Honestly...October has Arrived

It's the 1st of October, finally! I've many fun things to share. Last October, we took the kid to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland. This has become a beloved family tradition. It's so festive and quaint. You go and enjoy hot cider and pumpkin pie. The kids play on the many attractions. We take the train ride through the acres and acres of land. And, we pick pumpkins. Going back to last year, the kids each picked a small pumpkin to keep and then Bruce & I picked out a huge pumpkin for the whole family to enjoy. We went home, carved them up and had a great time. Little did we know, that sweet little Spencer, had some plans of his own to grow pumpkins the next year. Fast forward to a few months back...Bruce was out in the front yard and noticed a strange squash like sprout. We discovered that a pumpkin patch was growing. When we brought the kids out to see our discovery, Spencer said,"Um, yeah guys. Last year when you told me to throw away the pumpkin seeds I didn't. I planted them in the yard so we could grow pumpkins." He had that "you all are dummies" tone in his voice. So here we are...we have a wonderful pumpkin patch to enjoy. Now that October is here, we can pick them!Yeah!


My next October favorite has to do with my Live, Laugh, Love Club. Each month we have a value that correlates to the holiday in that month. October is Halloween. We wear costumes or disguises to have fun. However, in real life, we tend to wear similiar disguises without always realizing it. We may be dishonest or hide who we really are or how we really feel because it's uncomfortable or because of other fears. Hence, we teach the value of honesty in October. It is, of course, about not lying or stealing or cheating. It's also about being honest with ourselves and in our relationships. We do a take-home tradition each month. It's a little activity that becomes a family tradition but also aids in teaching the monthly value. We use these adorable pumpkins. You have 2 kinds. The happy face and the sad or "disgruntled" face. You have a discussion with the family about allowing each other to share our honest feelings, especially in situations that are difficult. It could be when you did something wrong and need to own up to it. It could be if your husband hurts your feelings and you're afraid of his reaction if you tell him. It could be that you have a hard time sharing intimate feeling vocally and you feel the need to tell a loved one how much they mean to you and need a little help. Whatever it is good or bad, you pick the pumpkin face appropriate for the situation. Give it to the person you need to be honest with. Receiving the pumpkin is the clear signal to sit down, open your heart and mind, and KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Give this person the respect and opportunity to share their honest feeling understanding that this is hard for them. You can put the pumpkins in a cute fall bowl or jar. It doesn't matter. We do this activity every October, all month long. Honestly communicating my feelings has been a struggle for me most of my life. It's one of the most important things for me to teach my children and so it is my favorite of all the months. Here are the cute pumpkins, this year made by my fellow Live, Laugh, Lover and friend, Molly.

Last, the project that we did as a group last night was so cute. We got the idea from our dear friend, Martha Stewart. They are clipboards, a cute system for decluttering and displaying those incidental papers...Misc. artwork, photos, lists, etc. I will be hanging mine in my kids bedroom. Presently, all 3 share a bedroom. So this will work out nicely. They are so simple to do. If I ever want to move them to a new home, I can easily cut and glue new paper to back them with so they will match any decor. Molly gets credit for these too. She was our lovely hostess last night. (The risotto was amazing, too!Thanks Molly!)

I wish all of you an October full of treasured family gatherings and traditions, great food galore, and a new resolve to always be HONEST! Much love to my friends and fam!

T-