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We’ve got a lot more of the white stuff over the past two weeks, and it is deep enough now that I laugh that the kids were out shoveling and playing in this tiny skiff of snow! There is something magical about it, though – the first snow of the season – and the kids couldn’t wait to get out in it. Zach has been quite the helper with his shovel, and Emma is the best snow-taster we’ve got.

Hooray for the Christmas season! For us it officially starts the day after Thanksgiving… and up go the tree, and the lights, and the nearly-finished stockings… we are excited. We even went outside in the (WINDY!) cold to help Nate with the house lights – he said he’d be done in 20 minutes, and an hour-plus later he finished up. And so much for saving electricity… Emma wants all of the lights on (indoor and out) all day long. “I love them!!!” she keeps saying with her head tilted sideways… and who can resist that.

Nate has been switching me cars after church and taking the kids home so I can clean up after nursery now that he is around on Sundays, which is so nice. So I get to drive home in the Lincoln… with the great shocks and his nice church music and noone screaming at me from the back seat… it is my 15 minutes of Sunday peace. So thanks, Nate, for the effort, and thanks, Dad, for the smooth ride with the fancy dash cover. 🙂 I appreciate it!

Ah, the joys of having a dad that’s been a student of sorts for all of their lives! He is always highlighting books, so why shouldn’t Emma do it? Her “studying” extended through most of the book… she was so proud, all we could do was smile and be glad it wasn’t a library book.

Happy Halloween! The kids in their 3 layers were cold instead of hot this time, but we still made it to enough houses to get candy for Emma to eat pretty much non-stop from then until now. (Thank goodness she is getting to the bottom of the pumpkin!) We went with our neighbors, and Zach and Henry had a great time! Emma insisted on holding Nate’s hand or being carried, though – she was a little shy. She also was afraid of the lit pumpkins… she inisisted on staying inside for the picture. And if you notice a big slice on Zach’s pumpkin that doesn’t look like any facial features… we let him use the pumpkin knife all by himself and just go to town. We may have another surgeon yet…

What a great coincidence that the Red Sox made the world series just weeks after we got a book about David Ortiz from the library… all of a sudden Zach was the Red Sox’s biggest fan because “I know David Ortiz!” Nate was going for the Rockies… and was out-cheered in addition to being outplayed. The night of this picture I had told Zach he could watch a little of the game before bed, thinking he would snuggle in on the couch and fall asleep. Not exactly.

Here’s Nate fixing Emma’s ripped dress before the party with his suturing skills – he quoted the Red/Green guy who always says: “If the ladies don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!” We are lucky he is both!

Last night was the ward halloween party, and the rained-out “trunk or treat” that turned into a wild candy rampage in the hallways. My poor kids (who were prepared for the outside adventure) were wearing 3 layers underneath their costumes, and were just roasting. Nevertheless, Emma went to town – and Zach brought in more candy than last year (although he is really discriminatory against anything not chocolate!) Zach’s uniform was Nate’s from Little League – minus the hat – apparently an Angels player cannot possibly wear a Phillies hat, even for Halloween, and even if it matches. So, lucky Zach got a new hat. It was fun to have such a beautiful princess and such a cool baseball player to spend the evening with!

Last Friday was a big day. Zach went to school on Thursday announcing to his teacher: “Friday is a very special day for two reasons. 1 – I get my cast off. 2 – We are going to sleep in the tent in the basement and Daddy says I can stay up until I get tired! And if I don’t get tired, I am going to stay up ALL night.” Emma absolutely loves the tent, and from the one time we had slept outside in it she has often said, “You know what Mommy? I sleep in tent yesterday!” So the cast came off, the tent was set up, and we rented A Bug’s Life to watch in the tent while we ate ice cream. We had so much fun… Zach was really nervous about the grasshoppers in the movie but now plays bug’s life with his friends and is the brave one who gets the grasshoppers. And true to his word, Zach declared himself “not tired!” after the movie (around 10 pm) and sort-of true to his word, Dad let him stay up… for 45 more minutes. Good thing you don’t get a cast off every day!

And now it feels like fall. The kids even insisted on hats and gloves to go out and play today – their activity of choice: playing in the leaves. Since our leaves are still firmly attached to the trees and still mostly green, we are extra glad for our neighbors with early-shedding trees! And the wind that blows them into our yard. There weren’t many, (not enough for Zach’s leaf fort) but there were enough for fun! This is my favorite part of fall!