What is it about October? I remember looking around at the beginning of the month and suddenly realizing that the sun was setting a lot earlier and that it was getting really chilly in the evenings. “What do you mean we can’t be outside riding bikes until bedtime?” seemed to be the question on all of our minds. Now, mid-month, the leaves are all changing color and the sun is sinking behind the hills around 6:00 and the jackets and hats have emerged from their hiding places for those oh-so-cold mornings when Towhead and I look at each other before school and grudgingly opt for the car instead of the bike. Giving up those bike rides to school has been tough: that slower 10-minute commute gave us time to talk, to notice the miniscule changing of the leaves, and sing silly songs we heard on the radio. I knew we would only be able to bike for a short time, but it seemed way too short. It is so odd to think that in another couple of weeks, with the shorter days and the clocks “falling back,” that the sun will have set before we have dinner. Fall is such a bittersweet season.
What I love about fall though, besides the fact that my birthday falls right in the middle of it, is that we come inside to play, which is a nice change after several months outdoors. We were out shopping the other day and stumbled on Halloween costumes for the wee ones. Towhead has decided to be a witch and the lil’ Moose is going to be her pet dragon. So we were in the right mood when Lil’ Moose went down for a nap to make some potions and practice some spells!
Vinegar and baking soda work for everything: from volcanoes and potions to cleaning the coffee pot.
A little spit from a drunken toad (ie. vinegar with green food coloring), the eyeball of a cranky octopus (cherry tomato), and the dandruff of two talking dogs (baking soda), and poof!: a perfect potion.
Towhead also got it in her head to take a few of her feathers and turn them into pens. She kept pushing for real ink, which I wasn’t going to tell her I had we don’t have, but black tempra paint worked just as well. We let Towhead watch the first Harry Potter with us over the summer, and she spent many summer hours pretending to be a student at Hogwarts with our friend’s older son and daughter. They had her so well-trained by the end she actually knew half a dozen spells from the books by the end of it all. So with her quill and ink she had me spell out for her a few of the ones she remembered.
The "spell book" is now hanging from her doorknob.
After a bit she decided to get creative and just make dots and swirls all over the cards and some pieces of paper. Is there anything more fun than writing with a feather? Not for a 5-year-old! When the feather was done for we punched a hole in the side and used a pipecleaner to make a ring that bound them all together.
Kindergarten hasn’t been a total breeze so far, getting used to new rules and expectations, but I’m glad that it still leaves us a few days to play and spend time together – yes, even when that time is not always fun. The last few months of summer with all three of us being home together all the time definitely had their rough spots. The rhythm changed, things got bumpy, and we all had our fair share of stumbles. Transitions like that create rocky ground where no one is quite sure of their footing. For now, things seems to be getting onto smoother footing and I’m grateful. It feels good when you can hit the trail with less complaining and spend more time enjoying the journey.
Hubble bubble, toil and trouble, fire burn and glass jar bubble . . .
What wonderful little creatures you are raising!