The Pumpkin Patch

Well, after much thought, very, very, very much thought, I chose to go to the pumpkin patch with Joshua instead of going to JCT's preschool fall party. It was quite possibly the most difficult decision that I have ever made!! But, a good friend, who is like an aunt to my sons, volunteered to go with JCT to his party.



And, after all I couldn't give up a chance to watch the drama of Princess M and the kindergarten love triangle unfold right before my eyes. . .



And, in that regard, after spending a day watching Joshua's class there is little to report. They all played together happily. There was no drama. Although, Cutie C's mother did tell me that Cutie C had pegged my son as her future mate. It is the age old drama of "we always want the ones that we cannot have." Princess M loves Jack, and while Jack is oblivious my Joshua adores Princess M. Cutie C loves Joshua, and while he is oblivious, undoubtedly someone is heartbroken over Cutie C and she too is oblivious. . . I can almost hear Desperado playing in the background. . . "Why don't you come to your senses. . ."



Anyway, enough of all that! This post is about the pumpkin patch! We had a blast!! I had the wonderful opportunity of bonding with two of my children yesterday. Joshua, obviously, I bonded with by being present at his field trip. And, Erik Daniel, I bonded with as I carried him in the baby bjorn for four hours, yes, four hours without sitting down or taking him off even to nurse him. (I fed him a pumped bottle while standing around watching Joshua's class eat lunch.) But, it was so fun, incredibly exhausting, but fun!



First, the kids played putt putt golf. I kept having to remind many of Joshua's classmates that this was not baseball, it was putt putt golf, and the balls were not supposed to become projectiles, the balls were to stay on the ground. But, inevitably, a few minutes later another golf ball would come flying two inches from Erik Daniel's sweet head. Here is a picture of Joshua playing putt putt (he later said this was his favorite part of the day). . .




Next, his class moved to the petting zoo. I have issues with petting zoos, but I set my issues aside and entered the petting zoo with my son and his class. Apparently, my son has issues with petting zoos, too, because he spent most of his time walking around looking at the animals and little time actually petting them. Thank You, Jesus. But, this child, whoever's son he is, had no issues whatsoever with touching, what is in my opinion, quite possibly the dirtiest and scariest of all the farm animals at the petting zoo.




Princess M, much like me, preferred the more domesticated animals at the petting zoo. Here she is with a cute little fuzzy bunny.



And, here is Joshua's buddy, Eli. He is a little Godsend. They are both a little on the quiet side (at least in large groups :-)), and they became instant buddies this year!



And, here they are petting a baby goat. . .




After the petting zoo, we headed indoors to let the children play in a room full of inflatables!! I took several pictures of Joshua jumping and sliding, but the room was too dark for my pictures to turn out very well.



Next, the kids played on the playground, and then ate lunch.



After lunch, we loaded up on a big tractor trailer and headed out to the pumpkin patch! But, we had one stop on the way. . .



We stopped at a catfish pond to feed the fish.




And, then it was off to find the best pumpkin in the patch!!


Joshua with his pumpkin. . .


Joshua's class with their pumpkins. . .


It is a "Reed" Sandwich!




I think the thing that stuck out the most to me today was a thought I had during lunch. All six of the kindergarten classes ate together side by side, class by class. And, as I stood there watching all the children, teachers, and parents, I couldn't help thinking that one day we would sit together at graduation. We live in a small town. There is little inflow and outflow here. Most of the families have roots in this community that go back several generations. Thus, few of Joshua's classmates will move away before graduation. As I watched Joshua play earlier that day, I talked to the parents of the other kindergartners. Many of them are already my friends, and many I got to know quite well yesterday. We are a club of sorts, the parents of the kindergartners. And, eventually I will belong to 4 such clubs. I will become intimately acquainted with these families over the years as we raise our children side by side. It moved me to think these things, to imagine Joshua graduating one day, and to imagine a picture of Joshua, Reed, and Princess M. in their caps and gowns.

