Prepping for Halloween

I am loving today's autumn sunshine. Fall is my favorite season. The crispness in the air, the subtle rustling of leaves as the wind sweeps them gently across the sidewalks and into the streets. Peering out my window I notice for the first time the transformation that has taken place - rust and gold leaves have all but replaced the bushy leafy green ones. On these clear fall days, I always think of my youngest daughter who, at age three upon noticing a backdrop of mountains in the distance, asked "Who painted that picture?" I remember giggling saying, "That's not a picture. Those are real mountains."

We are kicking in to high Halloween gear around here. We're loving the spooky decorations and the promise of candy come Halloween night.

This past weekend we carved pumpkins using stencils to make images of ghosts and owls. The girls were great, digging inside the pumpkin removing guts and seeds as best they could. In the end, as usual, I swooped in to take out any remaining bits of slime.

This weekend we'll huddle around the TV to watch, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, as if it's our first time seeing it. We'll munch on popcorn and when the show ends, we'll come to a disagreement with them over whether or not they will get to watch it again or watch something else. Jon and I usually give in allowing them one or two more cartoons. It is after all, Halloween. We love the holiday just as much as they do.

If I don't talk to you before Monday, Happy Halloween, friends!