But oh, how I love fall.
And just as Ella and Kate amplify and multiply my love of everything in life, they also amplify my love of fall.
Last weekend, my mom came into town and we went to the Pumpkin Patch not once, but twice. Even though it was cold and gray and rainy. The girls didn't mind; and happily played in the sandbox filled with corn for what seemed like hours.
This weekend, oh, this weekend...it was so, so perfect.
It started on Thursday night...when I got home from work and played in the leaves with the girls for a few hours. A prelude to what was to come.
Friday morning, when, still in the extra big sweatpants and tank top (in which I had slept the night before); no make up and hair in a ball on top of my head, I schlepped the girls out into the front yard with the little pumpkins they had chosen last weekend at the patch. I carefully placed them both on a yellow gingham oil cloth with lots of paints and brushes. And they painted their pumpkins as I slowly sipped my coffee.
Well, Kate painted her legs, arms and mouth moreso than the pumpkins. But it was a fun time nonetheless.
I carried Kate upstairs, kicking and screaming, to the bath, followed by Ella who dutifully walked up the stairs with her hands in the air; so she wouldn't get paint on the walls. After bathtime, Kate took a nap...and we waited for her to awake so we could go to the zoo.
Ooooh, Fall at the zoo is such a glorious thing. I heart it. Totally.
We didn't get there til 3 and it closed at 5 but it was a lovely two hours visiting the Polar Bears, riding the train and playing on the new Polar Bear playground. Yes, I think the best part was watching them walk around in their cowboy boots.
Friday night, I had to go to Kroger to get milk for Kate. And came home with the giant mums I've been desperately needing since fall arrived. Finally, the front porch is properly decorated for my favorite season. Even if I had to do it at 11 pm at night.
Saturday we spent some time outside; I had to go to church to volunteer and Chris took the girls to the Buckeye game. Later that night, we carved pumpkins on the back porch. I must admit, I thought the girls would love pulling all the goop out. They did not. They were amused for about 3 minutes and then Chris and I were left to try to finish our carvings while chasing them around the yard as they happily cavorted, without pants or shoes, on the billions of leaves and needles that cover every square inch of our yard.
Sunday brought a glorious return to the pumpkin patch.
Bright blue skies, all the trees turning colors. Tractor rides, more time in the corn sandbox.
Just glorious. The only way I could've enjoyed it more would be if the girls would've stood still for just ONE photo together; so I wouldn't have had to spend the entire time taking 5,000 photos, just waiting for one of both of their faces, together!
We came home and I went to a lovely, lovely baby shower. Drank three delicious mimosas followed by three much needed cups of sobering coffee. And returned home to spend three hours raking leaves with Chris' friend Rob and his son Cody. (Chris has been turned into a gimp with two torn achilles tendons.) Ella and Kate frollicked in the leaves, slipping down the slide into a huge pile of leaves and needles that Chris had raked for them to jump into. Raking leaves didn't even seem like torture; because I got to spend the time watching the girls enjoy my favorite season.
And I felt almost drunk with the joy of finally seeing a front and back yard that weren't embarrassingly covered with leaves and pine needles. So joyful, that I bravely gave the girls their first-ever smores later that evening. Needless to say, Kate was almost crazed with her love of the gooey chocolatey goodness.
Also needless to say, my leaf-less yard joy was short lived, when I awoke this morning to see the yard covered yet again. But it was nice while it lasted.
And then, today! The last day of our extended weekend. Started out going to a Halloween Party at a DARLING photography studio in the Short North. Ella in her Snow White costume. Kate as Happy the 'derf,' we had a grand time.
Ella wore her plastic Snow White high heels. God bless her, Kate wore her hat and beard almost the entire time. Daddy and Nana joined us. They sang songs and colored and played games and had an all around grand time. And I just loved watching them.
Home to lunch and more time outside, under blue skies with crunching leaves under our feet, followed by a long, long fall nap.
Such a perfect, lovely fall weekend. I didn't even mind doing my obligatory 4 loads of weekly laundry, or picking up all the same toys for the 7th time at the end of the day. Or cleaning tiny pieces of Kate's fried bologna sandwich of the kitchen floor. I didn't even mind when our TV just spontaneously shut down as I was typing this post.
Because it's fall and I have two adorable, precious, healthy little girls. And I couldn't be more grateful for this perfect weekend and this really, really happy life.
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