The party life

In the grand tradition of the McDonoughs and the Rotondaros, Nora is really partying it up for her first birthday. We're celebrating September birthdays with family today and last weekend, on her actual birthday, we played outside with friends and had some cake.

And when I say had some cake, I mean we seriously had some cake.

This has been one of J's biggest fears for all his life, I think. The first birthday party, where the baby gets birthday cake - in this case a delicious Elmo birthday cake - all over his or her face. He hates it, just like he hates it when his ice cream gets melty, and he starts to have a panic attack and has to run and wash his hands.

So during this memorable event, this hallmark of a child's life, as we all stood around and laughed at one-year-old Nora eating her cake like there was no tomorrow, I heard, on my left, a continual refrain oh so quietly muttered as he snapped photos, a grimace on his face: "That's disgusting. That's disgusting. That's disgusting. That's disgusting."

I love fall because of...

...favorite plaid shirts, the pretense of potential knitting projects, the smell, the colors, hot coffee, cocoa and cider, blustery days, getting the sweaters out of storage and on my shelves, Columbus Day, elections, kids walking to the bus stop, wearing my Clarks, rolling the windows down, getting outside while we still can, walks along the water, Thanksgiving plans, Halloween decorations, weekends at home, off-season vacations, school supplies, clear blue skies, anticipating snow, leaf piles, root vegetables, all the birthdays (yeah Megan!), my jacket with the poodle pin, the first time you turn the heat on, festivals and street fairs, long drives, making fires at night, a good book and a warm blanket...