No doubt, it was a day well spent.

First Frost. . .

I had no idea how chilly it was getting until I took the trash out last night. Oh, me, I cannot tell you how good it felt to open the backdoor and enter the warmth of our home. Our home with heat, that is! Erik turned it on for the first time this year last night! When Erik and I climbed into bed last night, he pulled up the comforter that sits lonely all summer at the foot of our bed, and he whispered something about needing to switch our sateen sheets in for our flannel ones.

And, this can only mean one thing. . .

Winter is on its way!

I woke up to frozen grass that glistened and sparkled in the sunlight. So, this morning I celebrated cooler weather with my pumpkin spice candle and a hot cup of coffee. It really doesn't get much better than that!

Happy 2 months, sweet one!

Your two month anniversary just happened to fall on my 33rd birthday!! So, happy birthday to us, sweet one! I love you to pieces! You are smiling almost to the point of laughter! You are cooing and almost rolling over! You can lift your head and chest high up off the ground when you are having playtime on your tummy! You try to see all that is going on around you. The other day for the first time you smiled at JCT while he was talking to you, and it made his week! He loved the attention from you!



I cannot describe to you how very much your big brother Elijah loves you. Oh, my goodness, he wants to be with you all. the. time! It is very sweet, but it kinda drives me crazy! I am constantly trying to keep you safe from all his lovin'. Bless his heart, he has no idea how to be gentle. But, boy, does he love you! I look forward to watching your friendship with him grow and grow over the years!



Here are a few pictures taken during the last month. . .



He's a good big brother. He's had a lot of practice!!






I bravely put you on a blanket in the middle of the family room floor after Elijah had gone to sleep. You were not alone for long! These two found you quickly and stayed with you!!!




I love your sweet little face, my son!

A Glimpse Into This Week. . .

I think it is so funny that some of you commented on my accent. Glad to know that the good old southern drawl is intact, but I don't hear it myself. I'll just have to take your word for it!!! I think I sound perfectly normal, but, of course, that is because I sound like everyone around me! Oh, and if you think that I sound southern, just wait until I post a home video of my sons. . . With them every word has at least two syllables!! Very funny and cute!

In other news, I made these cookies for JCT's preschool class.

The inspiration behind these cookies was my need to rid our home of the leftover icing from the footballs that I made for Joshua's class. But, there was still a good bit of icing left after I made the autumn leaf cookies, so yesterday on the way home from picking Joshua up, I announced from the front of the van that we were going to make cupcakes when we got home!! Of all my children Elijah was the most excited. Over and over the rest of the ride home, he said, "Iwannnna cuck-cake! I wanna cuck-cake! Wanna cuck-cake!"

Then, today, I made the mistake of putting the "cuck-cakes" on the edge of the counter. And, when I came out of the laundry room after folding a load of clothes, I saw this little man standing in my kitchen with a huge grin. . .

He just decided to help himself! How can you not smile at that sweet fact! I could eat him up, I tell you, I could eat him up!!!

My biggest dilema, at present, is that Joshua's class is going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch on the same day and at the same time as JCT's preschool's "Fall Party" where they dress up and play games and parents are to be part of the fun! Parents, of course, are also invited to go with the kindergarteners to the pumpkin patch.

This is quite troubling. . . I guess because my mother was present at every event of my entire school career that parents were invited to be a part of. . . everything from chaparoning a trip to Washington D.C. to sneaking cheese dip to one of the side doors of my old high school so that my Chemistry 2 class could have a little treat! She was always a part of everything, and I want to support my boys in the same way! I simply wish that I could do both things, but that is impossible, so I am forced to choose between them. Ugghh.

I, also, took the time this week to figure out how to watch the videoes from my Sony Share Cam on the computer. I think that I have had the camera for a year now. I am a sad case, I tell you. Anyway, watching old home movies has proven to be great afterschool entertainment for my boys!

Sweet Baby Love!

