Autumn Begins

We had a great afternoon at the Louisburg Cider Festival. The pumpkins look bright and perfect this year and the sky topped the mild fall day with swirling clouds and even threats of a storm as we were walking to our car at the end of the day. The cider donuts are warm and sugary and make this place my very favorite one to start the fall revelry.

Missin the Mister

Derek has been in San Francisco the last half of this week and I am single mommin it again. We are good at this, but we miss him. We wake up with the sun and boy are we morning people using exclamation points for every sentence about what to eat for breakfast and maybe even getting out the play doh while biscuits are rising in the oven. Oh, and we have a fuzzy little brown bat that sometimes sleeps in our dinning room window by day, and on this morning he was not there and Jack takes flight waving his arms to alert me to this knowledge. I wish he were there, because he is kind of my pet since loosing Jude. He is even kind of cute - for a brown fuzzy bat.

We run for the closets and pick out our clothes for the day (Jack has opinions and must pick out his clothes). Derek, I will let you guess what he chose. If you said, "Cookie Monster" then you are correct! Yes, he picks that every time....every...single...time....

Greta has ballet and tap this morning and I love this morning because she loves to wear her tights and leotard. I think she is a natural. She is taking to dance so far and even stays to talk with Miss Darcy, her teacher, after class. We watched her dance on a monitor in the lobby, and she looks so cute, I could cry. Jack chases a fly for the whole hour while we wait for Greta. All the other mom's thought Jack was hysterical - I said, wait until he gets that fly. He tried open handed swatting, stomping, running/ stomping and Jack's signature "Scream you to your death". Glad dance class is only an hour.

We rode to see Papa and Gee. The weather is gorgeous and the sunflowers on the side of the road are to die for matched with the blue sky and the greens in the trees and the fields. If only I could paint, I would show you how lovely. The ride home was just as gorgeous but always has a patch of gray clouds that remind me of Halloween coming soon. They also go with my thoughts about Papa and his health. But, Jack and Greta gave him the sweetest kisses and hugs. He needed them and I know he loved them. I loved them. You get them next.

We came home and relaxed in the cool house until dinner time. I made fettucini with red sauce and they ate it up especially after I grated fresh parmesan cheese in it. They called it Rapunzel hair - well, Greta did, and Jack agreed. They liked it so much that I spent most of dinner time grating cheese so they would eat. Then we settled in for the night with kettle corn and cherry juice and "Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue". I am sure that if there were really such a thing as Pixie Dust, we would never see these kids again.

Bed time...I am tired. We brushed teeth and Jack wore his new Thomas the Train Tshirt and a diaper to bed. Greta got her princesses out of lock up (She was grounded from them for a week for very naughty 'tude). I rocked and nursed Jack to sleep and slipped his Thomas the Train engine out from where he had stuck it between his legs, and laid him down. Greta was already fast asleep with all of her princesses and fairies in her bed with her...and I am sipping champagne that you hid behind the A1 sauce. Such a nice surprise, but I can't wait until you are home again! Love.

Mud Pies

Our favorite park sits next to wide open soccer fields that are gorgeous in the morning with the dew on the grass - they dare you to run barefoot through them. We let the kids...And they grass stain their shoes and run like the wind. This particular evening, we met good friends for a picnic on blankets by the fields and playground. It was nice to catch up and share food and watch the new babies roll over and show new tricks and look so cute and sweet in the sunshine. And we watch our kids run through the playground and check in with us to see if we are watching them. The soccer fields beckon them. They run for it. And then one by one they fall into the only mud puddle this side of the state line!

So, we sent the men for beer, and let the kids have a ball...in the mud...in the field in the park. They may not remember it, but they sure did have fun. By the end, when the sun was setting, we were filling up the trash cans with muddy baby wipes and wrapping naked children up in picnic blankets. Best picnic - ever.

