like like. mostly.

I used to hate fall. I consider that now I great sign of immaturity. It must have been solely based on associations with school. Because what is not to like about shorter and cooler days? Nothing. There is nothing not to like about these days (that is a double negative so I think grammatically that sentence means “like like”.) I do like like them. I like like roasting marshmallows on a 20 foot pole at the homecoming fire and eating Beirocks every day for 9 days straight. I like like having enough time to host potlucks with women and children from 9 different countries (I like like – that this is no longer hard to do in Hays, Ks). I like like waking up looking for an extra blanket instead of soaking my pillowcase in cold water and climbing inside for a cooling effect (yes... that is how I spend summer nights). 

Also... Exterior paint can only be applied between 90 -35 degrees and when it is not windy... which in Kansas that means there are exactly 10 days a year that you can spend more than 3 hours a day painting. Those days where the last ten days and due to some awesome help and some LONG days – I'm almost done with the garage and laundry room painting! 10 more hours and I'll be golden. 

Also, the weather held for two great events at Bethesda. Friday night over 250 community member and international students came out for hot dog roasting and pumpkin chucking on the trebuchet. We also had an impromptu scarecrow making contest and (if I may be so arrogant) my butternut squash soup to feed 300 was an autumn treasure. Then Saturday night we got all gussied up for a Hoe-Down with the developmentally disabled community of our area. They do know how to dance... well past dark and well past my kids' bed time... good thing they were going strong on a roasted marshmallow diet.

In other news Jarod and Lucy are working on her Columbus day floating boat and Jarod switched his Suri to the British version... and then realized that she understood him much better when he spoke in a British accent... so yes, they have enter a strange new stage in their relationship – and more than just I give him strange looks, “Allo, please text mum that there shan't be dinner this eve-en-ing”. Jude is officially an orange belt in Aikido and due to a horrible event involving funnel cake and bed time he has learned a deep lesson about betrayal – that I hope he will not soon be forgetting.

So the days roll on... shorter and shorter... crisper... and crisper. Tonight mom and I and some girls will head out on our yearly search of “big trash” before people's treasures all get hauled of tomorrow... and I think I am going to bake something(s) this week. Because I can. Because it is cool in Kansas. And though I like, like my life - I do like to keep it real and often the 1,000 words that photos speak are lies. We had our second birthday cake fiasco here at home (due to the asian custom of giving birthday ice cream cakes as gifts - and limited freezer space)... and in one of these photos one of my brothers had just gotten done screaming "I HATE YOU,  I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU."  mostly don't like some parts of even the best seasons.

We have begun preparations for Halloween. Hilarious but not a like like ... until the final product.