Happy Halloween!

What fun! H is all dressed up in her comfortable lion costume. So far she prefers "I'm a lion" over "roar." On the train she turned to me and said, "I'm a lion and you're a giraffe." Sounds good to me! Upon entering her room this morning she rolled over and told me "it's the October month"!!! How the heck does she know this stuff? She also pointed to the 7 on our subway stop and said, "7 days in a week." Good grief. I can't keep up with this girl!

Last night we carved our pumpkin and roasted the seeds. It's the first time we've done that with her and we all really enjoyed it. That whole concept about how you get to enjoy special things again through your child's eyes is spot on. It made me excited for dying eggs in the spring -- and also made me want to mark ideas on next year's calendar like "go apple picking" "find a pumpkin patch" that, because we don't own a car and because we're not particularly adept at planning, we won't do if it's not marked down in advance.

So here are my Fall Resoulutions for 2009:

• Go apple picking
• Find a pumpkin patch
• Visit a petting farm/hay ride
• Jump in the leaves
• Drink apple cider

There have to be more great things I'm not thinking of -- what's on your list?

Comments

[Els Kushner]

Those all sound really excellent! If you can get them all done by winter, you'll be way ahead of anything we ever managed!

One thing on my list for fall or winter is to light a fire in the fireplace. Considering how much my whole family loves that ritual, it's surprising how infrequently we actually get around to it.

Happy Halloween, and welcome to Scholastic Blogs!

[Maureen Ryan]

First off -- I am amazed by the 7 days in a week thing! Wow.

We did pumpkin picking and decorating. But Cassie's favorite fail activity is just picking up leaves. "Hold this," she says every few feet. We tried doing the old art project (leaves under the paper and shading the page with crayons so the imprint comes through). Cassie prefers to just color the leaves.

The other fall activity -- watching the moon come up. She loves to see the moon and stars. Last week we were following the moon as we walked home from the store when it disappeared behind an apartment building. "It's hiding behind the castle," Cassie told me.

Yes. That's right Angel Princess. We live down the block from a castle. :-)

[Amy]

Hi Els! Oh I LOVE the idea of a fire in the fireplace. It must smell so good. My husband grew up in New Hampshire with a wood-burning stove, which I also idealize. Sometimes I just have to daydream about moving to New England and all the fireplaces and wood burning stoves that brings with it (at least in my daydream). H was transfixed by the candle in our carved pumpkin last night. Controlled fire is a good thing.

[Amy]

Hi Maureen!

Oh the castle thing is too precious. What a peach. H has a favorite tree down the block from daycare that shares it's acorns. We MUST collect two acorns before proceeding. There is no rushing.

[Catherine]

I think you listed all the best ones!