Pretty Little Boy

I just read a blog that a friend of mine follows. She had posted about a mom yanking a pink bracelet off of her 2 1/2 year old son's wrist and throwing it on the ground telling him that, "Boy's don't wear bracelets." It struck me funny for a few reasons. One is that boys actually do wear bracelets, and the other is that this little boy is smarter than his mommy. Poor kiddo.

I came home from running errands last Saturday to find my baby Jack wearing a red polka dot dress with ABC, 123 appliques and white PeterPan collar. Greta was close by his side in her Snow White gown. She said he wanted to be Snow White, too. Rock on, little man. And, he looked really pretty. He also has really great legs in princess heels. I don't feel like it has anything to do with gender at this point, but rather imagination and recognition. Props to my dear husband who enjoys watching our kids be themselves...without any interference. We locked eyes when I saw Jack and we both chucked and smiled...But not nearly as big as Jack!

Balloons

The kids thought the balloons were pretty great. We drove up just as the sky was filling with them, one by one, and our car was full of screams and squeals and gasps. So we went in for a closer look. Derek pushed the stroller through freshly mowed fields and I lugged a big blanket and jackets. We found a good spot to make our own and waited until dark for the balloon glow. It was a sight to see! The balloons are so pretty lit up in the night. It is exciting to hear the fire burning hot. But, the kids were so tired being kept up past their bedtimes, and they were fading. We made it back to the car, and my favorite part of the whole night was seeing the balloons glow from the our highway view where it was just us in the car and quiet...The noise of the crowd far away... Besides little Greta and Jack chittering back and forth to each other from their carseats.

9/11

This day always will bring emotions that bind us together in a horrible way, and a remarkable way. I remember.

We woke up this morning and it was gray and still kind of dark outside from rain and storms last night. Derek found a program on the History Channel about the architect that built the Towers and also about the terrible events of 9/11. Terrible. It comes back to bring tears even all these years later. I see it and I still can't even believe it.

Greta and Jack were playing with books. Greta came to the couch and looked at me and asked what we were watching....

I have no words for her. There is no way to talk about this to a child.

Let's go outside and play. The sun came out.

God bless America and our heros and our children and our fallen. God bless them, please.

First Day...A Piece of Cake Love

Greta went to school! She was so proud and so excited. She picked out her dress, wanted to wear braids and she hid Rapunzel in her lady bug back pack just incase she was lonely. This big day that seemed so far away for so long was today and I can hardly believe she has grown up so fast.

Greta was the star student today! That meant that she was the line leader, got to hold the flag, got to bring the snack for the day and also an item for show and tell. Snacks are our specialty, let me tell you. We took in nice napkins, cold milk and animal crackers in these cute little boxes. Greta chose Tinkerbell for show and tell. It made me smile so much...The Tinkerbell she chose to take in was one that my mom, Gee, found at her flea market, I am sure. It is a Barbie Tinkerbell that as strangely stiff hair that was more than likely sprayed with Aqua Net by it's previous owner. Greta loves her. She said, "I want to take the Tinkerbell and tell them all that Gee gave her to me!" It was the sweetest thing ever...My heart almost burst.

We stopped in the garden for some pictures and then into the class room. I fought back tears and Greta was so excited and brave. I watched her walk into the classroom and turn and wave to us. I watched her walk toward the children playing and that was that. Except, at this point Jack was beside himself. He became a malfunctioning snot machine that was totally crushed he couldn't play, too. I didn't expect this! My little man was torn up leaving his sister (he calls her E-gee). So we took him to pick out a treat - a dinosaur puzzle! Greta got a new princess to welcome her back, and we all got sprinkle donuts. Derek was with us and it meant so much. After coffee and donuts, he had to fly to Washington D.C. to shoot a documentary about Warren Brown, founder of Cake Love. It is such an exciting time. He said he would try to make it back with a cupcake for me. I said, at least try to get a recipe!

These are such exciting times. I am so proud of my new student. She begins ballet and tap tomorrow. And, Derek has recently been promoted at VML to ACD (Associate Creative Director). Also, proud. There is so much to celebrate here...and cupcakes would be a perfect start!