Sun in the Cemetary, Ghosts in the Garden...

It was a glorious fall day. A day with wings. This morning there was frost on the ground as the children and I walked the dog, and Jack's pumpkin around the block, with the wagon. We had to warm our pink noses and chilly fingers with some hot cocoa and donuts when we got home... We spent the afternoon outdoors, in 50 degree fall sun, crisp air and crisp leaves and some very happy children and dogs romping at Lakeview. Several tombstones were decorated with pumpkins. We brought an offering of children's laughter. Then, it was off to the Garden for our first time to the annual Boo Bash. Swarms of littles in costumes and a perfectly spooky children's garden awaited. Fog machines, dangling ghosts, some amazing bubbles lit by a black light... our trek through the darkened gardens was magical. Our cameras simply could not do it justice. Inside, there were some nice stations with crafts (Jack's favorite-- the ghost on a popsicle stick which he could "pop up" to scare us) and a feast of cider and donuts. Sadly a great deal of our time was spent waiting in line for a balloon from the balloon clown... some 30 children in front of us... we gave up after about 15 to head outside and next year-- we're hitting the children's garden first. Still, it was a great night, and Jack's rocket costume drew accolades everywhere we went. Our little alien, sadly, had to play second fiddle, but she contented herself with holding a green pumpkin kaleidoscope, stealing donuts from us, and taking in the scene with rapt fascination.

In the name of progress

We've done it. We've gotten iPhones.

In the name of using technology to streamline our lives and make us more productive, organized beings, we've upgraded to a data plan and, since Sunday, have spent nearly every one of our limited free moments playing with our new toys.

Yep. Feeling more efficient already.

In addition to getting to talk to Siri, our newly beloved digital assistant, and connecting to the web to browse Facebook status updates from a wide variety of locations, we've also been using our phones to take a  lot of pictures.

I am sure we'll emerge from this techno-coma soon but for now, here are some of those pictures to tide you over.
(click on the little speech bubble on the lower left if you want to see some captions...)

Reflection

Long time no write....

Sorry about that.

Life is busy, you see.  And we've not been taking as many pictures as we  probably ought to.  It's been rainy.
And just normal life, and somehow, that's not really photo-worthy, I guess.

But life is good, even this rainy workaday blur of it.

Two little blonde people live in our house and there's never a dull moment.  Ivy runs on her tiptoes and dances at the slightest provocation.  She's obsessed with babies and sleeps with a collection of 2 or 3 each night. She's talking more and more:  tonight she asked for "getti" (spaghetti) and mill (milk) and she loves when it's rayeen out and wearing her coe with the hoo- up.   (did you get that one?)  She's a riot.  She's got an opinion about everything.  She's given up all meat except for hot dogs and pepperoni.  She can navigate the entire playground at the preschool.  She looks like a little princess and approaches the world like it's a roller derby.  I love her.

And Jack?  We were off to Math and Science Night at St. Paul's tonight, and as we talked about it last night he said to me, "I love Math and Science!  We get to discover!"  I love him, too.   Tall boy, fidgety one, arms and legs and knees everywhere and his vocabulary growing every moment.  He loves yoga and counts everything and he can write his name pretty nicely these days.

We're starting to talk about kindergarten and will be going to an open house next month. It's rather unreal, the way these years have gone by.  How we have this boy now, where there used to a baby. And now this girl, too.

We don't have any babies in our house anymore.

Strange feeling.

Tonight as we left the preschool, I walked Jack and Ivy across the street, one little hand in each of mine,  two little people matching pace with me over the wet pavement.  Two little hands in mine.  Two little people walking with me.  Our joined figures reflecting in street-light puddles as we skipped up over the curb.

Strange feeling, this.

But good.

Apple Day, take two

wheeee!


Yesterday Jack had his first field trip. The Pre-K crew headed out to the apple farm.  Yep, two trips to the apple farm in one week.  Lucky kid.

Nat was planning to cut the cord and load Jack's carseat into the car of another parent, sending him off into the wild world on his own for the afternoon.  But apparently Jack awoke yesterday certain he did NOT want to go on the field trip at all.  The boy and his slow approach to change....

So Nat and Ivy went along.

