Out and about

I have to say that, although I will never admit to ever being glad that summer is nearing an end, I am feeling pleasantly welcoming toward the onset of autumn. September and October, and the anticipation of Grey November, is such a nostalgic and invigorating time of year. A time for new routines, old rituals, putting away, taking out, spending that last bit of energy before hunkering down and cozying up for the long winter months.

And I will admit that that last heat wave of summer, just last week, was pretty inhibiting. We stayed indoors most of the week - it was just too stifling to venture forth. So this week's whiff of autumn is very literally a breath of fresh air, and Tim and I have enjoyed putting on our long sleeves and hoodies and getting out into the neighbourhood.

First stop, the Children's Museum at the Museum of Civilization. Okay, not strictly in our neighbourhood, but we did walk there and back. And Tim went to town while there, showing off how advanced he is. ;-)

Tim drove a bus.


Played chess.


And wrote some important things down.


Today, we headed down to the park at the end of the street, where they replaced the rickety, old, and too-high-for-toddlers play structure with an awesome new one that requires much less intervention on mom's part.

There was much climbing and sliding.




And, of course, some resting. (In the horseshoe pit, where else?)


Strangely, Tim refuses to go on the swings. Which, to my mind, are the funnest part of a playground. As far as I know, he hasn't had any disastrous or scary swing incidents. He'll sit on my lap on the big-kid swings, but absolutely revolts at the idea (or forced insertion into) the little-kid swings. Weirdo.