Ten on Tuesday.

1. It is absolutely GORGEOUS outside today. This is our gift, folks. A month from now it will likely be a different story.

2. I am listening to Hunger and re-reading Wonder, since the movie comes out next month.

3. A book I am extremely looking forward to, which is being released today, but for which I'll have to continue waiting until the library gets it in - Long Way Down.

4. We have been playing lots of Scattergories in this house, my favorite childhood game, and getting lots of funnies out of Fisher especially. I am in love with seeing him try and try to best his best score, and not allowing us to double his score to even the playing field. The other night we had to come up with things you save up to buy, starting with the letter R, and he answered "Real Nut Car," which after a few minutes we realized was actually a Renault.

5. Somehow I ended up with a digital image of Fisher's school portrait.

6. Taco Tuesday here!

7. Yesterday Alla happened upon the song Lazy Mary by Lou Monte while we were listening to Harry Belafonte radio on Pandora. She decided it is the best song ever and the song that most suits her personality. Look it up. You will agree.

8. I mean, this is her. A girl saying cheese next to a snake.

9. We grew our own pumpkin this year!

10. Here are the kids and I together in a picture, standing with the sad remains of our pumpkin vine.

And now I'm off, to get in the pick up lines, and to enjoy the sunshine!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. We woke up to 33 degrees this morning. All of a sudden. Things I'd forgotten: Where is my ice scraper? At what outside temperature do we turn on the heat?

2. Fisher had to be convinced that pants were really going to be a better idea than shorts. As much as he laments the end of shorts weather, he still told me he can't wait for Thanksgiving, because of the turkey and the biscuits. But the biscuits are the best, he said. And then he went on, And I think you make scones or something for breakfast? It really is all about the food.

3. He asked me last night, if I had to give up either coffee or salad, which would it be? WHAT KIND OF APOCALYPSE ARE YOU IMAGINING, DEVIL CHILD?! Alas, I chose giving up coffee. I figured I could find another, lesser, source of morning goodness (caffeine), but that, as he said, I needed my greens. Both kids hoped that it would never come to this, because I'd be one cranky mommy. True dat.

4. It might've been 33 this morning, but it is so so green still (and yellow and red and orange, too), and our own maple hasn't even begun to change. Also, I'm still killing mosquitoes. And fruit flies. Or does that not have anything to do with weather?

5. What is Alla up to? Well, she's a tween, of course, but she's also just Alla, so things like this: (I don't know.)

6. Kids and I are reading Wonder, again, because of the movie. This is my third time through, second with them. There are things I'd forgotten, and also its lessons of kindness are not lost this second time they are hearing it. It still inspires.

7. For myself I am in the middle of a gut-wrenching memoir, Some Bright Morning, I'll Fly Away.

8. It's October, so we are firmly in the routine of school again, summer feeling ever further away each early morning. Already I am wondering how to shake up the breakfast menu. We seem to be stuck on oatmeal, toast, bagels, and yogurt.

9. It's October 10th, so I am wondering where in the heck that box of Halloween decorations has hidden itself?

10. Ooh, let's play a game of What's On My Camera, since I've just been too darn busy to upload and edit pictures on a regular basis. Here's what I found today, Fisher and I heading out for his half birthday date a couple weeks ago - Red Robin and bowling :)