We are back!

Wow. I can't believe it is October already. The last month and a half has gone by really quickly! Dan and I just returned from our fabulous trip to Switzerland and Italy. The kids stayed with Evonne and Wendy which was a real relief! We saw all these people trying to push strollers down crooked cobblestone streets or carrying babies in slings through the Roman ruins. We were very grateful to just stroll on through - to eat dinner out without worrying about the growing mound of food scraps under the table - to sleep without a little voice saying "Mom! The first number on the clock says 7 so its time to get up!" OF course, after a few days every child we saw had an uncanny resemblance to K or A and we imagined what fun they were having at home.

Since we have been home, I am still a bit in limbo - adjusting to from moonlit gelato strolls to preschool pick up schedules. We are back in full swing. Kade starts AWANA's on Wednesday, he is in preschool 3 days a week now, and soccer will begin in a couple weeks, plus Mom's group, church on Sunday, Dan still busy with photography jobs - life is busy! I find myself a lot more content though than I was this time last year and that feels good. It seems this is an easy town to get familiar with again. People are friendly, neighbors are neighborly, etc.

It is definitively fall, that is for sure. It is mostly still green and the trees are still thick with leaves but many have started to curl slightly, their edges just turning that familiar yellow and red hue. The days have been sunny and bright since we have been back but there is a slight chill in the air and sweatshirts are definitely needed by night. Kade thinks about Halloween at least 3 times per day, if not more. He is bonkers over any holiday involving candy. He changes his costume plans almost as often. So far he has fancied himself to be superman, spiderman, a mummy, a vampire, batman and a "dirty guy" which is apparently literally a guy who is really messy and dirty. We plan to go costume shopping soon so we will see what the final pick is. Avram does not really get a choice - the poor kid is the king of hand me downs. He will be an adorable bee thanks to his cousin Andrew.

Avram is every busy although he has sweetened a bunch. He is now finally full of hugs and kisses - be them brief - I will take all I can get. He still hates having his diaper changed and acts like it is a major torture. He is in love with water. He likes to splash in it, take long baths, make a water mess, drink it, whatever. On the last day in Florida, my mom was shocked to find Avram in her shower with her - just standing there. What a nut.