Happy Fall and Random Thoughts

This is Cate, the little girl who would not walk across crunchy leaves when she first came home. She would not budge, even though she was wearing boots and snow pants. She did not want to walk across anything at all other than concrete. This past weekend, after a brief moment of hesitation and a good look at her brother's glee, she flung herself wildly into the pile, and like her brother, buried herself up to her neck while she laughed with delight.

What a difference a summer can make.

Alex, for his part, after a weekend of four birthday parties, hiking, a visit from his uncle, time with his grandparents and unlimited sunshine, carousel rides, apples, leaves and pumpkins, has announced that he will not return to school tomorrow. He plans to go live on a farm. I told him it would probably have to be a farm in Africa. I was trying to think of a place he might escape the school requirement. He thought it was a fine plan, except for the fact that he doesn't speak African, only English, Spanish and Chinese. He also announced himself the "Captain of Nature" this weekend with a "body built for speed." I would love to live in his head, a place where I am fluent in three languages, live on a farm that requires no weeding, only the harvesting of vegetables, and where I am king and have a body built for something other than eternally cleaning up the kitchen. He did grant me the generous title, "Queen of Nature," which I am happy to accept.