october snaps

So.  I've decided to keep the monthly snaps--a photographic What I Did Last Summer run-down of the month; a string of my favorite moments and images, and not a lot of words.  And hopefully, that will free me up to write more specific, thoughtful posts in between.  (?)  Ahem.    

October.  (Not including our trip back to Appalachia.)  Oh, I know.  October was so last month.  Pshaw.  

(Update: my husband read through this and said, "This isn't snaps!  You wrote all kinds of stuff."  Maybe just a little.)

:: Along with preschool came the return of the after-school tea party.

:: Hazel Iris and her worms.  She says it outside all day long, but once, randomly in the middle of dinner conversation Hazel suddenly announced: "Dig worms!  Find a big one!"  And she opened her mouth wide, showing us her back bottom molars--which is what this girl does anytime she finds something exciting.

:: My favorite photos of autumn 'round here this year:

:: The colors extended to (one of) my last swiss chard harvests.

:: I had to cancel Juniper's birthday party at the eleventh hour as Hazel came down with a stomach bug and started puking the night before the party.  We kept a few cupcakes out of the freezer and had a small celebration at home (then rescheduled the party).

:: Last day of swimming lessons.  Give a girl a pair of goggles and she turns into an otter.

:: Hazel had lessons too.

:: Grandparents came!  My mother-in-law read tirelessly to the girls.  All she asked is they not choose the same book over and over.

:: My father-in-law is not afraid to get down on the floor with the kids.  (But in all fairness, he also had the damned stomach bug!)

:: We ended up having Juniper birthday party fairly close to Halloween, so it sort of became a Halloween dress-rehersal.  I made Juniper's Santa suit just to the point that she could wear it.  I had decorated inside the house, but the day was so gorgeous we never went inside.  

At one point, Juniper laid down on the trampoline and whined and cried, "No more birthday!"  And really, she was right.  By this time, we had celebrated once at preschool, once on her canceled-party day, once on her real birthday in Appalachia, and then now.  (Afterwards she asked, "Next year, just one birthday.")  At cake time, she hid under the picnic table to eat her cupcake.  Hazel joined her because what are sisters for?

:: We lapped at our last days of warmth like a thirsty dog at a clear stream and did almost everything at this sunny picnic table (pictured here close to sunset).  

I love having the kids draw their own faces.  They helped pull guts, I did most of the carving, but Juniper did some stabbing plus gave her pumpkin a teardrop.  Juniper's is on the left, Hazel's on the right.  

:: Good visit from a great friend.  I miss these people.  (Thanks L for the photos!)

:: Season's last soak in the hot springs.  *This* is the most ideal weather for hot-springs soaking.  The kids would get hot, get out, grab snow, step in snow, then get back in.  Over and over and over.  

Juniper has taken to picking Hazel up and moving her places.  Hazel thinks it's funny until she doesn't.  

All told, my mother-in-law stayed with us for over a month.  I could have had her for another month.  Her presence is mellow and nonjudgemental.  She steps-in when needed but doesn't overstep.  Not many people can say that about their mother-in-law.  Also, she loves to soak.

:: For a good month, if you asked Hazel about Halloween she'd say, "Me a puppy!"  And never wavered.  Since spring Juniper has told me she wanted to be "The Little Blue Engine" for Halloween.  Then, as it got closer, she wanted to be "a scary monster."  And then "a unicorn," and then, "a jaguar with a mama scarlet macaw on my arm and a baby scarlet macaw on my head."  When it came to fabric-buying time she suddenly landed on Santa Claus.  Sudden, but not surprising.  Her first pretend doll was "Santa" and during the season, she can practically recite The Night Before Christmas.  Pictured below: preschool field trip around town where the kids give candy to local businesses.   

Halloween night "Trunk or Treat".  While it sounds like a lame, rural version of trick or treat, it's actually more like a town street-party complete with free hot chocolate, coffee and chili.  I have been won over.