Recovering

Mere hours after the harmonica video was posted, the remnants of Hurricane Sandy blew into town and knocked out our power.  We slept peacefully in a quiet, dark house, happy to get the phone call that school was cancelled the next day.  In the morning, I dug the coffee percolator out of the camping gear and set about making coffee by lantern light.  It was setting up to be kind of an adventure.  We had no damage to the house or the tree and I expected the lights to come back on soon.  But, it got colder inside.  By noon, it was down to 62 and we made the decision to head off to Nana and Papa's for the day.  We packed up enough gear and clothes for the night.  Weren't we optomistic? 

We stayed for a week.

Aside from the unease of not knowing and the long commute to work, it couldn't have been better.  The girls were thrilled to have all sorts of time with Nana and Papa.  Nana stayed with them Wednesday and Papa had all day Thursday and Friday morning.  There were many rounds of , "Noooo, Paaapaaa!" and much approval for the wagon ride from the shed.  Upon arrival at the woodpile, both girls declared, "That was awesome!"

Everyone painted and drew and discovered Thomas the Train videos on YouTube.

My parents are saints. 

Seriously. 

All told, I have very little to complain about.  So I won't.  Here are pictures instead.

Before the freak weather, we had a week of gorgeous sunshine and warmth.

Would you like this leaf?

Here is Naomi, exclaiming over her 'tiny baby leaf'.  Mama Leaf and Daddy Leaf were discovered in the driveway soon after.

Now, both girls have a tiny baby leaf.  And they are quite pleased about it.

After the week of gorgeous sunshine, there was a weekend of blah.  But, in that there was Boo at the Zoo again.  Where, again, I failed to take any pictures suitable for publication.  The ladies really seem to be getting into it, though, pointing out the decorations and costumes. Naomi was totally enchanted by a woman on stilts with a bubblewrap skirt.  Both girls were quite terrified of Papa in a turkey suit.  Seriously. He had to go change in the car.

Because of the disgusting weather and total lck of electrical illumination, Trick or Treat was postponed until Sunday night.  We were home with a few hours to spare.  (The big 3 birthday party was supposed to be that day!)

Aunt Pat made amazing fairy costumes this year.  Complete with hats and tops and skirts and wands and masks and matching sparkly tights and butterfly doo-dads for their shoes.  I would like to have it down for the record how hard I negotiated to get them to wear all the pieces at once.  And how hard I failed that negotiation.

Apparently, sometimes, fairies are terrifying.

 

Trick or Treating itself was kind of a bust.  With power so newly on, few familes were home and fewer kids were out.  We went to the three houses on the street that actually had lights on.  I think two of those were false alarms; folks had left their porch light on the previous Monday and weren't home to turn them off yet.  But they still loved it.  Running down the darkened sidewalk, tutus fluttering behind them, cackling and practicing the recitations and clutching the treat bags they'd made with Nana earlier in the week, it was still a thrill. 

Most importantly, we got a 'kip kap' bar. Apparently that was what it took to get Lillian into the hat.  Naomi's price is a little higher yet.

And lastly, this: