Saving the daylight...

Facebook has been abuzz with invectives on the evils of daylight savings time.  The unfairness of it all, the havoc it wreaks upon the sleep schedules of the young and unsuspecting.

Usually, I am inclined to agree.  I don't even get to enjoy that extra hour of light in the morning.  It will still be dark at 5am tomorrow.

But today, just for today, I am a DST fan.  I am so grateful that we got an extra hour of today.

It was not a newsworthy day, not at all.  Just an ordinary Sunday.  We stayed close to home, we did mundane tasks, and there were no earthshattering changes to our lives.

There was, however, magnificent fall sunshine to be had in abundance.  Fifty-degree temperatures with a slight crisp breeze.  And that fall foliage that I thought couldn't get any better?  It did.  The leaves were breathtaking, laying themselves brazenly against the autumn-thinned blue of the sky.

New England's got nothing on Cleveland Heights when it comes to leaves.

Driving home through Lakeview after our perfect jaunt to Wade Oval, the Art Museum, and the sculpture garden and pond, we were hit all over again by just how lucky we are to have all of this right in our backyard.  That we can have a close-to-home day that just happens to include world-class art, a fall foliage tour, and a serene walk around a small, glittering lake.

How amazing that our children get to grow up taking this for granted.

Other highlights of this weekend include:  resale shopping with Jack and lunch with Gram, a fun birthday party at the Little Gym, the Cleveland Heights rec center chili cook-off (and an unexpected chance to visit with some friends), a great Skype session with Grandpa and Vovo (the kids are finally getting the hang of talking on the video-phone, I think) as well as deep-cleaning the playroom, making a lot of meatloaf, and doing yoga as a family after dinner.

Not to mention the fact that both kids are in bed at 8:00 tonight.

I'll take an extra hour, anytime.

All Hallows Eve

A damp and dreary Halloween night, brightened by wonderful friends.  And tea and cookies.  And candy.  And  a trio  of little boys running with delight through puddles and wind and the glow of jack o'lanterns on the porches.

It was quieter than usual on Somerton, with only the most stalwart trick-or-treaters braving the windy drizzle, and many houses dark. We only made it to Middlehurst-- but that was far enough to enjoy the Best Halloween House Ever and for all the kids to get a pretty nice haul of candy.  It didn't hurt that the Somerton crowd, prepared with candy for hundreds of kids, were giving liberal handfuls to the few who came to their doors.

I walked with Ivy and the dog and there was a lot of juggling and balancing as I held Ivy's skirt for her up the stairs, maneuvered the dog through the clusters of children, and tried (unsuccessfully) to keep us dry.  It was totally worth it to watch my little princess charm everyone she met.  We also got to spend time with Jeffrey, the most adorable superman you've ever seen, and occasionally Sam the power ranger.

I didn't see Jack, Greg, or Max (ninja, ninja, and Spiderman, respectively) until we were almost home.  Its a brave new world of Trick-or-treating, with these big boys, suddenly so confident and independent and capable.  Toy swords flashing,  running ahead of us, eager to check out their candy and make trades, eyes alight with the thrill and freedom and anticipation of it all.

How am I the mom of one of the big boys?  So soon?  Just yesterday I was holding the hand of a little Max-in-his-wolf-suit, shepherding him up and down all those porch steps.

Life, measured in Halloween nights.

These once-a-year events, in their brilliant focus, they contrast so sharply with the blur of daily life... Tonight, I see the speed of it all even as I slow my pace to savor this singular moment.  This is a night Jack may remember for the rest of his life.  We remember our Halloweens.

Even wind-whipped and dreary, this night is magic.

Snow and Pumpkins

Snow Day on Wednesday...

 

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.. and back to fall on Friday, with our annual pumpkin carving festivities, in which the adults worked studiously on their designs while the children drifted in to the living room to watch videos.

Tonight we braved the 40 degree temperatures to trick or treat in the Gardens, enjoying our visit to the Boo-tanical Bash thoroughly.  The kids were very into crafts this year, making pumpkin pinecones and paper bats, and dancing to a fiddle band in between.  The children's garden was impeccably decorated as always and we had a grand time looking at all the tiny ones dressed to the nines in careful costumes. 

These two were among the best, most certainly.