goodbye fall

Just three weeks ago, I had a pair of nail clippers (which I had stolen from my father) that had their very own spot, resting on top of my bookshelf next to my bed. A most convenient place indeed. Out of sight for the wiley ways of nail clipper thieves, and in reach of them whenever I needed them. However, they have been misplaced, stolen, or quite possibly called back to the mothership and disappeared into a black hole where all nail clippers eventually end up. Since that time, I have been unable to locate another pair. This has led to the literal onset of my nails just growing and growing... out of control. I hate it when my nails get long, but i won't bite them. So I have abstained from doing anything to them.

Yesterday though, I'd had it. Enough was enough, and they just had to be cut. So i eventually located a pair, and promptly cut my nails to a manageable length.

For as long as I can remember, I have been stealing nail clippers. I have always felt bad about it, because I know how mad it makes me to lose a pair of my own... but I have never been able to find a way around it. At one point, I literally had 4 pairs of nail clippers that i had put into a bag, that was inside a storage box which was kept in my closet. There was no way anyone would ever think to look there for them. I remember times, pulling that box out and my mom looking at all the clippers i had hoarded away in there in complete shock. I felt no remorse for my methods of obtaining them, and certainly had no intentions of giving them back.

Moving on from this useless talk of nail clippers. Monday and Tuesday, the kids had off from school. It was very nice, especially monday since it seems to me that it was the last officially nice day of fall. I really wanted to go to mendon ponds and have a fall picnic and maybe go on some of the trails, but the kids didn't see that as a fun idea. In retrospect, I have realized however that they don't usually like my ideas... but if i don't ask for their opinion, they often end up liking whatever i thought up for us to do. Which is what i should have done in this case... the ole don't give them a choice, just tell them what we're doing. it would have been fun. But we stayed home and went for a hike in the woods behind the house... where i found the skull and partial skeleton of a fox. it was sick, i was totally grossed out.

We had a really fun time on the swings though...

...and i had them help me find some colorful leaves for an art project.

There are so many pretty leaves on the ground, but it seems that little A has a knack for picking up only the leaves that are only partial leaves and are mostly black. But what do you say when a 3 year old holds it up to you beaming with pride that he is helping you with something and says, "here manna, this leaf pitty." You say, "THANK YOU!!! It's BEAUtiful!"

I just love it :)