I Love Fall!

On Sunday Braly, Gabby & I went outside to play one of my favorite outdoor games: Crouquet. I started reading the directions & never realized it could be such an intense game. My sisters, cousins and I never played it with all the rules I guess. We had some basic ones & were good with that. I found a nice set on clearance & decided to introduce the game to the kids (while Morgan was napping). We set up the poles & wires & picked our colors. I explained how we were going to play (very simply). I went first to demonstrate how to swing the malets. I never realized how hard that might be when I have 2 short kids & malets that are made for adults. We practiced a bit & then Gabby got the hang of it. By the end of playing, Braly was showing improvement though he was still having some trouble. He kept bonking himself in the chin with his malet when he'd swing. Braly was bored with it & dismantled as much of the malets & stuff as he could & Gabby said, "Let's do it again Mom!" I think she shared my passion for the game, which was fun. After that, Gabby & I went for a walk around the block and got to walk & kick our way through some colorful, crunchy leaves. It was funny because both of us walked off the sidewalk in order to do it & laughed & enjoyed ourselves the whole way through the pile. There was a teenage boy & girl walking the opposite way & after we had gotten through the leaves & were down the sidewalk a little we could hear them walking through them & laughing too. It hit me that people young & old really do enjoy the crunchy, fun leaves at this time of year. Not just for looking at the colors but because they can be fun to play in. I just love the cool crisp air, the smell, the beautiful colors, the crunchy leaves & my birthday coming up. I LOVE FALL!!!

So yesterday wasn't so cool & crisp, though the weather was exquisite & in the 70s. Today it has dropped to 42 and the heat kicked on again. And instead of following the voice inside of me to work outside moving my flower beds around, I worked on the playroom for the kids. It was in need of an overhaul. The kids quit playing with certain toys at times, as if they've been forgotten about so I take a few days to revamp everything. Yesterday I moved the Barbie house to the girls' closet (with some help from Adam), I moved the house/doll stuff to the playroom & hauled Braly's trucks & boy toys upstairs to his 'Book Nook' (the extra closet area he has in his room). I'm still not done but today we head to Iron Mountain for Gabby's follow up with the ENT. I'm sure he's going to tell her "lookin' good!" Her throat has healed nicely. I am surprised that she didn't have ANY bleeding, even with all the emesis she had from the pain meds & empty tummy. So happy to have that all behind us. THank you to everyone who has prayed for her & for us to get through this. It was worth it. This morning, she woke up before her wake up time & was in a pretty good mood. SHe's been getting on the bus in the morning without a fight. her only complaint now is that she's freezing in the mornings waiting for the bus. We may have to buy the petite girl some long johns & she may have to start wearing her boots to keep her warm. Oh the joys of that cool crisp weather. LOL

I'm off to get Morgie up & ready for the day. Braly has been ready for a few hours already. he's my morning boy. Much love to all!!!