Treehugger....

Monday we met our friends at the nature preserve for Creek Day. The kids play in the creek, get muddy, throw things, make sticks into swords and fishing poles, and all kinds of other fun things that kids love.

Lela immediately got soaked from head to toe, and had fun throwing large rocks in the water. The recent torrential rains had carved out a deep area on either size of a giant culvert and an area that normally was ankle deep became kid-thigh deep. We walked to the picnic tables and Liv and Laurel sat on the table and foraged in my friend's cooler for trail mix and pretzels. Lela got soaked and would have spent a while in there except that she rolled a big rock over her finger, and needed some snuggles and a change of clothes.

After a first lunch, we all trekked down a little trail. Lela and The Boys and my friend went ahead, while I lagged behind with Laurel and Liv. They had fun negotiating a narrow bridge.

Everyone napped on the way home.

Fall Festival at the Botanical Gardens

On Sunday we went to Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden for their "Something's Aflutter" Fall Festival. We saw the live butterflies at the Orchid Conservatory. We met our friends and the kids ate, and then played in the Willow Maze.
Lela and a butterfly

Laurel doing some "Ladybug Bowling".
Liv (with the much coveted Marina) doing the "Pumpkin Bug Toss".
Afterwards, we went to get the dolls.....

Waldorf Dolls for All

Today is the day that Liv and Laurel get their very own Waldorf dolls, a gift from my parents. Lela already has hers, Marina, from NovaNatural.

Lela with Marina, Laurel holding her Peppa in the background.

Lela wearing Marina in a playsilk wrap, ruck under bum.
The little girls both got a nonny doll, which is adorable, but is apparently a poor substitute for a beautiful Waldorf doll. Liv is in love with her big sister's Marina, but Lela is not willing to share. (Laurel never risks the wrath of her big sister.) Liv is always plotting on ways to get some time with it. She eyes it, waits for Lela to leave the area, then takes it and runs into another room. She may have it for a few minutes, but then Lela the JayBird swoops in and takes it back - 30 minutes of broken-hearted crying begin. Even nursing, she will stop every few seconds to cry.

So today, they are both getting dolls like Marina, but with different hair. Thank you Gran and Pop!


UPDATE!


Here they are! There is so much more P-E-A-C-E in the house now that everyone has a special doll. Although, Liv still cries over Lela's "Marina" and seeks out opportunities to have all three dolls.


Laurel with her Gran, and her new doll, Julia.




Liv with her doll, Ima.