... Since.

Well.
Let's see...
Maddie-Mine has gone through a rite of passage.
Maybe even two of them.
While shopping the other day (birthday, autumn's must-haves for the babes -- fleeces and undies, whatnot) Madeleine picked a pretty right off the rack and said "I'm getting this. Help me try it on."
Then she preceded to keep telling us to watch for people-- she was stripping down.
We convinced her that we could definitely get it in her size, and she didn't need to try it on.
Thank goodness her outfit was very cute (read: no plastics on the front or cartoon characters).... and on sale.

The second All Growed Up is that she has upped the ante on her Invitations. These are the scraps of paper that she cuts, decorates, and has me address to her friends, family, and favorite toys.
That child is good with scissors. I don't think Trevelyn uses them nearly as efficiently as she does.Not only does she make her invitations to Tea very fancy, but she has now started to put actual letters on them.
I blinked when I saw that.
And!-
She has drawn her first self-portrait.
With sunglasses. And she's happy because she's jumping on the trampoline with Daddy and Trev and getting high bounces.
And a portrait of her brother.Who wears Daddy's sunglasses.
Trevelyn tried to be honored and not offended, even though he had to explain.... "Look, Mom. It's not that I want to be rude.... but Maddie's pictures.... it's just that I like pictures of me to actually look like me, and not some pretend cartoon thing or something."
We had the "Practice" talk.
Not that I expect it to change his ideas about being able to do something easily and Right.....

We were invited to our friends' annual Halloween Party.



We had a blast.
Our hosts made me laugh when they greeted us at the door dressed as what one would expect of hosts in a typical home around here. :) Think Ward and Joan Cleaver.... though I was thinking Mr. and Mrs. Little.
I was trying to get a picture of my friend's bow when her husband came along and inserted himself into our picture.I appreciated the laugh. It made the blur worth it.

It's well and truly autumn, now.
Leaves and colour and rains and cold.


We're cleaning
and making Wish Lists for Santa


and making room for our new books
and rotating our shelves that hold our current projects and interests.




We're thinking trick-or-treating, carving jack-0-lanterns, an afternoon playing and experimenting and spooking with friends, and Panyo.

All is well, here.
We'll see you tonight.