Savoring fall

Why yes, he is wearing tiny chaps.

Don't let these grumpy faces fool you -- they are just concentrating very hard on their pony rides, part of "the best day ever!" today. (Truth be told, Finn has a lot of best days ever.) It was only Calvin's second time on a pony. For Finn, it was a first. He named his pony Finn's Horse, and he wants to go ride it all the time.

Pony rides were a highlight of our farewell visit to Gilroy Gardens today, especially enjoyable thanks to the end of a heat wave that had us wilting for days on end. It was one of those wonderfully perfect days: The boys were happy, flexible, excited, patient, and just plain fun to be with.

Very happy to have Dad with them for a day.

The vampire and Dr. Rainstorm.

Halloween kicks off the holiday season, in their view, and they are eager for the real festivities to begin. Calvin has invited his class over for a party a few days before trick-or-treat, and this weekend we'll begin to assemble his robot costume. Finn has been set on being a pirate, but today announced he wants to be a witch, or maybe Darth Vader, or maybe a ghost.

Last week they wore superhero capes and played minigolf as a vampire and Dr. Rainstorm. They put up a brave front on the spooked-up course, until they had to fish their golf balls out of red-tinted water hazards.

Together we made a floor cloth for our entry way, literally a blank canvas for the kids. I prepped the cloth, and Calvin began painting five little pumpkins sitting on a gate -- then Finn painted his own five pumpkins, plus one more.

Painting our Halloween doormat.

A tent is a great place for a nap.

Another fall favorite -- a camping trip in the redwoods, an hour from here, with several families. Bugs, banana slugs, sticks, and s'mores. What more could little boys ask for?

We're enjoying the rhythm of the days. We've gotten used to school, and most nights Calvin tackles his homework agreeably (reading, math, spelling, and science, about 45 minutes a night!). Finn adores preschool, and his teachers seem to enjoy him as well.

We began swimming classes at the end of August, with protests from both boys; Calvin bawled through the first lesson. But now... they earned their first ribbons, and recently Calvin was awarded his second. I wish you could have seen how deeply proud he was. The smile on his face was one of the happiest sights I've ever seen. He's worked very hard to be brave and push his comfort level, and we're proud of his persistence. Both boys love showing off their growing skills in the rather limited space of the hot tub.

Re-creating Mom's volcano and adding a safety fence

I find myself feeling unusually proud of the kids these days. They've grown so much in the past few months, even, and I like the people they're shaping up to be. Finn is proving to be a creative problem-solver, resilient and flexible, considerate, happy to negotiate compromises. He's still working on the basics -- he's only just figuring out how to count to 10 -- but he makes very astute connections. He talks nonstop, but it isn't just to hear himself talk: He really enjoys two-way conversations, with everyone.

Calvin remains more emotionally rocky, but he's made a conscious, concerted effort to smooth his path. After a few weeks of petty disputes with a tablemate at school, he decided to try to turn his enemy into a friend. He picked up her spilled pencil box, and next thing you know he's got his first girlfriend. (They're "just friends" now, he says, but he's not sure how that's any different.) Likewise, he's trying to learn how to get along with someone who's subjected him to low-grade bullying. He's coming up with strategies for academic challenges, seeking out opportunities to look out for Finn, and showing more consideration for the family as a whole.

More photos: from our camping trip, and a small but growing album of our fall fun.