This is my first attempt at posting a video from my Sony Share Camera!

Sweet Baby Erik Daniel!!!

Integrity

I was working on a homework assignment with Joshua a month or so ago when Joshua said something that bothered me. He had to write various letters of the alphabet 5 times each. I think we were on the letter "k" when he said it. . .

The teacher had specifically asked that we help the children start each letter at the top and go down. But, for some reason, Joshua always wanted to start at the bottom and draw his line up instead of starting at the top and drawing his line down. At one point in the midst of his frustration with my correcting him on this, he asked, "Mom, how will she know whether I start at the top or at the bottom? She won't know. So, why does it matter?"

Very quickly I answered, "She asked you to write your letters a certain way, so it does matter. You have to do things the right way whether she sees you or whether she doesn't see you. It is called integrity. You do the right thing regardless of whether anyone ever knows or sees."

I thought about our conversation a lot afterward. I talked to Erik about it and asked him to encourage Joshua, any chance that he got, to be a little boy of integrity. It has always been my prayer for him.

Integrity.

About a week ago, Joshua asked me to start coming up to his room and kissing him before I go to bed. So, I obliged him his simple request, and each night at about 10:30 or so before Erik and I go to bed, I climb the steps, tiptoe into his room, and gently kiss his cheek ~ and JCT's, too.

But, last Friday night Erik went to a football game over an hour away, and my friend Sara brought Starbucks and came over to keep me company. Needless to say, we stayed up quite late. I think it was around midnight that Erik came home and Sara left. I was exhausted. . . Completely spent. . . And, I knew that in an hour or two Erik Daniel would wake up to nurse. . . So. . .

I decided not to go upstairs and kiss Joshua. I was tired, the staircase looked incredibly tall, and I had been doing it for several nights now and never once in the morning did he ask me if I kissed him the night before. . .

So, would it really matter if I skip one night?

After all, he'll never know. . .

So, instead of kissing him, I washed my face and fell into bed. . .

Only to be awakened a few hours later. . .

But, not by Erik Daniel. . .

Rather, I was awakened by a soft, sweet voice that I know and love, saying, "Mommy. . . Mommy. . . Mommy. . ." Occasionally Joshua wakes up to tinkle at night, and he likes me to walk with him to the bathroom.

So, sleepily I stumbled up the stairs and into my little boy's room.

"Joshua," I said as I looked toward his bed. But, the covers didn't move.

Then, slowly a figure emerged from JCT's bed. And, I said, "Oh, JCT, I thought it sounded like Joshua's voice. . ."

The figure made his way toward me, and when he reached me he said, "It is me. . . Joshua."

Confused, I rubbed my eyes and asked, "You are sleeping with JCT?" It never occurred to me in my sleepy haze that asking this question was admitting that I obviously did not know that he was sleeping with JCT. And, if I had kissed him goodnight before I went to bed, I would know these things. . .

But, Joshua was not too sleepy to put two and two together. . .

And, his gentle, hurt voice cut through the dark straight into my heart like a knife, "Mommy, you didn't kiss me, did you?"

"No," I whispered holding him close, "I'm so sorry."

He said nothing else. He was silent as I walked him to the bathroom and then back to JCT's bed. I tucked him in, kissed his precious cheek, and whispered a soft, "I love you." Then, slowly I made my way back to my bed where I layed in deep thought for over an hour.

I had broken his trust.

I had not followed through because I thought that he would never know. . .

Integrity.

It was all that I could think of as I lay there wide awake. . . integrity, my lack of it on that particular night, and the letter "k."

I guess I have a bit left to learn about integrity. It is essential in rearing these little men that I practice what I preach.

I am still earning my son's trust.

Each night when I tuck him in, he reminds me that I am to kiss him before I go to bed. And, each night I assure him that I will do it. And, each night, without fail, no matter how tired, I climb the stairs and kiss him before I go to bed.

