{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. via

Fall Dinners

When it's cold and dark outside by dinner time, our normal mealtime candles feel so much more cozy and magical. Hope all of you are finding ways to make these shortening days with their dark evenings special.

Muffin Making

We had ourselves a little time; measuring and mixing and tasting and baking these delicious pumpkin muffins. Oh, we made a big mess. Messy, to the extent of Calder requiring a change of shirt and wash-up while the first batch baked. Baking with littles is always much messier than it usually is. Actually, pretty much everything done with Calder is much messier. Eventually, that won't be the case. But for now it is, and that's fine - we can clean up.

Now we'll be eating muffins all week.

Bowling!

The Madison chapter of sisters and I took the kids bowling Saturday night. Oh yes, we're that hip! We shared a pitcher of beer, bowled a game - and it was fun. Piper was very excited about it. Wore her tutu skirt and everything. Calder, as always, was a curious man. Taking all three of us grown ups to keep track of him. Bowling only kept his interest for a short bit. As I expected, being too small to really work that ball yet. He'd pick up a ball and say, 'hey-ee!' (translation: heavy) put it down and move along to what every else caught his eye.

Piper played the whole game. Mostly by herself. She'd lug her ball up to the foul line, get down on her knees and push the ball down the lane. Then lie down for the show. While the rest of us patiently waited out her ball's s-l-o-w journey. By the time it reached the pins it had such a small amount of momentum that it barely had the power to knock any pins down. Piper didn't mind, and celebrated joyously over every pin she did get.

She loved her ball. In between her turns, she'd stand guard over it at the ball return. Touching it, leaning on it, posing on it. Even going so far as giving the kids in the next lane over the evil eye so they wouldn't try to snatch her precious ball.

She was such a treat with her slow play and dramatic sequence of movements at every turn. A reminder to enjoy the game - as much as a mama with a two year old on the loose could.

After our bowling was done, Piper asked to play the claw game. Zac is the only person I know who wins almost every time at that game. Which was my excuse for not wanting to play. Although, in hindsight I would rather waste the fifty cents on her and I playing and losing, than have Zac play, win, and have to deal with the garbage toy prize we end up with.

Must remember to just enjoy the game.