Thursday

This is the way Fall is supposed to be: sunny, crisp, windy, brilliant. With a few flowers still giving us the much appreciated color outside.






But breakfast is now certainly indoors. I don't even check the porch. It's no longer tempting -- not in the mornings anyway.






I have a similar Snowdrop pick up as I did a couple of days back: I come with the stroller, we push it together...






... and we stop by the coffee shop. By the noon hour, it's lovely to sit down outside.











The coffee shop is right by the playground and though this truly should be her resting hour, she so wants to go to it that I give in -- it's been a while since she and I have been to a good playground together.






And this one is just grand! She of course loves the swing...






But I notice changes in her: first of all, no more crawling up stairs.






And more significantly, she loves the slides! Indeed, no more small slide for her. She goes for the big one!






(On one slide down, she leans back and goes too fast for grandma's comfort. I hover near the base!)


Later, at her home, she is determined to do it all for herself. This toy necklace has a clasp that still defies her, but she wont stop trying.







After her nap, the little girl and I weed her mommy's garden.





True, she does not quite distinguish between a weed and a desirable plant, but that's a perplexing mystery to many of us and besides, toward the end of the season, it doesn't much matter if she pulls out the wrong thing.


Happy child, happy grandma. I'm not the first to understand this.






And still, it makes me smile just to recall her utter delight in discovering all that's beautiful about this world.