Fantastic! This morning Michael prepped me with a morning briefing before he left for work. 

It’s eight o’clock. Here’s a glass of water. Jo starts in 20 minutes. You have the day off. It’s Veterans’ Day. Your yoga teacher training begins tonight!

It was really something! I felt oriented and awake. So then I prepped Lake:

You’re going to the aquarium today!

In the afternoon we had some fun taking photos and reminiscing. I engage in reflections about the spiral nature of time as I rake the leaves and head out to Greenlake. We are coming around again through the familiar seasons with our beloved familiars. Some changes, some similarities. 

A perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you!

Our household is all about the cats! (Cats and books, really.) 

Cat: it’s one of Lake’s five words, if you fudge on the pronunciation. Dat! Dicky dat! He can even miau. Last night he really fell for the stuffed calico we found at East West bookstore amongst all the yoga books. 

We only got out of there gracefully after saying goodbye to the kitty with kisses, about seven from Lake and several, at Lake’s insistence, from me. I think it’s safe to say, Lake is a VanLaanen through and through… Lake loves all cats!

So tonight we went a new route. We took Lake to a Husky event: women’s volleyball at the Hec Ed Alaska Airlines Pavalion. It was an exciting game against Stanford. There was the crowd, the pep band, cheer squad, bright lights, and great volleys! Lake had a blast! He was dancing and cheering and clapping. Where does he learn these things? He catches on so quickly, it boggles my mind. Today he was blinking back at me. Cute! But then in the evening when I was telling Michael about it, he started blinking. Exaggerated blinking. And laughing! Like 

I know blinking! I got this blinking. See, I know what you’re talking about. I’m here!

We walked home from the volleyball match and it started raining cats and dogs. 

This morning we had a rave-worthy family run. 

It’s the stunning autumn color show. And Lake. 

He’s rave-worthy! He was also raving mad for the final leg of the run. We had taken him out for a few moments of photo opportunities (shown above) and then tried to put him back in the jogging stroller and carry on as before. Waaah! Not having it! He screamed like a six month old (not shown of course).

After an emotional day, a little pampering felt so good. Jane Iredale really wowed me with their customer service. After I tried and failed at the local Pharmaca to exchange my trusty make up brush that had come unglued, I reached out to the company directly. They were happy to send me a new one and it arrived today wrapped up in tissue and tied with a sprig of real lavendar. The Handi Brush, indeed!

Thank you Jane Iredale for being so cool! I’ll definitely keep on raving about your hand-tied goat hair brushes that will last you for years (okay maybe not forever) standing up strong to daily use and intermittent washing. Your ground titanium pressed powder keeps my skin protected and my face glowing. The glosses and lip stains are so pretty and never drying out my lips. Your Magic Mitt maintains my acid mantle and keeps my skin fresh and clean without any products! I adore the minimalist polish I achieve every day with your help. Jane Iredale truly makes up a perfect day!

Our Little Horse took right to the trick-or-treating routine, showing a natural aptitude for gleaning candy from neighbors. Perhaps at times more candy than they had originally planned on parting with! He galloped up the front porch steps and smiled sanguinely as he blithely pawed through the candy bowls. 

Since he’s so tiny and precious even the most strict “only one candy per person” households melted as he came up triumphant with fistfuls of candy. Then he swiftly planted them into his “feedbag.” Onto the next neighbor! He cantered freely across the lawns…

It was the most festive neighborhood event we’ve yet experienced in our relatively new neighborhood. It was a gorgeous night with bright moon and fairly warm… beautiful sunset… no rain! Plenty of pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns…

We weren’t sure how many trick or treaters to expect being that today marks our first Halloween in our home here. So after a tip off from a neighbor I ran into this morning who whispered, “4:30 pm”, we stationed Jo and Gam with Lake and a big box of chip bags… at least 30 bags of chips. Jo calls me at 5:30 when I’m on my way home: 

People are wondering where you are. Also there’s only two bags of chips left, bring reinforcements!

Okay, I’ll get candy… you can offer them something from our fruit bowl if need be… a pear, apple or banana!

I don’t think it came to that dire potentiality, where we became known as the fruit-bowl trick-or-treat family. But of course Lake took the opportunity and helped himself to a pear!

We had a really fun evening! First handing out candy from home, then turning off our porch light and trooping out and about around the neighborhood, meeting and re-meeting our neighbors. Hey, didn’t I just see you at your house?! Happy Halloween!

I was the one dressed like the rider and he was dressed like the horse, but guess who got the ride?! Horsey rides all over town in his Baby Björn… Lake of course!

The sunrise this morning was something special. Michael was working a later shift, so we had a nice morning moment. Of getting dressed while casting gazes at the sunrise sky. Of admiring the clouds as they lit up with the diffuse reflection of glowing fire. Of smiles and hugs and having a shared laugh at Lake’s latest antics. Then Michael walked down the “Ave” with me to the “Tower”. I adore how my place of work is just a hop skip and a jump away from home. And today a particularly quirky lark-y hop skip and a jump… through the autumn leaves. Hop! Skip! Jump!

A perfect day… a perfect morning commute! I’m glad I spent it with you, my loves.

When we got back from Lindsin at Greenlake tonight…

…Lake was just getting started! As I was putting the jogging stroller away in the wheeled conveyances parking garage he made a beeline for his trailer. He hopped into the bicycle trailer and put his helmet on himself!

I admired his exuberance and initiative, but had to say mañana.

It’s dark honey, time to go inside. 

Ah, goodbye Summer evenings of endless daylight. Make way for cozy fires, books, and hot chocolate!

We went all in for bicycles this summer.

New bicycle for Tolle. Brand new bicycle trailer for Lake. Bicycle helmets all around! Even a high quality used tandem that is long on fun! We had a number of exceptionally fun bicycle adventures this summer. I’m still enjoying it… yesterday evening was the perfect day to take Lake for a spin around Greenlake! It was such a gas we went around twice… Lake took it easy and even nodded off in his sweet ride while I felt the rush of the wind and enjoyed the splendor of the autumn air.