Xenia Kathryn

October is such a gorgeous month. Just looking out the window, the world seems alive and vibrant. There is so much movement. Leaves intense with flame-tinged hues, littering and enlivening the dull gray pavement. The unpredictable sky; sometimes bright with the sun, other times pensive and violet, and then a dark, steely blue. The air was so crisp yesterday and today; it felt like December! Not that I'm enjoying long walks or anything... I've been pretty content holed up inside.

Yeah, I'm really bad about spending time outside, especially once the weather gets colder. I've had zero desire to visit one of the dozens of pumpkin patches in the local vicinity. We pass about three or four all the time, as we drive to church/ errands in "the big city." Fortunately V. hasn't seemed interested in visiting one. I think I'm just pumpkin-patched out. I mean, does anyone really want to be there? Now, that's an unfair question... kids, of course, seem to have a blast. But it's just so overwhelming, and most of the parents are only there for a great photo op (for Christmas cards and blogs, of course :D). And then there's the giant bag of kettle korn that you feel obligated to purchase because, "it's only once a year", and after five bites your like "Um... I'm done."

So... needless to say... I've been content admiring the farms and the seasonal hubub from a safe distance. What a grinch I am :D Plus, we've been generously gifted with about three pumpkins. Plus another tiny pumpkin from our garden. And then I purchased a few baby pumpkins for V. to paint on for a rainy day craft. So we had no need to buy an overpriced orange squash at the farm Now three of said pumpkins are handsomely decorated with a generous array of tempera paint. Strokes of red, blue, yellow and green were carefully applied, and reapplied, and overlapped, over and over and over again. So now I have three beautiful brown mini pumpkins on my windowsill. Thanks, V.! :D She actually had a blast painting them, probably kept her occupied a total of 2.5 hours.

Our All Saints Eve party is this Saturday, naturally. And, naturally, I have no idea what the girls will "be." *shrug* V. has no desire to be an actual saint, and I can't seem to change her mind. I still feel guilty for practically forcing her into a "monk costume" last year at the very last minute. So, while I keep reminding her that she can't really be a Disney princess, I'm also not too eager to force her into choosing anything else. LIke I said, we'll figure something out at the last minute :)

Since we were gifted with a nice-sized pumpkin (thanks Mom!), I decided to go ahead and carve into it this evening while we waited for Daddy to come home. I think it took me all of 20 minutes... probably the quickest carve job I've ever accomplished. We don't always "do" jack o'lanterns, but this year I wanted some pumpkin seeds, and I thought, surely a sweet smiley face can't hurt? We don't really trick-or-treat, and I don't pass out candy since we're always at the party at church. Please forgive me, I know some may be offended by jack o' lanterns.

Today for the first time I turned on the heat! Usually we hold off until after Thanksgiving... you know, try to tough it out. But with a household of four... half of those being little children who hate to wear season-appropriate clothes (what's the deal?), I figured it's time to cave in and heat up the place.

Xenia POP QUIZ: In October of 2007, I had a blog post that proclaimed an important development in the Tussing household. Can you remember what it was, and why I may be bringing it up?

AND since you made it this far in this very long blog post; here is a photo of my little Dooze, holding still for a more than 2 seconds and looking like a very old soul.