Fall Fest

Our church hosted a fall carnival this year, so we stopped out for a little while. 

The completed costumes:

Caleb’s favorite part of the evening:

Sophia’s favorite part of the evening:

Halloween Costumes, Part 2

Caleb had to come up with special seating arrangements the other night when he wanted to watch one of his favorite shows while wearing his costume:

Here’s what he thought Sophia’s costume should be:

I decided against having the flip side of the stop sign say “slow.” I’m not sure how Sophia would feel about that when she saw pictures in a few years. 

Leaves

Halloween Costumes

Caleb started working on his Halloween costume today.  We’ve had some busy days lately, so it was good to stay home this afternoon and do something fun together.  I’m not sure the costume will last until Halloween, especially since he’s still wearing it, but whether or not it lasts, it was worth the fun we had together this afternoon.  Any guesses what he wanted to be for Halloween? 

Luke’s Favorite Family Picture

For once, both kids are looking at the camera and a leaf falls in front of the camera just as the picture is snapped.

Hiking with Young Kids: Survival Guide

There are certain things that must be done when hiking with young kids. 

#1: Find the perfect walking stick

#2: Measure height against trees

#3: Use a backpack carrier for snugglers. 

#4: Play backpack games (The tickling shark game started on our hikes in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains.)

#5: Let naps happen. 

#6: Go at a slower pace.  Build rock towers. Pretend the huge boulder is a dump truck.  Battle the huge root system of a fallen tree with only a walking stick.  Take interest in what the kids find interesting, not just what you find interesting.

#7: Give shoulder rides.

#8: Bribe with food when necessary.

Animals on the North Shore

Here’s another post for Caleb’s and Sophia’s friends!

North Shore: Split Rock and Gooseberry Falls

I think the thing I loved the most about the North Shore was its peaceful, quiet atmosphere.  I felt like we saw and did a lot without feeling a lot of stress along the way. 

Below is the view of the Split Rock lighthouse from a little island we hopped across a few boulders to get to.  Peaceful.  Did I mention we had great weather while we were up there?

We also stopped by Gooseberry Falls the same day that we stopped at Split Rock State Park.  Gooseberry Falls was the exception to the peaceful atmosphere we enjoyed the rest of the week.  I don’t know if it was because we visited on a Friday or because Gooseberry Falls is the southernmost park on the North Shore, but it was teeming with people.  If we ever go back, I think I’d skip this park and enjoy the others farther north. 

Even though Gooseberry was a bit disappointing, there was an ice cream shop in nearby Two Harbors that was worth the stop!

North Shore: Silver Bay

Halfway through our week on the North Shore we moved from a cabin to a hotel farther south on the shore, partly due to booking our cabin the week before leaving.  But it also allowed us to see a different part of the area without driving so far each day. 

The Americinn we stayed at had a kiddie pool and slide, worth hours of entertainment.  It was a fun change from all the hiking and outdoorsy stuff we had been doing the rest of the week. 

The hotel was also nice in that our room had a door going directly outside.  Sophia and I spent the morning picking flowers before everyone else woke up. (And yes, she wears rocket ship and dinosaur PJs.) 

North Shore: Temperance River Gorge

Our hike through Temperance River Gorge took us near quite a few cliffs…enough to give me a few nightmares of Caleb jumping off cliffs and Sophia sliding down waterfalls as if she were going down a slide.  In reality, the kids did wonderfully and loved seeing all the falls.  We thought about hiking further up the trail to Carlton Peak, but opted to wade across the river and take a different trail back. 

On this vacation, I loved being able to take a leisurely hike and still be able to see something.  A lot of the waterfalls or points of interest were accessible for even a three-year-old.  We’d have breakfast, pack lunch, hike, have a picnic lunch at our destination, possibly play in the water, hike back, and possibly even have time for a nap.  I enjoyed the slower pace and the quiet trails as well as playing with my kids instead of trying to get something else done.

North Shore: Tettegouche State Park

Caleb had fun on this bridge, which he turned into an imaginary train. 

Luke and Sophia exploring and looking for a way to cross the river without getting too wet. 

North Shore: Grand Portage State Park

Grand Portage is close enough to the Canadian border that we saw customs from the car as we turned into the park. The trail at this park is pretty short and mostly paved, so this was a quick but beautiful stop. 

North Shore: Judge C.R. Magney State Park

Throwing rocks in the water:

Taking a break:

Enjoying the scenery:

We loved this park, but be warned—the trail has over 200 stairs.  This picture was taken after Caleb climbed all those stairs!