Glorious Fall!

It's been almost a month since my last post, so this one is going to be epic-- brace yourself! I just have to start with this quote, which I've seen a bunch of times on Facebook recently. Because it is so, so TRUE!

I think October has become one of my absolute favorite months. It's when the leaves really put on a show. And this year, it's been amazing! Our fall foliage was delayed because of the lack of rainfall we had this spring/summer, so it's just now getting close to peak. And the weather has been, for the most part, very clear and mild. Perfect fall weather! As I type this, the kids are at school and I am sitting by the window, looking at the colorful trees dotting the road and the bright blue sky. It is GORGEOUS out there! And we have been keeping busy, enjoying all the fun fall activities that all New Englanders seem to partake in! :)

Backing up... A few weeks ago, we went to "Oaktoberfest"-- a fun celebration in my parents' new town. The turnout was less than expected due to the VERY chilly/wet weather (it has since warmed up, haha). But we had a great time! Their new house is right in the center of town, so we parked there and then walked on down to enjoy the festivities. We started out by going on a hayride-- pretty much the FASTEST hayride any of us had ever been on (both kids thought it was "AWESOME!" haha).

Then the kids bounced in a bounce house for a few minutes, before learning that it was time for the magic show. They seemed a little hesitant to go over and check it out, but soon they were laughing hysterically. It was pretty entertaining! And a photographer for a local paper was there, which is how the back of Maya's head ended up on the front page of the next issue. The magician was kind enough to pose with everyone and let them pet Lulu the bunny after the show:

After the show, the kids played carnival-style games and won a bunch of cheapie prizes-- the kind they LOVE but I would love to throw away? Yes, those prizes. And at a certain point, we were all freezing our rears off, so we walked back to the house to defrost for an hour or so before the Great Ball Roll. Yes, a ball roll. It's apparently a fundraiser for the library? But it's just like how it sounds. Every ball has a number, and you buy your numbers ahead of time. If your ball makes it down the hill first, you win a prize. Sadly, we didn't win anything.

After the ball roll (and a pit stop to buy hot chocolates), we walked back to the house and had a nice, warm dinner. Then Gus and I left, and the kids got to sleep over in "their" room (they've been begging to sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but their room wasn't ready yet. So they were VERY excited!). Before that, though, they walked down to the town bonfire and listened to a local band play. Maya and Grandma had a great time dancing up until one of the singers complimented them... and then Maya wanted to go home, haha! Everyone slept well and they are already talking about when their next sleepover is going to be!

Then, last weekend, we were super busy. On Sunday, we hiked Mt. Monadnock with the Cub Scouts. I thought it was going to be a fairly easy hike. But we got to the state park in New Hampshire at 9am, and made it to the summit right around noon. And we made it back down to the parking lot just before 4pm. It was a LONG day. With a lot of actual climbing (not hiking) over some very big rocks. With children. And we took a wrong turn, adding a few extra miles (though they were probably "easier" miles than we originally planned). I was so, SO sore for days afterward. I am actually STILL a little sore, ha!

The next day, we had planned to go to the pumpkin patch. I won't lie, I was in a horrible mood! I had been in so much pain from the hike that I hadn't slept well. So I was sore and tired. And then the hayride wasn't free (it was last year!). And the Niko insisted on this pumpkin that cost almost $12 (rip off!). And then my parents bought us ice cream, but the kids made a giant mess... it wasn't my best day. But the pumpkin patch was pretty. And they are happy with their pumpkin, so that's good.

In other news... I have been kept busy with subbing, and I am LOVING it! All the parts I loved about teaching, with none of the long-term responsibility. I walk out the door at the end of the day, put on my "Mom" hat, and that is that! Plus the flexible schedule is great (today I didn't work, so I went grocery shopping and cleaned-- now we're all set for a good weekend!). Most days, I know the night before that I am going to be subbing. But it doesn't really matter-- I've gotten in the habit of getting everything ready the night before, no matter what. And when it's time to go, the kids and I hop in the car and head over to the school. They stay with me wherever I am until 8:45, when they can go to their classrooms (if I am nearby and they see me, their teachers will often grab them earlier and get them to help pass out papers, etc. in their own classrooms, which is nice). And after school, they meet me on the bench in the hallway by the office. It is the most perfect arrangement-- I am literally only working when they are at school, but I am also still there if they need me. I see them both in the hallways all the time. Yesterday, I even managed to sneak across the hall into Maya's classroom to comb her hair right before her class went to take their school pictures. It's great! I adore the staff there so much, and it was a very easy transition for me to go from parent to teacher (though it was a little weird at first, eating in their teacher lunchroom!). And I already knew a ton of kids at the school, but now I know the vast majority of them. I feel like a rock star when I walk through the halls!! So it's been a great experience. Now I have another hat to add to my collection: parent, PTO board member, School Improvement Committee member, and substitute teacher. I know this school inside and out, haha! :)

Anyway, like I said, today I didn't work. After I did my chores, I decided to drive around town and admire the foliage. Yes, these pictures are all from in our town! Most of them were taken near the farms about a mile back behind our house. It's so pretty!! I can't imagine being anywhere BUT New England for the fall. OH WAIT, another quote! I saw this one earlier and it seemed very fitting:

It's true! The bursts of color remind me so much of the spring, when suddenly you see flowers blooming and leaves unfurling before your eyes. But this time, it's the trees! And they are SPECTACULAR this year! Plus the nice weather makes it even easier to enjoy them. Here are just a few pictures from my mini-leaf-peeping trip around town this morning-- the first is our house, where the leaves are finally getting started!

Anyway... between soccer, scouts, school, work, and everything else, I am leaving a TON of things out. The past month has been absolutely packed! But now I am decently caught up, which is good because we still have a few very busy weeks ahead! So stay tuned-- hopefully I will post sooner next time! :)