Change...

I hear the kids talk about how dark it is and that it is almost bedtime... and it is only 6:00 p.m. I never thought of those early dark nights as such a necessity. Now the leaves have changed and are starting to litter the green yard with yellows, oranges, and reds. Carson is anticipating a large pile to jump into. He calls it a "dogpile" for some reason, maybe because last fall we buried Philly in the leaves and took pictures.

Another period of change that is coming is the election. I feel that I have well educated my children about how a new president is going to be elected. They see pictures in Time magazine, ads, and hear the phone ringing with "election" business. Carson and Caitlin both recognize each candidate as well as their vice president. Carson even shocked me with his knowledge of knowing when the "National Anthem" was played at Sarah Palin's rally last week. He called it out by name right away, when I asked him how he remembered the name? He stated, "from going to watch his daddy run, and they played it at the beginning." If only memory worked like that for everyone, but it all changes over time.... just like everything else.

It is a cute time of change for Caitlin as we sing the song from the Chipmunks, "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth." She finally pulled the other front tooth, but it take some parent enforcement (never mind that I locked her in the bathroom and told her that dinner was not to be served until the tooth was out). Come on... the tooth was hanging there and it was more of a toy for her tongue.

Caitlin and I went to see "Annie Jr." at St. Michael's Thursday night. It was so fun... she could not wait to be in 6th grade so that she could play the part of Annie. I did not have the heart to tell her that "Annie" would probably not be the play that they would be doing when she was in middle school.

Carly still awaits the arrival of her two front teeth as well... or for that matter ANY teeth. Okay, so she has the two that she got right at her first birthday, but that was three months ago. She is such a pistol. Her favorite place to get into is the cereal cupboard, but thank goodness for Pampered Chef TWIXITS... this place would be littered with Frosted Flakes and Cheerios for sure. She is such a mockingbird now, just a sponge for words. My favorite word as I get picked on for because I am such a manners nazi is... "PEAZ" it is just too precious. As always, that cute little voice will CHANGE.

The last item of change this evening has been watching the pumpkins evolve from plain orange pumpkins to beautifully carved faces with and without teeth. All three kids de-gutted, carved, and lit their pumpkins. Of course, we anxiously await the completion of dad's pumpkin. He waits until everyone is asleep and does something AMAZING. So stay tuned for more change to come...