Family Camping 2025
October 2025
October 2025
River is learning to tie his shoes.
River making a thank you card
Art made in preschool
Preschool homework
Halloween decorations
Sriracha on eggs
Kids' first pumpkin carving!
River says pumpkin carving smells good, but is too slimy.
Halloween games.
River found my panty hose.
Halloween parade at preschool.
River and Bud built a Lego Transformer
River, punching and kicking around the room: “See, I have interesting ways of defeating bad guys…
I’m not afraid of anything. The only thing I’m afraid of is the Bad Donkey and the Bad Cow Woman!”
River has been talking about these two creatures since we lived in Westport. I think Bad Donkey was inspired by the Wonky Donkey book and Bad Cow Woman is a big anthropomorphic cow River dreamed up. He is also afraid of Bad Lady, who is actually quite frightening as River describes her. She “looks like she shaves a lot. She has burned skin, and she would always disappear through the walls in Westport.”
River, as a superhero, knows that sometimes danger lurks closer than you think. River to Eleanor: “No, Eleanor! Don’t give Jack soft toys! He could get fuzz in his mouth. Do you want him to be destroyed?!”
Speaking of scary stories, I don’t know if I ever shared this story from when River was little. When River was maybe 2.5 years old, he came out of our bedroom, upset. He said, “I’worried about my Mommy and Daddy.”
We replied that there was no need to be worried; Bud and I were just fine.
He said, “Not you, my other Mommy and Daddy… from before…”
I shut the conversation down right there. Something things are better left alone!
River and Eleanor discuss the importance of learning, and Explain Preschool Chores
River is 5!
River is 5! He is kind, funny, and inquisitive. He loves to build legos, run outside, draw, and learn about the human body, space, and nature. He loves his siblings and is very patient with Jack. He will quickly defend Jack if Eleanor becomes frustrated with him. His favorite music to listen to is Buddy Holly. His favorite books to read are the A to Z Mysteries and Magic Treehouse series. When asked, River says his favorite things to do are “eat chocolate cake on my birthday, watch A New Hope in the car, listen to audiobooks.” When asked how being five is different from being four, he said that he can do more things by himself, like “cut some things by myself, do science by myself, and help Elsie by myself.”
