While Em and Lil play quietly, Lily directs her sister: “Pretend you’re my teacher but not my mom.”

And, ACTION🎬

What loot!  What a haul!  What stamina for collecting treats!  We walked the entire neighborhood (at least Em and O and I) and every house was terribly generous. 

Thank you for bringing bedtime to us.

Thank you for putting them down, save for one who is reading (send Magic Treehouse, stat), before 7:45.

3:30AM is too early to wake up for the day.  

You don’t want to be at my haunted house because it has bats and ghosts and crows. It smells like cobwebs and spiders’ blood. Vampires, goblins and werewolves are in the haunted house playing chess in the upstairs bedroom.

~story and illustration by Lily

A varied day; a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Sewing pumpkins with Ollie’s class, school, poetry teatime, art, play, reading.  I’m laughing with Lily about how many books we are reading with talking animals: The Trumpet of the Swan, Charlotte’s Web, The Mouse and the Motorcycle. 

There are days I am so grateful to drop the kids off at EuroAcademy and then there are others when we are all doing enchanting things together all day and I think–“why don’t I homeschool them all?!?”  But our schedule is working well for everyone right now and everyone is getting what they most need. But today was pretty special:

   
    
    
    
 Pumpkins. Doodling. Reading Charlotte’s Web. Listening to Lily read to us all. Board games after dinner. Go Fish all morning. Spelling on the trampoline. Leaves-leaves-leaves everywhere. Good stuff. The very best stuff. 

Lily and I just watched Inside Out.  It was my first and her second viewing.  My eyes will probably be swollen tomorrow when I wake.  The crying just didn’t end.  Watching it as my own self coupled with watching it as a mom–I am just about unglued.  

That was the theme today.  Sam got some photos but they are on the real camera and I don’t have the energy to download them tonight 🙂  Its a good sort of tired.  Despite the weather not being quite as clear and sunny as we hoped, the superheroes we entertained were hap-hap-happy!  As the guests arrived, we chatted, played in the playroom and then when everyone got here, we went down to the Bat Cave where capes and masks were handed out.  Since it was kind of raining and we ran out of time to set up, the obstacle course was more of a bits and pieces affair.  Down into the backyard for silly string war.  Got the supplies and made some goop which we billed as the toxic waste that The Joker fell into.  There was only enough for the little kids to take home a sample.  My party assistant, Lillian, went inside to set the table and it was so cute how she smooshed enough kids onto the bench in the dining room so everyone had a seat.  Cake, ice cream, popcorn for Bryce (who can’t have sugar) and then Arla suggested laps around the house to burn off the sugar.  It was a terrific idea.  Back in for presents and then we broke out the candy for the candy scramble.  Big guys threw the candy, little guys scrambled and then the party was over!  Ollie sneaked back inside to eat some candy in private, the kids ripped open their dart guns to shoot at one another, and the moms all breathed a sigh of relief.  It was a great party and I am so happy we had a fun time!

  
This guy moved up a level today but didn’t want a photo to commemorate it. Must have been all that swimming at Gramma and Grampa’s. Lily warned him that he would be treading water for a minute as a Glider. 

Today we started to get ready to party on Saturday.  While party supplies wait for their time, the house and yard are the immediate focus.  Since much of the party will be outside, we walked around gathering detritus as we were showered with leaves.  Tomato plants bit the dust thanks to the frost but herbs are made of heartier stuff and remain.  Silly string will be decorating trees and there will be lots of styrofoam darts to pick up from the superhero obstacle course.  Candy will litter the ground after the piñata.  Without prompt, darling Ollie picked up the playroom and unveiled it right before bed.  The Batcave will be spruced tomorrow and food prepped.  Cake pick up on Saturday and then the fun begins!  I know a few kids (and adults) who can’t wait to celebrate (for the last time!!).