Halloween party

The Rocky River Early Childhood PTA (that's a mouthful) hosted a Halloween party last Saturday. Piper's costume was in the wash so we had to resort to costumes from Halloween's past. Good thing I had pipe cleaners and a headband hanging around, and that her wings still fit. It worked out well that we had a butterfly t-shirt too.

There were lots of craft activities and trick-or-treating. We didn't stay too long but it was a good time. Rick got to meet some of the other families I have met in the last month or so too.

Dean's greenhouse

With the PTA Piper and I went to Dean's greenhouse last week. We got to go on another hayride (and not the last one either). We also got to play in a ball pit, jump in a bouncy house, go through another hay maze, have a snack, look at pumpkins and horses, and get a treat bag. We're Halloweened out now that it's over but we had fun participating in all these fall festivities.

Piper on the hayride


Witchy Piper

Pumpkin Piper

Monster Piper

In the hay maze with a new friend

Autumn leaves are falling down

About a week ago Piper and I went to the local park to play. A group of older kids were playing in the leaves. Piper was quickly invited to help make a big pile of leaves. She was very excited to be included.

Piper took her work very seriously. She would gather two handfuls of leaves and walk solemnly over to the growing leaf pile. She looked like a flower girl walking down the aisle.

What do you think Piper did when all of the other kids decided the pile was big enough to jump in? She just stood there. There was no reaction, and even with my suggestions to jump in, she just liked watching everyone else. And it's not like she hasn't played in leaves before; we had just done it the day before in our own backyard.

Soothing sounds

There are a few sounds that we experience in our neighborhood that I quite like. You would think that after living in NYC and Sydney that things would seem too quiet for us in the sticks.

However, we live close to the train tracks - four houses away to be exact. I grew up near the train tracks and so have a fond place in my heart for the train's lulling clickety-clack, the warning bell, and the horn, which surprisingly never seems too loud. We even get a bit of shaking in the house. I have to wonder what it's like at the houses closer to the tracks.

Another sound I've found oddly comforting, though not necessarily familiar, is from the nearby high school. Friday night football games bring the sounds of the marching band, referee's whistles, and the muffled voices of commentators.

This last soothing sound is actually a non-sound. Our town is a little different in that I have never heard the garbage truck on trash day. And we don't even have to take our trash cans to the curb. What happens is this. The garbage truck parks on a side street. Several electric-powered cars, not unlike golf carts, with big hoppers on the back zoom around to everyone's drive-ways collecting the trash and then take it back to the garbage truck. Thus eliminating the need for the garbage truck to drive down the street very often.

I feel a bit of peace and some melancholy from these ordinary noises. Ah, small town life.

Ouch!

Poor Piper, she hurt her ankle after a small fall on Sunday. We hadn't realized how bad it was until yesterday; she had calmed down so easily when it happened. She's our little trooper.

Boo at the zoo, laundry disasters, and sundry crafts

The Cleveland Zoo has this great event every year called Boo at the Zoo. It's very popular and sells out every night they do it. We went this past Friday with our friends the Mussos. Piper was so excited to wear her Halloween costume (she was a KU cheerleader, in case you were wondering). It was surprisingly cold but loads of fun. We didn't get enough photos before it got too dark but that's life. We looked at the animals, ate candy, went through a hay maze, saw magicians and stiltwalkers, and danced.

Thanks Mussos for letting us tag along, and for making the awesome pizzas!

Here are Rick and Piper dancing with some zoo employees. I have no idea what these characters are supposed to be dressed up as. Cows? Bulls?



I have these red sweat pants from LUCKY jeans that I've washed over a dozen times. It's incredible that I still have to wash them separately. Piper's socks somehow got mixed in with the red load. Now Piper has a new pair of pink socks; good thing the sweats bleed uniformly.

Piper and I did this craft together this week. It was inspired by a similar craft I made in the first grade but that one was of cherry blossoms. Given the season, we opted for fall foliage.

From Piper's craft class last week. Rick got to come too.

Hooray, Rick's home!

Rick got home last Friday. He had been away three weeks for work training. We so missed him. When we went to pick him up at the airport Piper said, "I'm so happy to see Daddy." We even painted him a welcome home sign to have at the airport. Piper kept calling Rick "Dad" in the car on the way home. She always called him "Daddy" before so it was quite funny. "Daaaad...Daaaad....Dad, what's so funny, Dad?" That last one is from watching too much Little Bill on TV.

Rick was able to spend time at home with us on Monday and Tuesday which was awesome. Piper was excited to have him come to her storytime hour and craft class.

Good to have you home Dad! We missed you (and I know the feeling was mutual).