The leaves are falling back East

Profiles, Pumpkins, Preschool, and Black Eyes :

Profiles:
Today, friends: a breakthrough. I took these photos, and I thought: I want to blog this today. Today! Not someday. You see, our adoptive profile is finally finished. I'm amazed at how much relief I feel. I thought there would be some anxiety, because now the waiting begins. But there's not. We were really thoughtful and prayerful about all of it. I know it's what it is supposed to be - and the child who is supposed to end up here will end up here - when it's time. Here is the link to it, and I'll be adding one on the sidebar shortly. Please spread the word if you feel inspired to do so.

Pumpkins:
The Halloween decorations have been up since last week. One day Frankie was brought to tears because he wanted them out so badly but Jeremy was at work and I am incapable of climbing into the attic. Frankie has decided on an awesome Halloween costume that I'm equal parts excited and flabbergasted about trying to make. Today we went to the plant nursery for a few cooler temperature flowers - and they had pumpkins. Expensive pumpkins - but they were cute with stems. I caved and let Frankie pick out a little one. I can't wait for crisper temperatures, yellow leaves, and all the lovely things that fall brings.

Preschool: 

We are getting used to the schedule of preschool, and Frankie still loves it. He comes home with a colored picture, a stamp on each hand, and stories about what they did that day. I get time to work, usually at the office, which is good because we are still really busy. He has learned in the last few weeks to get in and out of the car and buckle himself in his seat on his own. He is so grown up.

Black eyes:

On Tuesday Frankie and I made a quick run to the office. He was swinging up on his arms in between some desks - and swung forward all the way to the ground. He landed on the right side of his head/face. It was very traumatic, and the Quasimodo swollen black eye started forming yesterday. Poor kid. His preschool teacher told him today "you must be really tough!" and he said "actually, I cried all the way home."

Well Well Well

Frankie has vision. He wanted an aquarium diorama. Jeremy helped him build the first one up at the cabin. He wanted the fish to look like they were swimming. Thus, the fish are hung with string. We left the first diorama at the cabin, but he wanted another. I helped him with this one and this time he water colored water on the back of  some old blueprint paper. (The giant paper is one advantage of my line of work.) We painted, pasted and cut all morning long one day. It now lives proudly in his room.

Once a month or so, Frankie gets to bring snacks to preschool and be the leader that day. His teacher reminded him as he left that it was his first turn next time. I came downstairs to find that he had prepared all the snacks for his class, even though he didn't have preschool again until the next week. He was just a little excited. He did a really good job of it, it made me happy. (And yes, there are only 5 kids in his class. Nice, huh?)

Cats. Fluffing and meowing and making us laugh as always. Neighbors, beware the peeping Bingley.

A city taken over by giant bugs, and a colossal kid!

(These days Frankie will request that I take pictures of his creations.

Obviously he's got the drill down.)

Frankie got a bit of an early birthday party because Kennadi and Connor were going to be out of town for his party. Mostly I just think these kids are really cute.

Alison provided the cupcakes. She brought them over so we could see the mystery color which obviously was pink. I get a niece in January! I can't tell you how excited I am about this, and so happy for them. (A funny side note is that we knew they had the ultrasound in the afternoon. Neither Alison or Nick had answered any of our texts, and we had started to get worried something was wrong with the baby. When she finally came over that evening, we told her next time she needs to tell us everything is okay, and then bake cupcakes.)

Connor enjoyed the treats.

Frankie and I are baking away - getting ready for his birthday cake.

And I leave you with this. Because it cracks me up and gives me the heebie jeebies at the same time. 

Well, I was going to leave you. But I was just reminded of a story I want to record. One day Frankie was coloring and he asked me how to spell "heebie jeebies." He wrote it on a little piece of cardboard and told me it was my sign. He would put it by his bugs, and for a long time it actually hung on my bathroom mirror. Apparently I give myself the heebie jeebies. 

One morning he told me he had a surprise for me. I came downstairs to find that he had started up Netflix, and his favorite little documentary which is basically just insects and music. He had paused it on a close up of a grasshopper (my most hated bug) and hung the heebie jeebies sign next to it. What a kid.