Fall. I love it.

 

Guess what we did last weekend?  We went on a leaf walk.  The kids thought we did it as a fun activity for them, but they were wrong.  It was something fun for me.  

 

First, we all decorated leaf-collector bags.  We each had one.  

Then we went for a walk here:

 

We found big leaves, small ones, acorns, berries, and seeds.  We took them home, looked them over, and then set them free outside.

We stopped by the park on the way home.  Here's Ms. Adventure on the rock-climbing wall:

The past few weeks have been absolutely Fall Perfect.  Crisp-but-not-cold, with a lovely leaf smell.  We even took a walk with the kids in the drizzle the other night.  After this past summer, I'm glad we are getting a real fall.

Love it.

Happy Birthday Ladybug!

What can I say about this girl at two?  

She is completely fearless about trying new things.  She will climb playground equipment designed for six year olds without blinking an eye.  When she is upset, she will SCREAM (the highest-pitched horrible noise you have ever heard), and then get over it immediately.

She loves "Bubby" and they really take care of each other, which is precious.  She goes to bed on her own with no problems, but usually falls asleep on the floor.  She holds a pencil like an adult and "writes" with absolute precision (and has also colored on every wall in our house).

She has strong opinions about wearing a particular jacket or hat or tights (or all of them at once).  She makes the most expressive little faces and is so sweet and goofy and trouble all at the same time.

Here she is blowing out the candles on the ladybug cake my mom made:

 We put the tent up in the backyard and had an "explorer" party (fitting for Franny!).  We made little binoculars for the kids and put some flashlights out there for the kids to play with.

 Opening presents (with a little help from the Doodle):

 

This isn't the greatest picture, but she was thrilled about this gift bag.  She dumped out the presents, exclaimed "My purse!" and proceeded to stand up and walk off holding it like a handbag. 

She got a baby doll for her birthday and has been so completely serious about taking care of it, it's adorable.  She's not especially cuddly, so it's funny to see her care for and love on her baby the way she has been.  I can't believe my sweet Franny-girl is two already!  We love you, Ladybug!