Quiet time

I am hiding! I. is happily playing in a box downstairs with R and the boys are playing with the playmobil quite contentedly at the moment, so I am going to grab these few precious moments.

As I sit here writing this I am realising with some sadness that summer is truly closing. We are receiving the tail end of Hurricane Ernesto right now, some pretty high winds and rain, the leaves are definately turning and life has that real autumnul feel to it. I am wearing trousers for the first time in 4 months and we are having to put the lights on in the day! I do love this time of year, approaching harvest time, lots of autumn crops, squashes, apples etc but I feel it is so early this year. I hope we have an indian summer later.

We are at the end of our mini market garden for the year. We had several aubergines, courgettes and a great crop of mini tomatoes this year. The melons and beans were eaten by something. We will need to re-think our "security" for next year. It is deer-proof and racoon proof, but probably they were eaten by mice or squirrels. If we end up being here a little longer I think next year we will actually invest in a proper wooden frame and firm wire netting.

We had quite a collection of frogs over there which has been fun for the boys to watch. They also found a cicarda in the house the other day, we were able to look at it's serated back legs and listen to it sing. Fortunately we were also able to release it without it being harmed.

After all my concern about T's lack of interest in something this summer, he has proved me wrong: I have been given some very interesting lessons over the last day or two about the dinosaurs. He amazed me with the knowledge he has picked up from his Leap Pad. Do you know what Trilabytes are? I didn't, I don't even know if I have spelt it correctly. He is just like his daddy, he retains these facts so well. He is going to be soooo useful in a pub quiz when he is older! W. on the other hand is more like MY dad, a "tinkerer" - he likes to do things with his hands, make things.....take things to bits!! he favours this kind of activity over more sedentary things.
I. has had a very productive morning today. They say that children learn by copying, hence the phrase "monkey see, monkey do" - well this monkey certainly DID! This morning I think she wanted to be mama for the day. She has climbed up, via the laundry basket, onto our dressing table and got my make up bag, I was out with T (see, these things only happen when i am not here!!)....she redecorated not only herself, but her bedroom too. There is one thing for washable crayons, which we now have, but washable make up is not going to prove a big seller!! So, R. did his best to get it out of her carpet and she is currently sporting a look that will do Dale Winton proud!! I have been freed of about $80 worth of make up during her little frenzy!

After deliberation, I didn't send the note to my friend. I decided that I have had more time to think about it and by sending it, I would have left myself wide open to misinterpretation and like the advice I had for V. sometimes it is bolder and more mature to take the passive road.
I am going to quote my best friend's advice now:

"In life we meet some great people who we would love to hold onto forever, but often the reality is very different when those "friends" can't be bothered!
Channel the time you have saved from this friendship into your others or into something else positive." Thanks Fred!