So Many Leaves in late Fall!

The oak trees drop their leaves last.....and we have many of them in our yard. Sunday was a lovely, late fall day --- warm for this time of year. Here is J*lia out playing in the leaves in the front yard......

Halloween

J * E at a house where the adults handing out candy were dressed up too!

Scary girls!!!

J went out dressed as "a shadow"

Me working on J's makeup

Only J*lia went out trick-or-treating this year. It was a rite of passage year for the boys! B*n had to work on Friday night, and T*m -- with his commitment to swimming and health -- decided he really didn't need the candy (and besides, he said, 14 is a little old for such childish things). J*lia went out with her friend Emily (F & I came along), and T*m stayed home to hand out the candy. It is a little sad to see the trick-or-treating come to and end.........but only a little! (and we have a few more years with Julia!)

Swimming

Tim has made a renewed commitment to swimming this year, after a couple of years of being pretty ambivalent. He has made it to all but two practices this fall (beginning in August), and has been working hard. In the last two meets, he took LOTS of time off his events --- like 15 seconds off his 200 IM (Individual Medley) time, and 36 seconds off his 500 Free. He is VERY happy ......... got out of the pool at one meet and said to his coach, in all seriousness, "Who would have thought that going to practice would make such a big difference?!?!" Lucky for him his coach has a sense of humor........