Apparently, Jack turned to his daddy at one point and said, "Dad, I was wrong.  I DO like it here!" I can't tell you much more about the trip (I am trying to get Nat to do a guest entry, really I am!) but from the looks of the photos, a good time was had by all.


Jack works the ladies.  Romeo in a pith helmet.



Into the wild...



Aren't they all so BIG???

Wonderful Weekends, the fall edition

Second Sunday Soup is off to a warm and wonderful start.  12 adults and 8 littles under the age of 4 were served this evening, al fresco, with candles and decorative gourds and lots of bug spray to combat the hordes of rabid mosquitoes that infest our yard.  But no matter.  The candles glowed and the soup was perfect and a grand crowd of little girls dashed about in little skirts and our boy led them all in a dance party under the pergola-- no music needed, just the enthusiasm of toddlers and preschoolers as they stomped and spun and crashed and twirled under the rainbow windsock.

Looking forward to a season of warmth and friendship.

Even if we have to move it indoors in November.



Today also brought me two wonderful outings into the wonderful day, just me and my wonderful children-- playing at the Science center and then a walk around the pond at Wade Oval.   The sun was warm-- bordering on hot-- and my children were enthusiastic, about the ball pit and the water works and feeding the fish and throwing stones.  It was perfect-- and tonight, I am very tired. :)

From October 2011

Apple Day

Couldn't have ordered ourselves a better day.  Well, maybe just a tad bit cooler as really, one ought to wear a sweater on Apple Day.  But you won't hear me complaining about the short sleeves.

It's become an annual tradition, our trip out to Edy's Fruit Farm with Melinda and Will, picking apples and picnicking by the trees before choosing a pumpkin and posing our ever-increasing brood of children amongst the pumpkins.



Today was as delicious as always.  This year, four littles happily munched apples and pears as we meandered through the orchard, taking full advantage of their wonderful, sample-at-your-will policy.  This year our picnic spot was a bit high-traffic (turns out, we're not the only ones who thought today was the day...) but we reveled in it, sipping our coffee (from real mugs, thank you) with pride as we lounged on blankets in the sun.

The leaves are nearing their peak.  The shadows are longer.  There are two large bags of apples in my kitchen. Never mind the 80 degree days.  Fall is here.

Tomorrow, we'll welcome it with soup and bread and cider and friends as Second Sunday Soup returns.  I am looking forward to it.  I am vowing right now to try to slow down this fall, and truly savor the moments of this most fleeting of seasons, in ways that matter.

Starting with posting pictures for you, because what matters more than that??

I heart Turtle Park

Fall got over itself today.  Damp cold drifted away to be replaced by crisp October sun.  I felt the day tugging on me to go out, go out, go out for 10 hours at work so as soon as I got home I was working on getting the kids out the door.

It was a Turtle Park evening, for sure. 

We loaded up and headed off and eventually, after talking Jack out of investigating each. and. every. rock he could find to see if they were "breakable", we made the 20 minute walk and ensconced ourselves at the park.  

I know I've taken you all to Turtle Park before.  Its the one with the big, green turtle in the middle. And the lovely fence alllll the way around and the sweet little climber that's just right for the 18 month to 5 year old set.  And all the shovels and pails and random, defunct toys and cars lying all over for the playing.  And swings!  

It's pretty much perfect. 

And so was our time there, tonight.  I consciously did not bring the camera with me because I wanted to be fully present with my children and the sunshine, and sometimes being busy documenting moments-- takes away from the living of them.  But wouldn't you know, being fully present seems to make me more aware of just how "picture-perfect" the moments really are.  Sigh.

I'm just going to have to remember it.

It's been a while since we've made the trek, seeing as Jack-man can handle Cumberland and Coventry park playgrounds now, and we can get to those in 3 or 6 minutes respectively.  It was  remarkable to see how the kids have grown in that time, against the background of this little park that always stays the same.

Jack climbed up onto the turtle today.  His first time doing it completely by himself.  And he did it so casually, no help from me at all; I wasn't even watching and only noticed when I turned from pushing Ivy on the swing, to see him sitting proudly up on the turtle's head.  So very, very proud, his little Jack-smile shining at me across the whole playground.  There he was just like that and it took my breath away. Not because he was so high up; I had no fear for his safety because there's that wonderful thing about Jack, that he rarely does things he can't already do... 

