OCTOBER!

It finally feels like fall here in DC, although we were in the high 80's last weekend again for a bit. Rather than laying low, which sort of seems like what we should be doing in my mind, we have been packing in family activities, hikes, birthday parties, organizing the house, a cookout, school "shopping", and the like. We're T-minus 5 weeks and I'm feeling as big as a house, but more and more we feel the need to be keeping up with the hiking routine so I'll have the stamina and energy I need when this kiddo comes along. So far, all reports are looking good for a healthy baby, and although neither Sam nor I have a good guess of what gender this one will be, Arlo seems more convinced it's a girl (or perhaps a squirrel - they sound alike). Even that varies, though, depending on what day you ask him.

We've moved things around upstairs so Arlo's room now has some storage for my clothes and his, and the baby's little room has a crib and such. Painting is next. We're also hoping to improve on the playspace in the basement by bringing in some of the outdoor toys. Sam just took down the tomato patch out back and replaced it with this:



A sandbox for Arlo! (Still needs sand...)

We've been starting to ponder options for pre-school next year, which seems silly but with the competitive nature of schools in DC it's necessary if we decide to go that route. Obviously there's still plenty of time to figure out what we want to do - be it homeschooling or something more formal - before Arlo is ready for it. Sam is also joining in a small group of parents doing a home-based pre-school co-op once a week in our neighborhood, which will be a nice intro to the school concept.

We're looking forward to having our annual halloween party in a few weeks and other than that, if you don't hear much from us, it's just cause we're trying to keep up and gather energy for what's to come! Hope this fall is treating everyone well!