Back to Normal?

Things have been just a bit insane with a very newborn and being away from home four weekends in a row, so we're settling in for some New London time now. Aiden started back at pre-school, the weather went from 90+ to 70ish in a single snap, and even Haley's fussiness seems a lot more manageable... all around, it feels like we turned some sort of corner. The sad part is that this hot and beautiful summer is pretty much over, but I'm also looking forward to crisp fall days, spectacular foliage, apple picking, and everything else that comes before winter hits for good.

We had a few local friends over for a BBQ over Labor Day weekend, and that's about all we did besides a few house chores and relaxing. It was really nice. Micah and Becky stopped by with a "new" hand-me-down swing for Haley on their way back from Lake George, so we got to see little Pheebs and put the girls together for the obligatory dynamic baby duo snapshot. I don't imagine we'll get a photo with both of them actually looking and smiling at the camera for a good year.

Aiden Soup anyone?

Oh, and Aiden got his first real pet. We're starting small on the responsibility ladder, so his choices were limited to a fish or a hermit crab. Uncle Micah would be proud that he chose "Surfboard" the goldfish. We gave Aiden such a lecture on how his pet was going to be all his own responsibility, the feeding, cleaning, etc, etc. that the first thing he did when he woke up on the morning after we bought the fish was run to his tank to feed him. He came into our bedroom after with a big sad frown on his face and tears in his eyes and said, "Mom, I'm sorry...the fish food KERSPLODED!" Ugh. Actually it wasn't as bad as it sounded... just a few teaspoons of flakes on the carpet and it looked like Surfboard only got the agreed upon small pinch. Poor little man, he really tries so hard to get things right but the world is difficult to navigate when you're 4. Luckily Surfboard looks like a hardy little fish :)