Today is a special day. It warrants an apple-raisin upside down cake,
and a last-of-the-year evening dessert picnic.
After a rushed dinner (only so many daylight hours left!), we packed up the cake, the (thrifted) melamine plates and mugs, a thermos of hot tea, blanket, and frisbee.
We marked a spot on a nice flat, grassy section of the park that surrounds ... ahem, the uh ... the "poop fountains." Otherwise known to the rest of the city as the waste-water management park. The grounds are manicured and green, complete with extravagant fountains and rolling hills. One almost doesn't pay attention to the fountain signs that warn of drinking or playing in the "valuable resource" that they recycle for our enjoyment. In the summer the children nearly hyperventilate from laughter when they spy non-sign-reading individuals swimming, even snorkeling, in the poop fountain. But, I horribly digress.
We nibbled our cake and drank our tea, gathered sticks and acorns, and even played a few rounds of cross-eyed tag. I'm not really sure what those rules are, but it is exceedingly entertaining to watch.
When the sunset gave way to the settling darkness, we packed up and remarked on the evening of perfection. Eating, playing, and a lot of giggling. A suitable ending for a special day.
Happy Birthday, Pops. You make us smile.
(PS-And thank you for coming home and unclogging the kitchen sink for your late-night birthday entertainment. I'll never shove that many eggshells into the garbage disposal again. Promise.)
Pops and Peter built a Native-American structure for school. They sought out natural materials for their re-creation, but who can resist a little modern inspiration. After the copper wire supply was depleted, they turned to: The perennially trusty zip-tie.
"How does you gets to heaven?" 
We like Fridays. No school, so that means a relaxed day. We do clean rooms on Fridays and the kids crack out a few chores, but in general, there is lots of loafing about. Today there was even time for a screening of Milo and Otis. A movie classic, if you want our reviews.
And as I was avoiding dinner prep, I noticed the afternoon sun sliding over our bowl of birthday acorns. Afternoon light is so mysterious. Dark and textured yet bright and smooth.
The tomatoes on my windowsill turned into a lovely meal for my mouth.
Jane had her first day of preschool today. Her favorite outfit (thank you, Gigi!) selected, sweater buttoned, and mouse "pack-kack" with cheese wedge zipper-pulls donned.
We arrived and she set right into an apple painting project with zest. A little smile, wave, and a promise to see me in a couple of hours. I expected to feel sad or emotional, but I just felt at peace. For this, I am grateful. I then proceeded to enjoy 2 hours of alone time in the middle of the day ... a first in eight and a half years. A quick errand, some devotional time at home, and a pot of tea to accompany my almost-finished library book. I could get used to this.
Jane had a friend (and a few fairies) for tea today.
Forget the chat of weather, ailments, and the trials of finding good help. These ladies have delightful manners and are skilled in the art of conversation. Favorite topics include: Flight patterns of ladybugs, the merits of pearls, and favorite snacks in general.
I do love fall. It is without question, my favorite season. In the northwest, it is crisp, mild, sunny, and gorgeously vibrant all at once. Such a polite transition between the bright, carefree days of summer and the gray, hunkered-down weeks of winter.