He never wakes up, and he never asks me the next morning if I kissed him the night before.

But, still I do it.

I never miss a night.

Because God is using a little boy to teach his mama about integrity.

It is just another way that God is using my little men to sharpen me, to make me selfless, more like Jesus.

And, Joshua, yeah, he is learning, too. In fact, now when he messes up and starts his letters at the bottom, he erases them and starts over ~ top to bottom. . . even though his teacher will never know. . .

Integrity.

Columbus Day!

Joshua and JCT were out of school/preschool for Columbus Day/Teacher Work Day last Monday. Words cannot express how excited I was to have my boys home with me!! I was so excited that I didn't have to get up and immediately get everyone dressed, fed, and out the door. Instead, we stayed in our pjs a little longer, and I sipped my coffee slowly. . .


What could be better than sitting on the couch, watching cartoons, and sipping coffee while being surrounded by the little ones that I love most!!!


But, once the day got going I wanted it to be fun!! So, we had a wonderful morning of painting!!!!



First, the boys fingerpainted these adorable fall trees! Note that the trunk and branches are their forearm and hand.




Then we painted with apples, or I guess I should say, we stamped with apples!




And, last, I let them paint the pumpkins that they picked out a few weeks ago at the pumpkin patch!




They had a really good time! Painting is always a hit with my guys!

Spirit Day!

In our little town there is only one elementary school, one middle school, one jr. high, and one high school. Thus, the entire community cheers for the same team. Tonight is our high school's homecoming, and for the first time we have a child in the school system.

Now, every Friday is "Spirit Day," and the kids all wear the school colors or t-shirts with the school mascot displayed on them. But, today is an extra special spirit day! Since it is homecoming, the band, the cheerleaders, etc. bring the pep ralley to all the schools including the elementary school! So, Joshua will get to experience his very first pep ralley! How I wish that I could be there when the band marches into the elementary school gym! What a fun day it will be for him! Not to mention the fact that this morning the kindergarten classes went on a "Farm Tour," touring 3 local farms! He will get to pet a 2 week old donkey, sit on tractors, and eat a picnic lunch! And, tonight he will get to stand on the sidelines of the football game with his Daddy.

Yes, today will be a fun day for the little man! And, in honor of this fun day, I made these football brownies for Joshua's class to eat for their snacktime!

And, my sweet JCT had fun helping mama make the footballs!!!

He loves icing ~ chocolate icing & white icing! And, I love him!

Erik Daniel's Baby Dedication

This morning we dedicated Erik Daniel to the Lord.

It was an overcast and cool fall morning. The weather outside was the kind of weather that produces a calm and peaceful effect on my soul. But, inside our home the effect of the weather was downplayed by our lack of preparation and the general chaos of Sunday mornings. Erik and I were running to and fro attempting to dress, feed, and care for 4 young boys, and, by the time Erik Daniel and I arrived at church, my nerves were a bit rattled. . . to say the least.

But, the church house was a different story. The trees just beginning to turn in the churchyard were beautiful, and I felt a little more calm just pulling into the parking lot. Because I was running late, when I entered the church foyer, I could hear the congregation singing hymns. And, the old hymns were peace to my soul on that hurried morning.

We do this "dedication thing" with every child, and it has become rather routine, I guess. But, with each new child, my love and admiration for our church body grows. And, today as I walked down the aisle, I was quite overwhelmed by all the faces that have meant so much to me and my children. This body of believers who once were just names and faces have become more intimately acquainted with our family as they have touched our children's lives. They are their Sunday school teachers, choir teachers, nursery workers, and VBS helpers. And, over the years many of them have become like family to us. It is amazing. We've only lived here for 7 years, but this small town and this sweet church have made this place like home to us. They are a people of simple faith who don't get caught up in great theological debates, but they know how to love and care for their own. And, I have been blessed greatly by them.

