Fall is Flying

September is coming to a close (gasp!) and we are well into the swing of fall activity.  Ethan is loving first grade, and I am loving his teacher.  We had Open House a couple of weeks ago, and Ethan was thrilled to show us around his new room, and to proudly point out that he had been named the very first "Artist of the Week"!  Although he remains quite mum about the day-to-day happenings at school, he does come home bursting with tales from the latest Mercy Watson book they are reading.  Soccer keeps  us busy a couple of days a week, and has suddenly clicked in Ethan's nearly seven year old body and brain, which is fun to watch.  He seems to have been bitten by the sports bug, always tossing the football, watching sports with Daddy, or dribbling his soccer ball.  

Ethan is confused why Daddy makes him hold his lucky football during every Pats game.

Adam is also loving school.  His transition to a new preschool was virtually seamless, and he already has a new best buddy Eli.  Eli and Adam (and five other preschool aged boys - god help those teachers) also spend Thursday mornings together at Broadturn Farm, where they tend to the animals, pick the fields, walk in the woods, make crafts, roll in the mud, and have other farm-focused fun.  I am really enjoying some extra Mommy and Adam time, and I think my little monkey is too.  We've gotten out for several hikes and walks in this gorgeous fall weather.  

Hanging out at big brother's soccer practice.

Not a bad way to spend a Friday morning...

The boys' (and their dad's) gardens are winding down for the year, which is always bittersweet.  I can't say I am disappointed that I may soon be relieved of high frequency bean preparation duty, but I will most certainly miss being able to walk out into my backyard and grab a veggie or two for dinner.  And those tomatoes...oh, those tomatoes.  They keep coming and I am trying to keep up, but how I wish I could save some for those long winter months when bland under-ripe store tomatoes are our only option.

Five little pumpkins(?) / squash(?) grew out of Ethan's compost pile this year, and have made an adorable fall display on my kitchen windowsill.

We've managed to catch up with a few friends between all the new school shenanigans, including a visit with the (now East Coast - YAY!) Doyles at the lake this past weekend.  

Chilly temperatures didn't keep those crazy kids from swimming, but we also embraced the onset of fall, with apple picking and a hike with views that showed just a few tinges of color.  These four kids jumped in without missing a beat and seemed thrilled to be in each other's company all weekend long (although they did not seem thrilled by the jammie parade and awards - parenting fail).    

Sometimes catching up with friends means meeting at the speedway.  We felt like true Mainers one night in early September, and my boys...shock and awe does not begin to describe their faces all.night.long.

Just an average night at the speedway.

And then this happened.  On purpose.

And me?  I am running running running.  This is my running season, and I can't remember a better September for running.  The air has been crisp and dry, the sun shining, that beautiful fall light in the sky.  A few weekends ago, I spent a couple of days running across New Hampshire in my third Reach the Beach relay, one of my all-time favorite things to do, EVER.  

Much deserved beers with my Van 1 buddies.

The whole Sharks team.

And next weekend I'll run the Maine half marathon and hope for as good as a run as I had last year.  And then maybe I'll get down to business and actually tackle some of these house projects I'd promised myself (and Ben) I'd complete as part of this stay-at-home gig.  In the meantime, we sure are having a lot of fun.  

Happy Fall!