Thursday September 29th

I love our extra family time together, in the car to the Park and Ride. This morning the girls wanted to listen to classical music. Classical music always reminds me of Grandma Mary. Tchaikovsky Slavonic Marche, Opus 31 was on the radio. The girls created an amazing story to go along with the music. There were Fall fairies painting leaves, collecting acorns, and marching. All of a sudden, the fairies see a giant squirrel. The fairies decide to throw their acorns into the mouth of the squirrel.
Home from the Park and Ride. We rush to get dressed and brushed. I quickly make McCann's three-minute Irish oatmeal (a favorite of Ava's). I'm starting to see an Irish connection here. We recently received a box of hand-me-downs from Lily. The girls love the scent of her clothes. They have been begging me to find Nicki's detergent. It is still 80 degrees here, but Harper wants to wear Lily's cold-weather clothes. She starts to feel hot and changes her mind. I quickly pack her lunch with extra carrots (it's Soup Day at school). We gather our leftover bread from Margaret's Cantina for the chickens and ducks- and we're out the door. Galen one of the new "babies" at school wore a "cucumber hat" yesterday. Harper had the exact same hat as a baby. I gave her a picture of herself in the hat and she took it to show Galen.
We arrive at Little Gnome and the apple press is waiting in the front yard. Big excitement ensues!
Mimi and Papa are in upstate New York. They have been sending postcards to the girls, some of large estates. The girls jokingly argue over which is their pretend house.
I go to My Secret Closet with Ava, and drop off an antler chandelier that Dad gave me, to sell. I fell for a kitchen table set, which is the last thing we need. But, I would love to have an extra one for a dinner party in the backyard. A long farmhouse-style table would be better.
Lunch at Weaver St.
Ava:"I love Disney's Sorcerer's Stone, it's my favorite." "I love that when Merlin changes into different animals, he stays blue and always has his glasses." Me:"Yeah, Nicki and Lily love that one, too."
We bought some Chapel Hill Creamery, Hickory Grove cheese, an absolute favorite for the girls. I was reminded of something Ava said the other day, "Mom, you have two choices. Come to the dark side we have cookies. Come to the good side we have cheese." Me:"Which would you choose?"
Ava: "The good side if it was Hickory Grove cheese."

Leaving Weaver Street, Ava sees a pair of neon green Converse high tops. She says, "I love them, that is my favorite color."
We pick up Harper at school. Rebecca found a Hanna Anderson sweater for Harper. Brand new at the thrift for $1. It has the Swedish wooden horse icon on the front, which reminds me of Nicki.
Ava rode with me on the lawnmower to cut the grass in the front yard. No problems or injuries. Ava was a great help weeding and cutting back the mostly dead, hanging ferns. I really hope they come back. While weeding I pull a roundish leaf, that I haven't seen before. An hour later, I'm reading the Carrboro Citizen where the Dollar leaf is written about in the Flora section. I'll be on the look out for it, now.
http://www.carrborocitizen.com/main/2011/09/29/flora-dollar-leaf/
We rush to Girls on the Run, a little late. Ava said they talked about emotions today, and ran 1.25 miles. Harper and I go downtown to the Post Office. We see the scarecrows out, for the Orange County Historical Museum scarecrow contest. We're not sure whether or not it is too late to enter the contest. But, we start talking about ideas for scarecrows. We pick up Ava and take her back to see the scarecrows. I have an idea, there is golden rod everywhere. Me: "What if we get a bunch of golden rod to make big blonde hair on the pumpkin (all of the scarecrows have pumpkin heads). Ava says, "I've got it! It can be a 1970s scarecrow with a blonde afro!" Me:"Yes, we just need a 1970s jumpsuit." Ava: "We will definitely win with a 1970s scarecrow."
We rush to meet Julie (Tegan's sister). I'm off to work.
I work as an expeditor in the kitchen, plating lots of desserts. Here is a picture of our new nut pie. Laurie says, "You're a nut pie." I say, "I know."
Colin and the girls pick me up from work. It's an uneventful drive home, no wildlife to speak of. And, I'm off work for the next four days! We entered the Whole Foods contest trip to Costa Rica, on the last day. Fingers crossed.