surprised when it was slightly yellow.  Go figure.
I only intervened on the frosting when I came for a taste test and it was too runny, so I asked if they might have lost count on the confectioner's sugar.  They were sure they had not lost count, but took my advice anyway and added some more so that the frosting was more of a spreadable consistency than a glaze.  Results:

Cute again!

After we got our new vehicle going, we had to have a family field trip because we haven't all been able to go anywhere together in one car in nearly a month!  This is kind of a big deal for a home schooled nomad family that has rather gotten used to going places as a herd, and taking the house with us to boot!
So we went apple picking.
When you have six people picking, it doesn'ttake very long to fill a bag with apples. 

So, you have to find something else to do.  Which means you go to the barn and buy some cider donuts, because DH doesn't go apple picking and not buy fresh cider donuts!  But at least going to the barn means that you get to take a fun picture of your family!  We haven't gone apple picking in a while because when we lived at the sending base, we got free apples donated, so paying to pick them was out of the question.  It's really great to go again.

  I made this DC stand here because this flower is bigger than she is and I think that's cute!   I don't have to have any other reason than that, do I?

I must say that the kids were disappointed not to go to a corn maze this year.   There was one out behind her, but it wasn't open that day.  Every place we looked at on-line was seriously expensive, so that it would cost our family about $50.  They are so much fun, but definitely not in the budget this year. 

Here's my gang up in a tree.  It's a bit of a trick getting four kids into a tree where they can all balance and you can see all their smiling faces.  But there they are.  I think I could just title this entire post "Cuteness!"

I have heard that while there are orchards in our country of interest, they don't have apple-picking as a public event in this way.  I wonder what it would take to make this behavior take off?  Anyone interested in Business as Missions want to give it a try?  My family will be your first customers.  Please try to make the corn maze affordable.