Fall Bucket List Progress Report

We started with a list of 20 items on the Fall Bucket List and we've checked off six so far! So, here's our progress report on what we've got done and what we're planning to do next.

 We got #2 checked off ... Pick apples at an apple orchard. There were tons of pictures here but I shared most of them already in a different post.

#3 was also checked off when we visited Yates Cider Mill earlier this month. I think I shared most of these already but, well, I just love splashing around pictures of these kiddos!!

 We checked off number 12 this past week when we visited the local library! This one was harder than you would think because of *gasp* those dreaded late fees!

After church today (Sunday, October 20) we did another two and got them checked off along with made a heck of a fun afternoon for the Peanut and Cracker Jacks.

 We were making caramel filled apples (number 16 from the list) first. Peanut found it a little difficult to hollow out the apple with a spoon. She tried valiantly for about twenty minutes before asking my help. We only hollowed out four apples because I'd only bought one bag of caramels. 








 Then, they each took a turn stirring the caramel on the stove top. Of course I was standing right there and had moved the handle back towards the back of the stove for the girls who needed to stand on a step stool to safely reach to stir. I was also less than two feet away and still nervous.

I think Peanut stirred for literally just long enough for me to snap the picture, she said it was too HOT. Once those caramels melt you pretty much need to get them off of the heat or they'll burn or boil and splatter ... by then the children were working on the next project so it was safe thank goodness.

We set them in the fridge to cool and set while we did the next project on the list and a couple things that we hadn't really planned on. After dinner they were able to eat one half of an apple apiece for desert while we watched "The Legend of Smurf Hollow." I thought that they were a little too sweet so next time we make them I won't be hollowing out the apples so much. Also the caramel didn't set as well as I'd hoped, next time I'll decrease the water added when you melt the caramel.

** We used Kraft Caramel squares to do this. These do not contain any dye or artificial coloring, though they do contain a few artificial flavors. However, this product also includes SOY. The brand I pictured below does not contain soy but has more ingredients in it and some chemicals to help preserve it. **

Our next item we decided to check off the list was making bird feeders (number 17). We used toilet paper tubes (thank you toilet paper tubes) which we cut in half, punched holes in, then coated with peanut butter and bird seed. We cut these in half because we're attempting to see if Fancy Bird, our parakeet, will enjoy these. If not then we'll simply hang them outside.

 You can't see it very well here but Younger Cracker Jack was really concentrating because her tongue had snuck out of her mouth again. Elder Cracker Jack decided that using a hole punch on a double layer of cardboard on a toilet paper roll really hurts your hands and is difficult to do. 

 I quickly noticed that Peanut was having issues with the sticky peanut butter on her hand and the texture of the seed mix and provided spoons to scoop and sprinkle with. I'm pretty sure that it didn't bother YCJ at all since her hands were pretty much one big ball of peanut butter by the time her bird feeders were done. I'm still not sure if ECJ ended up with more peanut butter in his belly or on his feeders but he sure had fun doing it.

Five of the finished product are sitting to the side to dry for the night. One has already been placed in the bird cage ... I'm not sure if Fancy really knows what to do with it though. We'll give her a couple of days to decide if she likes them.

Number 5 was listed as "Visit a pumpkin patch". After thinking back over the last couple of weeks I realized that we were at three pumpkin patches this month and didn't buy a single pumpkin! So, I guess we're buying them at the grocery store this year again. 

Our swimming lessons are going swimmingly. I'm pretty confident that by the end of this session at least two out of the three kiddos will be able to swim which will check off number 9.

This means that about a quarter of our bucket list for this fall has been checked off. We're waiting on more leaves to fall before we can jump in them and I'm sure that at least another five items will be checked off in the next ten days as they're all pretty much linked to pumpkins and Halloween. The rest I will be tackling next month and hopefully we'll be able to check them all off in time to begin our Winter Bucket List. *GIANT smile* The children challenge me each week to check off at least one item, I don't think we're doing half bad!

How's your list coming along? Tell me in the comments or share with us on Facebook.

Posts coming up this week:
Meet the Campers ... Mamma (Monday)
List It {Tuesday} - 5 Reasons to limit dye  (Tuesday)
My review of School Zone Preschool workbooks  (Wednesday)
Can you use cartoons for science? (Thursday)
Our week in review (Friday)
... and ...
Our outside time (Saturday)

** I had to share a quick peek into some art/science we have already done this week because I'm excited about the possibilities these present. Oh, OK, and about how much fun we had doing them!

"Home-made" pumpkin crayons.

Chalk pastels...