Sunday Fun

So, my folks came by for a visit this weekend, and we tried to cram in as much fun as possible.  After Mass and a nice breakfast out with my Awesome-in-laws, we came home intending to swap church clothes for jeans and sweatshirts and cruise out to the town park for a nice hike.

Me:  We can be all changed and ready in FIFTEEN MINUTES, you guys!  SRSLY!
Universe:  Bwahahahaha!

After about 13 minutes, we were nearly ready to jump in the van when Wee Ninja Girl skipped upstairs to do something very important in her room.  I was on my way down when I saw her emerge, her eyes in that saucer-wide "something-ain't-right-but-I-don't-know-if-it's-bad-enough-for-tears" expression.  It turns out that a nearly dead wasp somehow landed on her foot and stung her middle toe through her socks.  It also turns out that it was bad enough for tears PLUS shrieks PLUS ice PLUS cuddles from Sillypants, who was more than happy to oblige.

Anyhoo, 45 minutes after we got home from breakfast (well played, Universe), we were in the van and on our way.  It turned out to be a gorgeous day for an autumn stroll!

The leaves are on their way to peaking, the air was crisp and clear, and it wasn't raining yet, so we had a blast.



Sillypants on the loose!



WNG leading the way into the woods



 We hiked the entire loop at our park, which is just over a mile.  Even Sillypants did the whole thing, AND we played at the playground for a bit.

I really love our park; it's not very big, but there are a couple nice trails in the woods and by a pond.  We saw some deer, lots of chipmunks, and a squirrel or two.  There weren't a lot of people on the loop, so I could let Sillypants walk/run/pick at the gravel all she wanted without being in anyone's way.



Meet Harvey



We managed to come home with a pet, too, hoping he (she?  How does one tell with caterpillars?) lasts through the winter and we get to see him (her) develop into a moth.  My mother named him (okay, FINE, we're just pretending it's a boy) Harvey and he's living on the deck in a popcorn jar.  WNG is very excited to feed him two blades of grass every day.  It will be good practice if we ever upgrade to something more substantial, like a ladybug.

I keep forgetting that tomorrow is a holiday and EP Dude will be home.  I hope to get out for a walk/jog in the early morning (repeating week 4 of the couch to 5k, sigh) and then it's the usual laundry/dust/vacuum schedule.  Maybe we'll plant the tulip bulbs and dig out the garden to prep it for frost.

Ah, my glamorous life.

In other news, St. Hildegard of Bingen and St. John of Avila were declared Doctors of the Church today!  They join 33 other saints who have been granted this special distinction.  How exciting!