Fall fun

So much going on around here! We went to California to see my dad at the end of August -- a trip that included much activity and excitement between the circus, the Discovery Museum, the beach, water balloons, sprinklers, a park with a fire truck AND an airplane, and more mac and cheese than Logan and Shay have eaten in a whole year.

Fall is one of my favorite times of year and even though it's been raining quite a bit, we've been busy. The local fire departments have a lot of activities for Fire Safety Week, including a fire truck parade down State Street, after which the trucks all park around the Capitol and the kids can meet the firefighters and sit in the trucks. Then the Fitchburg fire department had an open house that included actual RIDES on fire trucks (big excitement) and a safety demonstration where we had to crawl through a smoke-filled corridor (the same one the firefighters use during training).

Not to mention the massive police motorcycle, which thrilled Logan, and the free barbequed pork sandwiches, which thrilled Will.

We've gone on a field trip to a pumpkin patch farm with the Copper Room, baked lots of muffins and various breads, and I'm trying to get my book finally finished and sent off to my agent. About time, too.

Shay and Logan continue to amaze us every day. She is bright and lustrous, he has a mind that does not stop wondering and questioning everything ("Why do birds stay in the air if they're not flapping their wings?"). His love for firefighting knows no bounds - and his reaction to receiving a "real" firefighter costume for Halloween was peppered with many very sincere "thank yous" and "I love yous".

He is very into imaginative play, like putting blocks in a wooden box and announcing "Pudding for sale!", playing "Preschool Firefighter" where he is a firefighter coming to talk to his class about his job and gear. We play store quite a bit, not to mention games based on his books -- eg, tiger safari. He eats well, sleeps well, can whine like nobody's business when he wants to, but isn't prone to big temper tantrums and can usually be reasoned with.

Shay is more dramatic and loud when it comes to expressing her displeasure, but she is surprisingly good about channeling some inner zen when I tell her in a firm voice to "Be calm." She is still sparkly, inquisitive, social, and she doesn't hesitate to express her opinion about things. And she still PINCHES me when she's either trying to soothe herself or when she's getting excited about something. It's so weird, she did it as an infant when she would nurse -- pinching and clawing at my neck something fierce (so much so that I ended up wearing turtlenecks at night so she couldn't grab my skin) -- and she does it still.

Today we are busy -- after a morning running errands, we are going to the park after quiet time because it is a beautiful, sunny fall day. Then we're going to make chocolate-dipped pretzels with sprinkles for Logan's preschool Halloween party on Thursday. It's just me, Logan and Shay this week because Will is at a conference, and so far, so good with the trio teamwork!