No, I caught my breath at the pace of time, at the way the last 4 years have flashed by.  I caught my breath seeing the baby not-yet-walking, not sure of the sand, cautiously exploring a few square feet of ground; seeing the toddler mastering the steps and the slide; seeing the three year old pretending and digging and singing  his way around the place.  And now this young man, so tall and put together and up on top of the most challenging climber in the place, like it was nothing.   Somehow, that was everything, 4 years rolled into one moment, time wrapped up with a bow on top of a giant, fiberglass turtle.  

He played happily with a 6-ish year old girl for the better part of an hour, while I followed Miss Into-Everything-Ive around.  That one?  She can climb up and down all the steps of the climber using only the handrails. She can zip down the slide all on her own. She can push herself around on the little ride-on toys and fill a sand bucket with ease.  

This little girl seems bent on picking up the pace even more.  She's already got her eye on the turtle, and I know it won't be long.   

By then her brother will have aged out of this park-- the posted signs tell me it's for 5 and under only, please.  And it boggles my mind that the time is coming so soon, when I won't list this tiny plot of land as a destination on a fall evening any more.  When I won't stand around watching other people's children clamber about with my own, chatting with the moms and asking how old their babies are.   That time- it is hurtling toward me with unstoppable force.  

And so tonight, in the fall sunshine, sitting at a picnic table with a catalog in my hand, watching my children explore and play and grow before my eyes, I froze time for just a moment.  I savored it all, broken toys and scrambling children, diverse families scattered about and my babies in the midst of it.  And I didn't take any pictures.

I'll just have to remember. 

October rain

The arrival of fall has brought rain, more rain, damp chilly days, clouds.... and early bedtimes for this momma who apparently depends on a little sunshine to get her through the day.  All has not been a complete "wash" however.  We've had some lovely times in the midst of the rain.

Thursday last week, thanks to the glory that is having-Jewish-holidays-off-school, I enjoyed the gift that is a mid-week free day.  Nat's in crunch-time mode with the dissertation these days, so I took over the kids and left him to write.  We three had a wonderful adventure.  We took the train.



We hustled out the door by 8:15 to make the 9:00 departure for Peninsula on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic railroad, and had a great 40 minutes ride to the bike shop, where we got a new tire for Jack's bike.  Most expensive, out-of-the-way tire replacement ever, I tell ya--- and totally worth it.  Both kids loved the train.  Jack remembered his last trip, amazingly as he was only 2 1/2 at the time.  It was Ivy's first time and she thought it was grand to be able to clamber about as we moved along.  They were remarkably well-behaved children, actually, throughout the whole adventure, which also included a walking trek through downtown Peninsula, in the drizzle-mist, where Jack only moaned about being tired about 4 times.  Not bad.  After a lovely ride home during which time Jack got to hold beaver and coyote pelts, we topped off the morning with lunch out at Yours Truly.  I think this may have been my first time taking the two into a sit-down restaurant by myself, and it went so nicely it may be opening up a whole new, expensive but delightfully easy, world for us.  A tired momma brought home two napping children at 2:30.

We spent the evening enjoying pizza and good company with friends Erik and Sarah, to welcome their new baby boy Jonah.  The baby boom continues.  We enjoy Erik and Sarah (and their wonderful daughter Claire) for many reasons, but one of the prime reasons continues to be just how real they are.  They share our attitudes about parenting so well-- the admission that having children is NOT and easy thing, the assertion that yes, we do in fact remember our lives before children... An evening of the easy camaraderie born of a shared journey was complimented by the fact that the three non-newborns played together perfectly the whole time.   Ivy girl is suddenly one of the kids.  And while there is something wonderful about the soft pliant weight of a newborn in arms, and a part of me certainly enjoyed soothing little Jonah to sleep with that bounce-sway gait that is second nature to me, it was reassuring to notice that, really, I am happy enough to not have a tiny one in our house any more.  I like having kids instead.

Sunday was Greg's birthday party, a much-anticipated event around here.  Jack was most excited about his buddy turning 4.  He was also excited about cupcakes.  It was a really nice party, chock full of babies, 12 littles age 5 and under in attendance.  Another wonderful reminder, all those little people laughing and clambering and making messes, of just how blessed we all are.


The "big kids" pretending to be dinosaurs as they ate their pizza...








Life is good.  Even in the rain.