And, today as we dedicated our child to the Lord, I blinked back a few tears as my eyes met Lu Anne's, Wendy's, Mr. Ricky's, Jake's, Mr. Marshall's, Mr. Bobby's, Mrs. Lee's, and many others. I know how much they have meant to me, and I know how much they will mean to my Erik Daniel. The body of Christ is a beautiful thing.

Little Cowboy

Love my 'Lijah, Cowboy!

Sweet Lion Story. . .

This is soooo sweet! Who knew lions could be so lovable!!!

The Middle Men

#1 Middle Man. . .

JCT

JCT is my witty little man! He is so funny ~ mostly when he isn't trying to be! He is charming, warm, and comfortable in his own skin, and I love him for it! These pics were taken of him at Deana B's house the other day. She kept him while I went to a doctor's appointment, and he amused himself (& Deana B) in Afton's dress up clothes! What a little wonder he is!

The other day Erik was disciplining him in the kitchen over something I can't even remember what it was, and he wouldn't look Erik in the eyes. Erik was kneeling down on JCT's level trying to get his attention ~ their faces less than a foot apart. I kept hearing Erik say, "Son, look me in the eyes when I am talking to you!" Finally after JCT made several attempts to escape his Daddy, Erik said, "Why will you not look me in the face?" And, this was JCT's exasperated response. . .

"I don't like the way your breath smells!!!!"

And, while we are on the subject of smelling breath. . .

Erik gave JCT gum for the first time the other day. Before giving it to JCT, he repeatedly told him, "Do not swallow it. Chew it, but do not swallow it." JCT promised that he wouldn't swallow it, so Erik gave him half a piece of peppermint gum. JCT chewed it for a moment, then exhaled a large breath in Erik's face and said, "Smell my breath! Doesn't it smell good. . . Ahhhhhhh. . . Spicy!!" Followed a few moments later by these words. . .

"Oops, I ate it!"

I love that little guy!

#2 Middle Man

Elijah

Now, you want to talk about a funny little man, Elijah is a funny little man! He is unlike either of his older brothers. He is more rough, more opinionated, and more fiery. If he asks for juice, and I give him juice, but he really meant to ask for milk, the juice cup becomes an instant projectile. He throws EVERYTHING! If I get on to him, he hits or throws the nearest object. He has a bit of a little temper that I am praying over daily! He thinks that going to the corner is the greatest thing ever! It makes him feel big ~ like his big brothers who spend a good bit of time there!

All in all, he is one of our happiest children! He smiles, he laughs, he has a blast at everything he does! He keeps up with his big brothers the best that he can. If one of them is in his way, he simply grunts and pushes him out of his way! He is something! I have a feeling that he is going to give me a run for my money when he turns two ~ or maybe sooner!

I can honestly say that more than his older brothers, he loves to be read to. He would let me read him books all day! He loves to tell me animal noises and sing his version of the ABC's.

But, the funniest thing about my little 17 month old is his affection for spoons. He loves spoons! He has a spoon in his hand at all times. His favorite is a rubber ended Gerber Toddler Spoon. He shoots baskets with a spoon in his hand, draws with crayons with a spoon in his hand, you name it, the spoon rarely leaves his grip. Joshua did a similar thing with a little green shovel. I love the little things they do that set them apart!! Maybe he will be a famous chef one day! Who knows!!

They are funny little guys, my middle men, and I love them dearly!!

First Kiss

This post is for later use. . .

When Joshua's future wife asks him who his first kiss was with. . .

Let's just call her Cutie C to protect her privacy. . .

Joshua still claims that Princess M is his "girlfriend." But, if you ask him who Princess M's boyfriend is, he will tell you it is Jack. And, for some strange reason, this doesn't seem to bother Joshua in the least.

