A great weekend to be in CLE...

Fall has definitely arrived here in Cleveland and between the sunshine this weekend and the rainbow of foliage lit from within, the city is glowing.  We've just tucked in two exhausted children, run ragged by a steady stream of fun and too many trick-or-treating events.  And still 6 days til Halloween...


Wednesday:  Math and Science Night at St. Paul's.  The cutest thing ever, preschool rooms full of Halloween themed games, crafts, and sensory activities.  So much creativity, so many families, so many beautiful little preschoolers milling about, in their element.   A fun night, but bittersweet as it is our last one.  Hard to imagine that we will not have a child at St. Paul's next year.  I will miss these rooms, these teachers, the warmth and joy they have brought to our family.  I loved watching Ivy, confident and comfortable, mixing with her friends and heading off on her own.  She is being nurtured so well in this place.  As for Jack-- I think he could feel his age this time, suddenly discovering that the preschool activities are aimed at, well, preschoolers, stating that he thought there were more fun things last year....

He still managed to enjoy himself quite a bit, never fear.

Pumpkin bowling!

Always a favorite-- face painting with wet colored pencils.  Ivy was heartbroken to have this face washed off at bedtime. 

Friday-- a glorious fall evening and a perfect night for a homecoming parade.  Jack and Ivy marched for Boulevard (or rather, rode in the back of a pickup truck).

This robot marched too.  The kids are in aprons and goggles to represent our STEM school!  Boulevard scientists!

This parade is the cutest.  Seriously. 

 Then, because our family doesn't actually care about football, it turns out, we gave away our "parade participant" wristbands and headed to the Cedar-Lee candy crawl instead of the game.

It was a hoot.  We ran into just about every person we know. Seriously, at least 6 families and several of Jack's classmates.

The businesses that participated were staffed by delightfully friendly people.  There were lots of dogs.  The trees and sky glowed with dusk color.  The sidewalks were packed with happy families and costumed little ones.

A definite "love where I live" moment, that's for sure...

We followed it up this morning with yet another Halloween event, this time at our local grocery store, Zagara's.  I do love Zagara's.  Today, it was chock full of costumes and sample tables and pumpkin decorating and the friendly workers we've come to know over the years.  Our little corner of the Heights has such a cozy sense of community.  Its easy to take it for granted -- and so good to be reminded of it today...

After starting my day with a perfectly lovely 5 mile run in the Garfield Metroparks, and then a dress rehearsal of some terrifically fun music for my WSC concert tomorrow, I came home to discover that the day had only gotten more beautiful, so we has no choice but to go out to play.  We  reveled in another of our city's gems-- the Lagoon at Wade Oval.   How lucky we are to have this in our backyard...

Leaf fights!  

This boy was tremendously excited to have a leaf fight.  Tremendously. Excited. 

This girl didn't mind much either.

Ivy wanted to go for a walk around the lake to go see "the strange stone picture".  She loves this statue very much.

What is there to do on a 70 degree day six days before Halloween, except go for ice cream?

It was a glorious afternoon. Could have stayed forever at those picnic tables, my bare toes in the grass, my children happy and sticky-faced , the sun warm on my back.

But of course, we had to head home to get ready for a Halloween Event.  

Yes.  A third one.  

Yes, we're a little crazy.

Stay tuned for pictures from the Boo-tanical Bash..

In the mean time, a couple of other moments from this week...

Jack was most proud to invent the "homework playdate", allowing him to have a friend over on a school day.   The boys did a great job buckling down and getting work done right away, before proceeding to play video games for an hour.   Jack is so funny.  He has decided that he should have his friends over in a pattern, first Brooks, then Finn, then a sleepover at Max's.  It is so fun to see him developing his own friendships. 

And-- picture day for Ivy.  She decided to wear her fanciest dress.  Of course.  I can't wait to see her class picture- Ivy in her red holiday dress surrounded by 6 little boys in jeans and tees.  She's something special, alright.