"Fall"ing in love with Charlottesville

It's true...we are really loving it here.  I realize I need to say this now, before the temperature dips below freezing and I start freaking out about the weather.  But really, this place is wonderful.  Gorgeous scenery: we're just at the edge of the mountains, surrounded by rolling hills and TONS of trees.  Right outside our door we've got a great path that runs along the river all around the city.  It's so family-friendly...the kids and I took a great yoga class together last week at a studio that ONLY has classes for kids; Christopher's school hosts a fall and spring soccer league, a huge halloween party for the kids, football game tailgates, playdates, and much more.  The kids and I love our CBS class on Thursday mornings and gymnastics on Mondays.  And we have lists of road trips, restaurants, and fun activities we want to try before we leave.  Here are lots of random photos from some of our autumn adventures:

My mom dug up some overalls from when I was a kid.  Classics.

Hiking up to pick apples at the orchard.

Mils got tinker toys from Uncle Tim for her birthday.  FIRST things built were two 'microwaves' (microphones).  There is cute video to go along with this photo...I'll try to post it next.

Si and I found a great playground right at the edge of a beautiful lake.  It was in the shape of a boat, so Si dubbed it "Noah's Ark"

Millie's lit up by the flashing lights of the Presidential motorcade.  We bundled up and walked downtown to catch a glimpse of President Obama when he came to town to stump for the local congressional candidate.

We were only able to hear the rally -- couldn't get close enough to see much of anything -- but we were on the curb when the motorcade fired up and headed out.  

Si and Dad heading to the other side of the fields for soccer practice.

Mils doing what 4 year olds do at soccer practice.

Meanwhile, back at the 2 yr olds' practice, it's a total family effort.  Christopher's the coach, getting them all stretched out and warmed up.

Goal!  Notice the bag of goldfish crackers in Christopher's hand?  This was the KEY to getting the kids to do any kind of soccer-related activity at practice.  Score a goal...get a snack.  Genius.

Now she's getting into it.

Just a regular Saturday morning with the clowns.

Farewell, Gankie

And just like that, it's gone.

One day Mils and I are having a casual conversation with her pediatrician about how she should start thinking about trying to stop sucking her thumb. Later that night, all on her own, she decides to stash her BELOVED blanket away in a drawer in the closet so that she would not be tempted by it.  In her astoundingly mature line of reasoning, she determined that when she had her blanket she always wanted to suck her thumb, so she would eliminate the temptation altogether.  WHAT????  How in the world did you develop this kind of willpower, sweet girl?

Of course, I had to turn away when I saw what was happening.  My eyes filled with tears.  This just seems like such a milestone in the journey from little girl to big girl.  It's been about two weeks now and we haven't seen the blanket at all, and the callouses on her thumb are starting to soften.  My heart still hurts a bit, though. That blanket saw us all through some big adventures and some tough goodbyes.

I am so very, very proud of this girl.  Really, she amazes me every day.  And as I sit here crying at the computer I am reminded just how fast time marches on.  These are such precious days.

Do What You Love

This is my little brother.  The Denver Post published this photo of him heading into the mountains to fight the latest forest fire in Boulder.  Yes, he's carrying a chainsaw.  He told me that while he was fighting this fire he got so close to the flames that the oil on the chain of his chainsaw would ignite every so often, turning it into a kind of flame-thrower.  And by the time he was done he was covered in the pink slurry that the low-flying planes were dropping to try to control the fire.  Wow.

Another photo of Mike, from the Boulder Daily Camera.  He's the one in the middle, holding the chainsaw, staring right at you.

Not only do I love my brother, I respect him immensely.  He is one of the most principled people I've ever met, and he makes very deliberate choices about how he wants to live his life.  Right now that means heading up a team in the Forestry Department to manage and preserve Boulder's open spaces.  He works so that he can travel the world and collects only as much 'stuff' as he needs so that he can follow his passion wherever it takes him.  Oh, and best of all, he is HILARIOUS.  Mike's just the best.

The Cupcake and The Shark

The kids had some very strong ideas about what they wanted to be for Halloween this year (one glimpse at the Pottery Barn Kids Halloween catalog and the deal was sealed).  I was all set to hit "buy" on the website until my sister Julie bullied/coerced/convinced me to buck up and make them something.  We both have really great memories of some very special homemade costumes from our childhood.  I'm not certain I can ever live up to my mom's magic, but we sure had a great time this Halloween.  We jumped at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: we trick-or-treated on the famous and historical lawn on the grounds (campus) of UVA...right in front of the rotunda.  All of the fourth-year students who live in the little rooms around the lawn come out to hand out candy to the kids.  What a cool experience. 

Christopher took it up a notch and created his own "Shark-bitten Surfer"costume to go with Si's shark.

I was the cupcake's baker.

 

 

A decorated room with some festive students.

Fun.  Beautiful.  Unforgettable.