Autumn Shift Presents with Fraggles and Syrup

The third and final fall rush of this size for us...A. graduates this spring!  A. is deep into his projects, and G. has already been invited to three birthday parties this year.  I can hardly believe that October is soon to be in the past!

The leaves are changing slowly this year.  It took me by surprise this morning when the the windows glowed in orange instead of the deep green of summer.  The frogs and birds have changed their songs.  The Canadian geese are taking travel breaks on the property, and can be heard making their way further south throughout the daylight hours.  The squirrels are feverishly collecting acorns for storage.  But there is one sign of Autumn that I love the most: Margot (the dog) has finally stopped shedding clumps of fur!

Speaking of Margot, G. decided she wanted to be her for Halloween.  Translation: I have to make the costume, because apparently Spooky-town doesn't carry brindle pit-bill onesies.  I am almost done, but along the way she has been giving me explicit directions, which I fear will make it resemble a brown tiger-pig.  But the only one who matters will love it, so yay!

Next comes the 4th birthday.  Holy Shit! My baby is going to be FOUR, which means I am almost ... Well, ya know.  Ahem.  We are going to have a "Little Red Riding Hood" theme complete with a spooky walk into the woods to find the "Big Bad Wolf" pinata.  Southwest meets northeast? I almost decided against it b/c of the remote chance of poison ivy outbreak, BUT I am not allergic so, meh....we're doing it! Now I just need to get my butt in gear to make the red capes for the gals and scary wolf masks for the dudes. 

I am going to be a little selfish with her birthday gift.  I am OBSESSED with the kids show from the 80s, Fraggle Rock, created by Jim Henson (The Muppets, Sesame Street, Labrynth).  I know WAY too much about the show, and the philosophy of the Fraggles and Dozers, etc.  But I think that the show has a great message about the world needing dreamers and doers, and also that perhaps we are actually living in a cave and there is a whole world beyond the "here"? Okay, I've come back down from Hokeyville.  The show is just plain fun, and I think she will like it.  And since we have successfully kept her from live TV watching for the past 3 years, it is only fair to equip her with close to 100 new episodes to add to her mix of DVDs.

By the way, G. got this as a gift for her 2nd birthday and it has been INVALUABLE! It is the Scholastic Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics DVDs: Where the Wild Things Are, Curious George, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Corduroy!  And it only encourages her to find the book on her shelf and read more.  (do I sound like an infommercial? Sorry! I really do just love the idea.  Each show/book is only about 10-15 minutes too, so when she asks to watch a show I can regulate how long she is staring at the tube.  We also got the Treasury of 20, which has Bear Feels Sick and Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Your Ear.


Next on our plate is Thanksgiving.  (Did you catch that?!) I don't know what kind of dish I will be asked to bring this year but I am hoping for dessert.  I want to make a Steen's "100% Pure Cane Syrup" Pecan Pie...I am so obsessed with this stuff, and every time I eat it I feel like I am 5 again, sitting at the table with my dad eating fresh homemade biscuits smothered in this deep, dark, molasses-y goodness.  And I will make the pie with Bergeron Pecans of course!