Bikes, Blues and BBQ (and Apples Too).

  Last weekend we spent a few days in Arkansas with some of our favorite people! In the last week of September every year, tons of Bikes rally in Fayetteville, Arkansas for Bikes, Blues and BBQ. Our friends work at a preschool where they held their own version of BB&BBQ. The kids brought their bikes, ate popcicles, got fake tattoos, got to wash  their trikes and watch some policemen ride around on their bikes (as well as let kids climb on their bikes and check them out.) We packed up Elisha's bike so he could participate in these festivities.

I think he is ready for a bigger bike. And to learn to ride without training wheels. ;)

Silly, fake mustache tattoo.

Matt and Elisha especially enjoyed themselves while looking at all the different bikes. It was really cool watching hundreds of bikes cruising around town every night. The BBQ was pretty good too ;).

One of my favorite parts of BB&BQ

In other news, for the last week we or so we have been doing a unit on Apples! I really like all things fall: apples, pumpkins, crisp air, pumpkin patches, apple pie, jeans and hoodie weather, pumpkin spice coffee etc. We have a friend with an apple tree and she let us come over and pick some apples. It was really cool. I just wish it hadn't been such a rainy and gloomy day. Elisha enjoyed it nonetheless. Since it was also Johnny Appleseed's Birthday last week, we  had the same theme going on at the library, so that tied in really well with what we were doing at home!

Elisha got to hear a story about Johnny Appleseed and make a hat at the library.

We made some very yummy applesauce from our fresh picked apples! 

We took some of our apples that we picked to Arkansas and made an apple pie with our friends. When we got home, Elisha and I made some very delicious applesauce together. I peeled them and I let him use the apple slicer to slice them and I supervised as he diced them. I let him throw them in the pot and add cinnamon and mash them after they cooked down. He did an awesome job and loved helping make it and eat it! We also used apples to make apple decorations and apple dippers. We dipped our apple dippers in salted caramel sauce, chocolate coconut sauce, and nutella. Then per Elisha's request covered them in sprinkles.

We wrapped up our unit on apples today by reading "How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World" (such a cute book!) and baking another apple pie!

The weather is cloudy, windy and cool today- perfect weather to curl up with some hot cocoa, a blanket and a book-- and that's what I'm going to do! :)