A fond farewell and welcome hello

I was inspired by my friend Annie's post a short while ago about wringing the last bit of pleasure out of our passing summer and have been meaning to follow her example. We did our own bit of wringing a couple weekends ago and this past weekend welcomed in what hopes to be a beautiful autumn. Summer called it quits around here with two fabulous events. The first being the air show. In past years Chris has just taken Matthew but this year we went down as a family and found a nice spot on a hillside overlooking the lake to wait in anticipation. After what was much too long for two aviation loving boys we heard a rumbling in the distance. Heads started craning every which way and before we new it--WHOOOSH, there went the THUNDERBIRDS! Matthew and Will could hardly contain their little emotions. The half hour show was amazing to say the least and has inspired a good bit of play around my family room over the past weeks.

We paid our second respects to a much loved season by pulling out that icon of summer . . . the slip 'n slide. We have a bit of a hill in the back yard which helps the little ones get down the slide easier. Never mind the warning posted brightly on the box that reads the slide should always be used on a FLAT surface and never by anyone under 35 pounds. Hey, it's a slip 'n slide, I'm not expecting a quiet, uneventful, safe activity. It's a wet ride with lots of uncoordinated impatient little children. You take your life in your hands sloped slide or not. Luckily everyone ended the day happy and we felt content in bidding adieu to the heat for another nine months. (If you are a mother/grandmother of one of these children and would like to view the whole slide show click here.)

This past weekend was our first foray into fall and a lovely one it was. We took a trip out to the farm where a village peddler festival was going on. We were bombarded by all things autumnal--apple pie, maple syrup, kettle corn, you name it. We bought some of that kettle corn first off and then headed to the pony rides.

That's Matthew's impression of a leopard seal. Seriously, I'm not making it up. He's been a leopard seal for several days. Now, what a leopard seal is doing riding a pony I don't know, but please don't tell the pony. As we left the pony rides and wandered across a lawn an old cowboy lassoed Matthew. Matthew thought this was the best thing ever and spent the next 15 minutes running back and forth in front of the rope throwing cowboy while he (the cowboy) explained to me that it is much easier to catch a calf/child when on a horse that is running the same speed than trying to keep up with one on foot. Good luck buddy, I know all about it! Next we watched a border collie working sheep and then visited the barn and saw some looked like little dalmation piglets. Sorry the picture is blurry but trust me, they were cute.

We ended the day at the little play area. There were several large photo backdrops with face cut-outs like apples, clowns, etc. One of them was a pea pod with three peas with holes for faces. I was thinking what perfect day this had been and taking a picture of my three boys in the pea pod would just finish it off beatifully when I looked over to see Matthew with his underwear and pants around his ankles holding his residue covered hand out to me and saying, "Mom, I think I pooped in my unders." Oh well, so much for the picture. Time to go home kids.