Halloween 2008

Happy Halloween everyone!

It's the End of the World as We Know It...

After a long and lazy summer vacation (yes, I'm aware it's almost November) Margot will be heading back to school, five days a week, starting tomorrow morning. She's done a few 'drop in' days at her new preschool, and has warmed up to her teachers (Miss Stephanie and Miss Heather) and a few new girlfriends. She also adores the school sandbox.

In honor of her last day of this extended vacation, she wore her pajamas until 10:30am and watched four PBS programs this morning. Early to bed, early to rise will start tomorrow - it's going to be quite a shock to her system!

I call this sequence "Autumn Glee"

This is the first autumn I've actually had to rake leaves. When we lived on the Hill, a good sweeping would suffice. In Philadelphia, we didn't have any yardwork at all. Lucky for Brodie, I've inheritated my parents' love of yardwork and planting; this is probably because my first real memory is sitting in a highchair in the backyard on Long Island while my mother raked leaves around me.

Harvest Time

Last Friday, we met up with Margot's dear friend from Philadelphia (Billy), his mom and his little brother for a visit to the pumpkin patch. The sheer gaudiness and commercialism of the patch was not evident to Billy and Margot; in fact, I think it made them enjoy the patch all the more. (The term "pumpkin patch" is being used loosely in this post. In fact, the 'patch' was a pile of brambles with a few moldy pumpkins strewn amongst the vines. The pumpkin that Margot chose from the patch, which showed no signs of mold last Friday upon selection, is quickly decaying on our front steps and I doubt it will last until Halloween.)

Happy Autumn everyone!

Cousin Connection

Margot visited the National Zoo with three of her cousins a few weeks back. Margot adores all of her cousins, but seems to have an extra-special relationship with Riley, who is just one year older and fills a bit of an older sister role for Min.

I came upon them laughing hysterically and snapped a few photos. Then I asked what was so funny.

"Can you imagine," they gasped between guffaws, "if there was a cactus on someone's back?"

The punch-line was over my head, but I am glad they have each other and share a sense a humor.

Garage Band

One bonus of our new house (for Brodie, that is) is that he set up his drums in the basement. Hence, Margot's music lessons have started with some before-dinner tap-tap-tapping (I'm sure the neighbors are thrilled). It's a bit of a double-edged sword for me - on one hand, I can get a bit of time to myself when they play drums but, on the other hand, the dishes (and my head) rattle.