Painting Pottery

With Grammy's help today, the kids and I went to Ceramic Cafe in Leawood. I wanted to capture the kids' handprints while they were still tiny enough to make a Christmas tree on a plate! Lorelei painted her own project, a miniature tea set (appropriate--we have several cuppas a day).

 Gryffy branches out into ceramic arts.

 These are our finished projects, before firing. They'll be much brighter and deeper in color (i.e. the pink rim you see will be deep red).

 I can't wait to see the results! I'll post a before/after in days.

Dumbledore

Lorelei met a school kindergarten bunny who needed a weekend home. He so captured her heart that we had to volunteer! And his name was Dumbledore... clearly, it's fate!

 Here's Lorelei, the day she introduced Dumbledore to Mommy. She is so gentle and good with him--it's her nurturing spirit!

 Next thing I know, he's at our house, hiding under Lorelei's bed!

 We spent a lot of family time on Lorelei's grassy green floor chasing after the little guy. He's fully potty trained, so he just hopped around and had the run of the place all weekend!

 Dumbledore's biggest chore? Chasing him back to his cage.

 Daddy tried. Mommy tried. Lorelei tried, but that wascally wabbit hopped all over us!

 And so we sent in... the toddler!

 Suddenly, the cage doesn't look so bad...

 Cute, fluffy little Dumbledore. See you next weekend, bunny!

Ladies Weekend!

It was a weekend with the Luksa ladies! We began with a brunch at our house, then took off to Holiday Mart, and finished the day with a housewarming for Daphne. Then Shelby and Maura spent the night.

 Cousins: Shelby, Wendy, Daphne, Lindsy

(none of us have sisters!)

 With Grammy, who turns 80 next month!

Brunch at our house: French toast casserole with berry syrup, ham and asparagus strata, Shelby's pound-of-butter scones, mimosas and Bloody Marys. We know how to start a day!

The Holiday Mart is crowded--beer took the edge off!

Me & Lindsy at Daphne & Nick's housewarming. I got us all lost driving there (I had Daphne's old address), but we eventually found our way!

I was tired after hours of chasing after kids, but Shelby wasn't ready to go. We struck a bargain--she watched the kids while I raised my feet and sipped pinot grigio for the remainder of the evening. Looks like she's having fun!

Fall Fun

This busy season, we decided to forego the bigger pumpkin patch and hitch a hayride to Pumpkin Hollow at Deanna Rose, just a stone's throw from our neighborhood. Good fun!

There Gryffy goes!

 Gryffy's picking out his pumpkin--he checks out several before making a final selection.

 Playing in the corn kernels.

Picky picky...

 Aw, shucks.

 I was going to write something really corny here...

 Lorelei fishing with magnets.

 And tossing some rope. Score!

 That girl's got muscle!

My little pumpkin.

 Lorelei claims hers... and after setting it in a pile, someone snatches it! So Lorelei picks a new one (and she's still smiling--she's a girl with a good attitude--love that about her!)

 Not smiling... pumpkin's getting heavy.

Mommy pulling the wagon on our way to the car.

And some more fall fun at Deanna Rose (another gorgeous day)...

 Childhood bliss.

 On the Deanna Rose playground.

 Gryffin making friends.

 The kids love feeding the goats.

And a Totley Crew Halloween Party planned by Sonia Childs at the library. This is becoming a tradition!

 These girls have practically known each other from birth... Abby, Hannah, Lorelei, Savannah.

 The pirate sniffed out chocolate!

Here the kids are playing in a very small pile of leaves in our front yard... just a taste of what's to come!

 And Lorelei enjoys a Halloween carnival at her Awana's Club...

And a day at T-Rex Cafe, where the kids got to design their own Woolly Mammoth and Pteranadon. They recorded loving messages for each other to play by pressing their stuffed animal's paw. Lorelei sang "Twinkle Little Star" to Gryffy's; Gryffy said, "Love you, Lorelei. ROAR!"

 Notice all the fluff on the floor? Someone (name starts with a "G") tapped the pedal a wee bit early. Stuffing flew everywhere!

 Lorelei loves her "Holy Mammoth!"

 Gryffy's pteranadon (like on the tv show Dinosaur Train).

And finally, a gorgeous image that barely showed up on camera but inspired me to pull the car over on my way to Women at the Well--a rainbow cloud. It was so vibrant and brilliant as I was driving toward it, but faded by the time I'd fished out the camera in a nearby church parking lot.  You'll barely see it on the right, just over the trees, but I swear it was like God took a paintbrush to the sky!

Happy Autumn!