Scenes from Iowa - Whispers of Fall

As we travelled out to Iowa today, it was very clear that full-on summer is over and fall is whispering.  Temperatures dropped 30 degrees in the past 48 hours.  There was a hint of scarlet amongst the green ditches as we sped past the fields.  I noticed the sandy brown color creeping up the stocks of corn.  It was obvious the silk on the ears of corn has browned, yet the ears themselves remain upright (they'll turn down in about another month).

Usually when the humidity breaks and the temperatures start to drop I get sad, thinking, Really?  Summer's over?  But it feels like it just got here!  This year's different tho.  It's been so hot and humid, I just want the inferno to be over.  As I watched the early whispers of fall, I found myself smiling, and welcoming the change with open arms.

The Race is On

Before...

...during...

...and after

This afternoon was the first cross country meet of the season.  Erin placed fourth overall in the varsity girls' race, and helped the Julian team take first place.  It's so much fun watching Erin develop as a runner and an athlete.  This year she's much more confident and willing to be the leader of the pack.  What a great way to kick off the searson!

Little JD

This afternoon I had the privilege of holding little JD, who's a tiny peanut in spite of his hefty birth weight (well over 9 lbs. and 22" long).  I brought his parents lots and lots of food, and spent about an hour holding him while he slept.  I just love holding babies...and I really love giving them back to their parents ;-)

Welcome to the world, JD!  Your parents are wonderful people and they already love you too much for words.  We're looking forward to making many happy memories with you and your family!

Schaumburg Fest

This weekend is Schaumburg Fest, which is a giant soccer tournament that Strikers teams of all ages participate in.  If there's one common complaint among Strikers parents, it's the Schaumburg Fest schedule.  Between Friday evening and Sunday night, everyone plays at least three games and as many as five.  The good news:  we didn't have to drive to Schaumburg in Friday rush hour traffic.  The bad news:  Erin's team had to report on the field at 7:45 this morning.

In spite of the early start to the day, the Strikers played a tough first game that ended in a 0-0 tie.  Great defense, Erin!

Back to School Party

Tonight Irving School sponsored its annual Back to School party at Barrie Park.  We partnered with the Southeast Oak Park Community Organization (SEOPCO), who brought us fire dancers and the movie Space Jam.

The mood was festive, the pizza was plentiful (I helped sell 85 full pizzas, 1 slice at a time), and the fire dancers simply enchanting.  Have I mentioned lately how much I love my neighborhood?  Thanks, Irving PTO and SEOPCO!

Bug Out

This afternoon when I went to retrieve the mail, I found this cute little green bug resting on top of my mailbox:

The katydid was fearless and let me get rather close to take this picture.  It wasn't singing, perhaps because it didn't want to try to compete with the racket of the cicadas (who, by the way, are so loud right now I can hear them in the house with the windows closed while the air conditioner is going).

I haven't seen a katydid in many years, and I'm glad this one stopped by.  It brought a little whimsy to the afternoon and brought a smile to my face.

First Day of School - Part 2

Kelsey felt a little vindicated yesterday, when she got to sleep until until noon while her brother and sister schlepped off to school.  You may recall that she was studying hard back in June even after school had let out for her siblings.

Today Kelsey started her sophomore year at Oak Park River Forest High School.  She easily slipped back into her school routine, grabbing her iPod and heading for the bus...then dashing back into the house to grab her school bag...and then running for the bus!

Kelsey's happy to be starting her sophomore year for two reasons:  first, she's no longer a freshman; and second, she gets to take Driver's Ed.  I just know this year's going to be a great one!