Goodbye summer, hello fall...

For many of my friends fall is their favorite time of year. Not that I don't not like fall, I just really LOVE summer, soaking up the sun, the beach, swimming, etc. I love all things summer. I'm not a huge pumpkin fan (please don't all gasp), although I did enjoy some pumpkin cookies my friend Laura made recently, and of course our small groups annual pumpkin carving contest. Regardless of the season change, we are welcoming fall with all that it brings (pumpkin and all). And for one 4-year-old, that brings preschool. So, even though we decided to do our preschool at home this year, I still thought...hey, why not take a first day of school picture. So, I took this when we started a few weeks ago. Which reminds me, what do some of you do with your younger ones while you are doing school with the older ones? I usually include Ana, but her attention can be well...short. Anyhow, I'm really amazed at how much Isabel has learned and advanced even since last year, which should be the case I suppose.:) I'm looking forward to this year and enjoying her home, because before I know it she will be off to school, going to prom, in college, and married...sniff, sniff.

So with a new baby, it being cooler out, and more time indoors, we have been doing a lot of crafts. I don't consider myself a crafty person. Pretty much all of my crafts are stolen from other peoples ideas. Anyone have ideas of what you can do with pine cones? We have a lot of them. Here's a few painting crafts we did recently:

Then we made Rapunzel crowns (thanks to Family Fun magazine)And of course we have to check on the baby in between activities...Hoping to have more pictures of the baby soon (I've been bad about taking her picture). Everyday, we are trying to enjoy her newborn size and little baby cuddles. Before I know it, she will be in preschool...