October Traditions

I’ll admit – I have been in a funk. Work. School. Garage Sales. Vacations. And anything else eating into my time at home. I am the perfect example of doing a thousand things, but not really doing any of them right. I know my writing has resembled the prose of Debbie Downer, but I want to ensure you that it is not all doom and gloom, tyrant children and inadequate parenting. Although I still believe if they did give an aptitude test to all the parents of incoming kindergartners, then I would struggle to pass. I am not doubting my knowledge, skills or intentions, just my current ability to stay focused and juggle. The cryptic school newsletters are not helping either. If we need to bring in an apple, then call it out! Don’t casually mention it in the last sentience of a un-related paragraph about that week’s math lesson. There’s no connection, so please make a separate call to action!.

But overall October has been a good month, like always, and our weekends have been spent with friends (Kathy visited from Washington and we are still having happy hours on driveway), at football fields (from the YMCA to Nippert Stadium) and in the hills of Southeast Ohio (Hocking Hills State Park).

Last weekend we had our annual trip to Hocking Hills, which actually offered more R&R than anticipated and definitely more sleep compared to any year in the past (even the A-frame days). Avery and Alex are finally at a nice, independent age where we no longer have to schedule hikes around nursing or hover over them so they don’t fall into prickly plants (we learned she will fall into a cactus regardless). And since we are getting older, I dare say we are getting a bit wiser, and at least my nights at the campfire were ending early (no one could believe I was in bed by 11:30!). But despite all the downtime I got or the glory Andy got by making homemade pasta to save Sarah’s lasagna, the best part was hanging out with the Alex and Avery, and watching them hike, fly kites, play baseball, play freeze tag, play badminton, roll down the big hill, eat smores, sing karaoke, dance, make crafts, race, play Leapsters or do anything else that a kid can do when they are isolated (in a good way) in a 7000 square foot cabin on 100 acres of land.

Click here to see pictures from Hocking Hills 2010.