Apples and pumpkins

oh de oh oh.

Ah welcome Autumn, how I do love thee. 

My favorite time of year has always been the Autumn of the year.  The colors, the crispness of the morning air.  Mist covering ponds.  Animals scurrying to and fro, readying for winters cold.  Our own home preparing for the coming winter.  Putting up winter stores.  Making sure blankets are washed and ready on the beds, sweaters are out and in the drawers.  Ah yes, how I love thee.

This past week, due to some medical things with me we kept it rather mild in terms of doing things.  We did make it to the pumpkin patch and we got several pounds of apples, though health kept me from making apple butter and pie filling like I had hopped.  This week I am hoping we can do this, plus we plan to dry several batches to boot.  I have the dehydrator at the ready!  Alas, I believe our garden is completely done now.  Everything looks rather done in.  I will pick the last of the squash this week, and then prepare the garden for fall.  I do think we will be mowing at least one last time and if weather permits I imagine we will have a mid winter trim too.  Last year we didn't but I think it could have used it.  Our grass doesn't die in the winter.  :-)  

We are starting to focus on days of the week and months and seasons in our school.  We have some fun songs which we are singing to help with the changing season as well as poems. 

A couple of them are:

Sung to the tune “Farmer in the Dell"
The leaves are falling down

The leaves are falling down

Picking out a pumpkin,
the biggest she could carry!

Red, yellow, green, and brown

The leaves are falling down

Sung to the tune "I'm a little teapot"
I'm a little person who’s aware

Of the Change in the air

First the leaves turn brown and then they fall

Then the snow comes lightly down.

A Squirrel Song

Sung to the tune "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain"
I'll be gathering all the acorns till they're gone.

I'll be gathering all the acorns till they're gone.

I'll be gathering all the acorns, gathering all the acorns,

Gathering all the acorns till they're gone.

(Children make collecting motion with their hands)

And I'll put them all inside my little home.

I will put them all inside my little home.

I will put them all inside, put them all inside,

Put them all inside my little home.

(children pretend to place nuts in tree house)

And I'll eat the nuts until the winter's gone.

I will eat the nuts until the winter's gone.

I will eat the nuts until, eat the nuts until,

Eat the nuts until the winter's gone.

(children pretend to eat acorns)

Then I'll do it all again come next fall.

I will do it all again come next fall.

I will do it all again, do it all again,

Do it all again come next fall.

(children make gathering motion with hands and arms again)

We also are looking at a few little poems or readings.  A couple are as follows.  I am slowly adding to them too.  Making leaves, acorns, etc that we can use while we sing and we incorporate body movements as well.

Autumn Song

Golden and red trees

Nod to the soft breeze,

As it whispers, "Winter is near;"

And the brown nuts fall

At the wind's loud call,

For this is the Fall of the year.

Good-by, sweet flowers!

Through bright Summer hours

You have filled our hearts with cheer

We shall miss you so,

And yet you must go,

For this is the Fall of the year.

Now the days grow cold,

As the year grows old,

And the meadows are brown and sere;

Brave robin redbreast

Has gone from his nest,

For this is the Fall of the year.

I do softly pray

At the close of day,

That the little children, so dear,

May as purely grow

As the fleecy snow

That follows the Fall of the year.

By: Ellen Robena Field

Five Little Leaves

Five red leaves, five and no more (hold up 5 fingers)

The caterpillar ate one, now there are four (thumb down)

Four red leaves, that's easy to see.

Along came a rainstorm, now there are three. (index down)

Three red leaves, nothing much to do.

A big wind blew, now two! (middle down)

Two red leaves, that's not much fun.

I glued one on my paper (ring down)

Now there is one. (hold up pinky)

Hang on, pretty red leaf! Your branches won't break.

You're one less leaf for me to rake!

Raking Leaves
Author Unknown

I like to rake the leaves (raking motion with hands)

Into a great big hump (pretend to pile leaves)

Then I move back a bit

Bend my knees and jump

Falling Leaves

Leaves are dropping from the trees

Yellow, brown, and red.

They patter softly like the rain-
One landed on my head.

Come out! Come out! The weather is clear.
Come out! Come out! October is here.
I'll show you some presents from Jolly Jack Frost.
They are hidden in the leaves that the wind has tossed.

The brown nuts are falling and squirrels are at play.
They are finding all the good ones to hide them away.

Crimson leave and yellow.

Apple red and mellow.

Golden pumpkins on the ground.

Sights of autumn all around.

Falling, falling autumn leaves are falling.

Falling, falling, falling to the ground.

Whirling, whirling autumn leaves are whirling.

Whirling, whirling, whirling to the ground.

Down down yellow and brown

the leaves are falling all over the town.

Author Unknown

This weekend we celebrated our anniversary and went away to Seattle for a few days.  It was nice to get away and "decompress" but I missed my wee girl so much.  Seattle is a very interesting and unique place and if you ever have a chance to visit I can't recommend it enough.  That's one great thing about living in the Northwest, we are so close to so much and I know we are terribly spoiled.  Pike Place Market is a must, as is Seattle Center and the Space Needle, but also just walking around and taking in some sites is a must.  I still have so much to discover about Seattle. 

Happy Tending!