At our school's open house the other night, we got to see some of the children's work that they have been keeping at school. One of these things was a booklet of favorite things. There was a page where the children were asked to draw a picture of their best friend. I held my breath fearing Joshua would draw Princess M. But, thankfully, his best friend had short hair. And, though, Mrs. W was convinced the picture was of Eli, Joshua disagreed saying it was his friend Reed. Either way it was not Princess M, and I was more than satisfied. As I was walking around admiring the children's artwork and enjoying the baked apples the children made earlier that day for us to eat, Cutie C's mom came up to me laughing. Smiling she said, "Look, Cutie C drew Joshua as her best friend!" And, sure enough, her picture was unmistakably Joshua ~ a little boy. . . with red hair. It was so adorable that I wished I could ask Cutie C's mom if I could keep it!!!!

Fast forward to Joshua and my bedtime conversation last night. . .

M: "So, who did you play with on the playground today?"
J: "Jack and Eli. We were running away from those girls." (look of disgust on his face)
M: "Why?"
J (with wide eyes): "So they wouldn't kiss us!!!"
M: "Kiss you, excuse me, what did you say? You didn't kiss anybody did you?"
J (instant blush and sheepish grin): "Well, Cutie C kissed me. . ."
M (horrified): "What!!! You let Cutie C kiss you! Where did she kiss you?"
J (silly grin getting bigger as he pointed to his lips!)
M (even more horrified gasped): "Joshuaaaa!"
J: "And, Princess M tried to kiss Jack, but he ran away. . ."
M: "Why didn't you run away from Cutie C, Joshua?"
J: "Well, she came at me from behind. . ."
M: "What did you do when she kissed you?"
J: "I hit her!"
M: "You hit her? You hit a girl. We don't hit ~ especially girls!"
J: "But, she kissed me, and I didn't mean to hit her I just did it before I thought about it. Then, we ran away so they couldn't kiss us anymore! But, Anna Belle told Mrs. M that I hit Cutie C. But, I told Mrs. M, 'Well, she kissed me!'"
M: "What did Mrs. M say?"
J: "She said, 'Joshua, no hitting and Cutie C no kissing.'" (This statement made me laugh!)
M: "Did you hurt Cutie C when you hit her? Did she cry?"
J: "No, I didn't hurt her. I just. . ." Then, he showed me how he backhanded her.
M: "Remember how she drew you as her friend?"
J: "Yeah, well, she's not my friend anymore. I don't even want to be friends with her anymore after she kissed me like that!!!!!"

And, thus, we have it. . . my oldest son's first kiss. . . against his will. . . on the playground. . . in kindergarten.

He's Come a Long Way, My Baby. . .

I was driving home from my 6 week post partum doctor's appointment when I received the call. I didn't recognize the number, but it was local, so I answered it. It was Mrs. W, Joshua's teacher. My heart sank. What could it be? What could be wrong? Is he sick? Did he get hurt? Is my boy crying? Immediately upon hearing her voice I asked, "Is something wrong?"

Laughing she answered, "Oh, no, I have good news. Joshua wants to tell you something. Here he is." Then, she handed the phone to my sweet son who said in a very quiet and rehearsed voice. . .

"Mommy. . . Mommy. . . I'm the student of the month for all of kindergarten." Then with a little help from his teacher, he added, "They took my picture, and I got a t-shirt. . ."

Student of the month. . . my son. . . for the whole kindergarten. . . that's 6 classes. . . over 100 kids. . . my baby. . . student of the month. . . wow!!! One month ago I never would have dreamed. . .

My heart was bursting with pride! Bursting. . . at the seams! Is this the same little boy who sat with the teachers during recess in preschool? Now he has friends, and he is having so much fun!!

