Frogs and Turtles and Cats

Fall is here.

 It's like someone flipped a switch on Saturday and mother nature turned on the autumn.  Leaves are changing out on the east side, bursts of red flecking the woods lining SOM Center road.  There is a chill in the air even when the sun is shining-- which it finally was, today.  Following on the heels of a grey and damp weekend, this evening was glorious and called us out for a walk.

We wandered into the light of our neighborhood,  and before long ran into some neighbors.  We were invited to join an impromptu playdate at Alissa and Suz's house, where the kids played on swings and climbed and met some new friends, and found this frog under a rock by their pond...

photo credit to Jack!  He wouldn't touch it, though.  Ivy-- she couldn't keep her hands off! :)

Then we booked it to Turtle Park to meet the Weatherlow-Rands for a chilly picnic in the magic of this little playground.  The children reveled in the plastic cars and boats and mowers, and Jack and Ivy teamed up to create quite an extensive castle.

Me, I got to talk to grown ups for a few minutes and soak in the fall air. We headed home sandy and tired, a stroller full of two barefooted children munching on granola bars and talking about the day.

A lovely evening indeed.

(Lest you think the grey and damp weekend was a bust, here is a photo from our quick trip to Woofstock on Sunday...We had a grand time wandering amongst the wonderful collection of dogs, and exploring the grounds of the Holden Arboretum.  It's so lovely out in Kirtland...  Ivy was most thrilled with the chance to get her face painted.  She also got a sparkly butterfly on her hand.  You should have seen her sitting oh-so-still while the young ladies decorated her...

She loved being a cat for the day....  and what fun to take her to the grocery store later where every grandma in sight exclaimed over her... and she obliged them all with a meow... like this: