Fall Times

We survived Eliza's 5th birthday. It finally came and went and she was outstandingly spoiled by everyone. She got a new twin bed so that Calvin can take over her toddler bed (a task which fills me with immense dread and has not yet been tried)

I took the kids and one friend to Kangaroo Zoo for an hour after school, same as last year. We came back to the house for pizza and cake with family.

She really liked helping with this pathetic pink butterfly cake. I do not have lofty ambitions in cake decor. We couldn't find any candles, though I'm sure they are hidden somewhere. She didn't notice at the time thankfully.

The bat costume she got as a present, she wears it recreationally around the house. Often.

We have been busy visiting all the parks in the area: My kids just figured out that playing at parks is a fun distraction designed for children, it has been so nice to take them and not have to show them what to do and that they are all old enough to not get hurt.
One day it was so beautiful Eliza suggested we have a picnic out on the grass, which was a genius-level idea. Which brings me to the other outstanding breakthrough -

After watching my poor lawn struggle all summer despite almost daily watering, it finally occurred to me that the water must not be getting through to the roots. So I encouraged the participation of basically my whole family to rent an aerator and reap the benefits. My saintly parents spent a Saturday driving this monster machine all over the valley to 4 different houses and we all shared the cost. And GUESS WHAT?! My lawn was resurrected to a state better than we have seen since we moved in and it only took a week. I am so happy about it, I tell everyone who ever saw my poor dead lawn this summer. Maybe I take lawn care a little too seriously, but having a happy, green, well mown lawn brings joy to my little heart.