But, who could blame the kid ~ Kindergarten is great fun! He is really enjoying this year! Take for instance last week. . . On Monday a friend of ours spoke to the kindergarteners about being a dentist and let them clean a dinosaur's teeth with a large toothbrush. On Tuesday his Daddy came and talked to them about being a doctor, and he brought fun medical equipment for them to play with ~ not to mention Sammy the skeleton who was a big hit with the kids! On Wednesday our neighbor and Mrs. W's husband came and talked to the kindergarteners about being a coach and a principal. And, on Friday Joshua got to do something he looked forward to all week. He got to ride in a big yellow school bus for the first time! They went on a tour of community helpers ~ firehouse, police station, etc. So fun! Then, today they are making milkshakes for their snack time. And, a few days ago Mrs. W. sent a note home asking me to bring 16 individually wrapped packs of M&Ms. She said that each student would open his bag and separate the M&M's by color, then count how many they have of each color, graph their individual bag, and when all that is done, they will eat them!! Does kindergarten not sound like so much fun! I want to go!!!! It is no wonder he likes school! And, I am so thankful!

Anyway, I was so excited for Joshua's little honor that I got balloons from our local florist and made cupcakes to celebrate! Here are a few pics of my big boy!

Being silly. . .

Here he is with Sammy the skeleton. Joshua loved the skeleton so much that he asked his Daddy to bring it home, and now Sammy resides in my kitchen. Oh, goodie!

In his t-shirt eating a cupcake. . .

His brothers par-caking. . .

It was so fun to celebrate Joshua's success. He even ate his dinner on our family's red special plate. It was a special day for a special boy. But, as I tucked him in his bed, I asked him to look me in the eyes. Holding his face in my hands and looking him in the eyes, I told my sweet boy, "I don't need a silly award to tell me that you are a special boy. I knew you were special the first time I layed eyes on you. You are precious, student of the month or not. I love you, and I am proud of who you are, of who God made you to be. "

Here is the poster Mrs. W. asked me to make so that she could hang it in the kindergarten hall at school! Making this poster was so fun! It allowed me a moment to reflect on memories from this past year! What a fun year we've had!! I hope that when Joshua is all grown up he will have as many happy memories of his childhood as I do!

The Crunch Beneath My Feet. . .

When I was little girl, we lived in Memphis for two years, Germantown, to be exact. And, the neighborhood we lived in was very pretty. There were lots of large southern style homes with yards covered in big trees. And, it was during these two years living in this neighborhood that I discovered my two favorite sounds.

The first is the sound of horse hooves on concrete. If you haven't heard it, buy a horse. It would totally be worth it, well maybe. . .

Anyway, I was at a birthday party about 3 houses down from my home, and it was at this party that I first heard this wonderful sound. The parents of my friend rented a horse for her party, and we all took turns riding the horse up and down their driveway. I fell in love, not with the large beautiful animal, but rather with the clip clop of his feet. . .

The second sound that I adore is the sound of autumn leaves crunching under my feet. I am so silly, even though it was over twenty years ago, I still remember the day, the very day that the beauty of this sound first occurred to me. It was overcast and chilly, and I was walking to a friend's home in a cove just down the street. Leaves covered the sides of the road. I remember purposefully stepping on the leaves just so I could hear them crackle and crunch beneath my shoes. It was then that I decided fall was, hands down, my favorite season.

Fast forward 20 some-odd years. . .

Yesterday JCT and I took Rain out for his midday potty break. It was a sunny day with a cool breeze blowing. We held hands and walked slowly from the house to the road. Leaves covered the sides of the road. So, I did what I always do when I see leaves in the road ~ I stepped on them so that I could hear their crunch.

I asked JCT, "Did you hear that?" And, he looked up at me confused, "What?" "Listen, " I implored him, and then stepped purposefully on a dry brown leaf. "What sound did that leaf make?" I asked him. "A ccccrrrruuunnchhhhhhy sound," he answered smiling as he looked in front of his feet carefully for a leaf to step on. We spent the rest of Rain's potty break taking turns stepping on leaves and listening to them crackle and crunch beneath our shoes.

I loved every moment of it. I love JCT, and I love the sound of crunching leaves. It was such a joy to share one of my favorite sounds with him. It may be silly, but the memory of the two of us holding hands and crunching leaves under our feet is precious to me. Perfectly precious. You simply cannot buy memories like that. They are worth far more than money!