Favorite month

Every time the weather is gorgeous, between April and October, I try to decide which month or season is my favorite! Even some winter months, like December, feel like my favorite. Well, this week October is feeling like my favorite. Yesterday was so nice that we rode our bikes into town to drop some overdue movies off at the library and hang out and picnic at the park. The ride/walk there was mostly up hill and we were dressed too warmly. The sun baked us in our dark, long sleeved clothing. But the breeze was perfect. Camden got out of the bike trailer a few times to walk up hill and drink water with us.

Once we got to the park we had a walnut tossing contest. Holden's coordination, aim, and arm is much stronger than mine. Camden has a wicked arm, too, for being three. We had a target between two walnut trees. We met a mom and daughter at the park. The mom had taken her daughter out of school for their weekly lunch together. The daughter played with the boys, and the mom and I talked for awhile as we sat on the swings enjoying the beautiful day. We happily watched our kids play on the large castle shaped structure with slides and monkey bars. Before the mom and daughter left the mom introduced herself to me and had to hurry off to take her daughter back to school. I could see she was a really loving mom and if she had had different experiences and influences (instead of me) it could have been me rushing off to get my kids back in school instead of her. And I'd be missing out on so many wonders of the world with my boys and husband. I can feel a huge connection between my kids and I. It is very powerful...unlike anything I ever imagined it could be. And it is a force which helps hold our little family together through thick and thin.

Later the boys and I walked over to the train car and goofed around. Before long Camden started to get quite tired and I had to carry him to the bike trailer. He feel asleep on the down hill ride home. I wish I had pictures to share; like the lovely fall foliage against the neon blue sky! Holden told me he had a lot of fun. I think he was impressed about our long biking our adventure. My favorite was a shortcut to the park which was downhill through a grassy park with mulberry trees, wilting flowers and overgrown vines.

When we got home I put Camden on the couch and I went to relax and recover. Holden was energized and frolicked in the backyard amazed with all the ladybugs on the side of our house. He came in to bring me outside to witness his awesome discovery of the ladybugs crawling all over the back of our house. He made me hold his hand and walk with my eyes closed and then had me open them when we reached the small city of bugs crawling in 50 different directions.

Later Holden offered to bring in some firewood I had set by our back porch and along the side of our house. It was a big job considering it needed to go to our basement. He neatly stacked it all in the corner by our wood burning stove. He wants us to be ready for winter fires. He also offered to clean out the old ashes from two years ago when we used it last. Last year we didn't use the stove at all because Cliff disconnected the stove to finish the basement walls with sheet rock. Holden keeps asking me when we will be making a fire in the stove. He is worried I will keep telling him not today...wait until it is colder. I explained to him that I want to save what little wood we have for days when we can't go outside because it is rainy or snowy. He seemed to understand that explanation. Maybe I will buy him firewood for his December birthday and get the chimney sweeped.

Well, it is another lovely day and tomorrow is promising to be about 15 degrees cooler. So I better get ready to go outside. I want to get myself energized for a busy evening. We will be going door to door tonight for trick or treating. Our area celebrates Halloween on Oct. 30 and they call it beggars night. Hopefully I'll get some good photos of the boys with their cousins and aunt, Denise.