a new day.

November 1, 2009 By Kelle

do you know what this is?

that, my friends, is steam.
significant steam rising from my coffee cup this morning.
steam that dances upon the surface of its coffee stage because the air around it is slowly cooling, making way for another glorious cold front.

it is a new day.
it is a new time.
it is a new month.

november.
i think my favorite month.
you know what happens in november?

cold fronts. putting up the christmas tree. planning the thanksgiving spread. family. making stocking stuffers. designing the christmas mailer…and the ceremonious evening of handwriting each address, sliding the little gift into that envelope, and preparing it for its journey across the country. fall cleaning. thanksgiving pajama breakfast. newborn clothes–unwrapped, washed and folded into waiting drawers.

ah, november.
welcomed this morning on the lanai with cinnamon rolls and coffee and the jungly sounds in the woods behind us.

and a ‘foot war’, a favorite of hers.

and we kissed october farewell last night with the loveliest of halloweens.
papa arrived, paintbrush in hand ready to transform this mama into the ethereal mother earth i had in mind…

i suddenly felt incredibly powerful…and responsible for world hunger and disease and natural disasters, not to mention a little itchy from a couple layers of acrylic paint.

…and friends soon followed, filling the spaces of our driveway with costumed littles and laughter, good food and the energy these sorts of gatherings bring. it was a family free-for-all and while i feel i lacked a bit in hostessing last night, it didn’t matter because everyone was here for one reason…to soak our littles with a really good time.

thank you, joanie, for the cupcakes!

‘

and that we did.

she totally got it this year. the trick-or-treating. except when the door opened, she said something that sounded like trick-or-treat and then just walked in everyone’s house. past the candy, towards the couch…just kept on walkin’ like she lived there.

and if there was a dog? oh, forget it.

and if there was too much halloween decor at the entrance, she opted to skip that house. we’d point and ask ‘this house?’ and she’d answer, ‘no, scare me.’ …and move on until she found a skeleton-free happy house…with a dog. ‘c’mon,’ she said. and brett & i could not stop smiling.
and as we walked, quietly, hand-in-hand, brett said…‘i love this.‘

i love this too.