Leaf Pile Fun

Today was a good day in my book cause we were outside together and we got some yard work done. As is usually the case, most of the children got distracted. But if I have atleast one kid helping me, I don't mind. So during the morning shift, Wesley was my biggest helper and leaf compactor. He jumped in the garbage can for me and did a great job smashing the leaves down, I think I could hire him out! Hyrum played with Owen and Abi helped me off and on and took Daniel on walks when he got fussy or bored. When I have helpers around, they are usually more than eager to help by watching their little brothers. I am more than happy to let them, cause I work faster than they do anyway and I enjoy the break from Mom duty! So, Wes and I cleared the front yard, and then I kept working while they started to ride on the skate board. Wes soon abandoned me to joined them and a new game was created. They are still discussing what the official name of this game will be, since it's going to be a keeper, but I'll just call it the Leaf Pile game for now. Yesterday I had raked the leaves off of the grass into several piles. The kids moved all the leaves from my piles and more of the leaves that they raked into a big pile at the end of the street. And then they drove the skateboard down the street and straight into the pile.

They laughed at how they would disappear in the leaves. Here's a little video of our fun -

They soon were wearing various layers of protection - yard gloves for their hands ("Don't get holes it the gloves!") and when they started going head first they got their ski helmets, just in case they hit one of the rocks that block the path on our dead end street.

It doesn't look like such a big pile height wise, cause we were going for a deep pile horizontally. So you can't tell how bit it is from the angle I was at, but it's a big pile. Trust me. So I spent a better part of today clipping plants and raking leaves, and the kids played together outside. It was fun to watch them. I was glad that we were all outside together. I love to see them get along.

I don't love seeing them fight, but there was a bit of that too. Abi accidentally pushed Hyrum too fast and he got his arm scraped, so then he started to chase her and that was when I turned and saw him look like he was about to beat her with a pole. No, Hyrum, you are not allowed to hit your sister with a broom handle, even if you feel it's her fault that you got hurt.

After lunch and a big break for music, we were out again at 4 to finish up in the back yard. We have a LOT of pine needles. It could take us months to put these out via the garbage every week. The needles don't cooperate with the leaf bags though. So a new strategy has me thinking we can become modern mini Hopewell mound builders. I put pine needles in a mound-like wall around the dirt area. In another month or so, we could have a winter nature battle and see which is stronger, earth or water. - with a snow fort with snowballs on one side, and a pine fort with pinecones on the other side. Or atleast maybe it will give the little kids a new place to get creative in their play this winter. One more month of fall but it's getting cold and we can all feel that winter's almost here! I hope winter goes by quickly, it's my least favorite weather season. I'm already missing fall and looking forward to spring.