Fair Time!

One of the best things about a September birthday - other than staying in preschool for one more year before the "grind" of kindergarten begins - is the fair. And while Gus has his doubts about Santa, The Easter Bunny & The Tooth Fairy, he believes with all of his almost-5-year-old heart, that the good people of Western North Carolina throw him a big ol' party every year for his birthday - complete with flags and a ferris wheel.

The fun begins as soon as we pull into the shuttle parking lot - we park there regardless of whether the fairgrounds have parking available or not - because riding the fancy tour buses is Gus' first ride of the evening. This year he made the nice bus driver ladies laugh with his chatty exitement.
At least everyone on the bus was aware that "we are riding the bus!" as Gus proclaimed this fact at every turn - literally.

Next stop, after we stock up on tickets, is the U.S. Forest Service Huey Helicopter. Gus has been visiting this helicopter since he was 2 and he still loves it the same. It's bright yellow and he finds it wherever they try to hide it on the fairgrounds.

For a splurge we all decided to take a ride over-across the fairgrounds. As you can see Gus was busy doing his research from above. Starved for snow here in Western North Carolina, we can't say no to a chance to ride a chairlift - even if it is over dry ground.

View of the North Carolina Mountain States Fair. Gus spied his favorite ride from here. You can barely see it behind the ferris wheel.

Voila, here it is. A perennial favorite of ours: the small yellow helicopter ride. Gus loves it and loves to be on it, though this year he was good about getting off and taking breaks walking around and seeing other things. Last year I had to repeatedly peel him off this very ride - ah a mere memory now.

Jacob's perennial treat at the fair: Funnel Cake. He ate almost the entire thing all by himself. Nice going, Mr. Health & Wellness Officer. I might have something of interest to send someone at the Hendersonville City Government.

Gus' other favorite ride. I remember the first year he rode this. He had to be belted into the backseat for support, while I stood by all anxiety and pucker. Then he cried his heart out, every time I took him off.
Now he is riding the hog - up and over the humps with great delight, while Jacob and I relax on the benches.

No birthday party can rival this!

Happy Birthday to our sweet son, Gus, who turns 5 on Friday!

Stylish Saturday

Another solo Saturday for the two of us - Jacob has been working every single weekend this month. With a slight chill in the air and fog on the hillsides, Gus and I decided to pull out some warmer clothes before going on our usual Saturday morning outing - a bike ride to the Bracken Mountain Bakery.

Isn't he cute in his new skinny jeans - score at the WEE consignment sale - and a top sent from Switzerland by Osi? Gus certainely is feeling adorable.

I can barely keep myself from cooing when I see this view. My adorable little boy riding his big bike and wearing his new red backpack - a gift from my boss-friend, Stacey. He loves the backpack and I love jogging behind the bike without a purse whipping around my hips (he carries my wallet in it, I love it!)

A well deserved, delicious and utterly indulgent breakfast - we feel very European, when we do this -although Gus loves Cinnamon Rolls and Mocha Swirls better than Croissants. Check out Mater waiting to get in on a piece of the action (he, too, rides in the backpack).


Yup, he is feeling stylish and I can't get enough of the sight of him. I wish there were more
accessories for boys in this world.

Gus waiting for the toy store to open - luckily for my wallet (in the much-mentioned backpack) opening hours are a fiscially-friendly 10-6 p.m. (and we are out way earlier than that).
Gus did good today forgoing a fit in front of the toy store and instead opting for a leisurely stroll along the store fronts and finally a fierce ride home for an early matinee showing of his favorite Mighty Machines episodes (we really dig airplanes right now).

A little bit of Happiness...

It's been a rough summer for me. I admit, I'm sore and weary, simple as that. But this little still life caught my eye last night and made me smile.
Edamame fresh from our CSA.
Piled high on a plate from my favorite wood artist (and friend) George Peterson, who pays my bookkeeping in art - a wonderful and highly satisfying way of earning a good day's work.
Shrieks and giggling from Gus playing happily in the front yard, and Jacob due home to share this bounty with me in just a few minutes.
A Friday evening moment of happiness.
I need to hold on to these moments.

En Schoene Erschte Auguscht!

Since Gus is half-Swiss we try to keep the tradition alive far from the homeland.
Part of it, involves children carrying paper "lampions" with colorful designs, they are lit up from the inside with candles and children usually march them in a parade to the nearby bonfire, which almost every Swiss town hosts on the First of August.
This tradition harkens back to the dark ages (Switzerland declared itself independent from the surounding Kingdoms in 1291) when neighboring factions used fires to signal to each other enemy movements.

Unfortunately Gus and his two friends, Meredith and Kathryn, were all tuckered after two hours of intense swimming, yet the sun hadn't quite set - we decided to light them up anyway with little effect...they still enjoyed it though.
Happy Erschte Auguscht!

Just the three of us

After a week of appointments, work and sharing chores, but never in the same place, we three woke up Sunday morning with nothing planned and nothing left on the to-do list.
Well, almost nothing.
Jacob decided it was time for a communal shearing in the laundry (while I didn't have to go under the knife, I was a big part in keeping the good cheer going and cleaning up afterwards).  The expression on Gus' face tells volumes of how enjoyable this chore is - for both the shearer and the shearee. But on the bright side, Gus looks sharp and he likes his newest "brissely" hairdo.

Next up we piled into the jeepster and headed for higher grounds (here in Western North Carolina that means 3,000-something feet, as ex-Vail residents we can still have a good laugh about that). Where the air is fresh and breathable - a nice change after a week of toil in hot and humid conditions.
This, by the way, is just one of the many views we were granted this morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway. In the center of the picture is Looking Glass Mountain, our local landmark.
We live in a dark-green world.

My two favorite getaway companions. They are getting to be more and more alike
with each passing day, one refining the other, it's a joy to watch.

A rare sight. Jacob remembered to snap a picture. I'm not camera-shy. My husband is.

See? Like I said. I'm not camera-shy.

A trait I passed on to Gus, who always duty-fully - albeit absent-mindedly - smiles for the camera. Preferrably with a cool motorcycle that is not ours.
No, ours, is sitting in Daddy's makeshift garage (which used to be our guest cottage)
Oh well. We had a great time out tooling around in the jeepster.
Can't wait for another day that finds us three without anything to do.

Easy as riding a bike

Earlier this month, we opted to buy Gus a new bike, since he has outgrown his push-bike, both in size and concept. It was time - we decided in our parental wisdom - to introduce pedals and brakes.

I expected that it would take weeks if not months for Gus to pick up the new skills required to ride a big bike (too big for him really, but I don't want to have to buy another one next summer,
since he is growing at a good clip)
But here goes Gus, after 15 minutes yesterday and another hour today. He loves the feeling of going on his own power - only he likes to pedal fast on the downhills and pedal rarely on the uphills...

We still have to nail down the concept of back-pedaling for the disc brake, as well as getting on and off without a hitch...but I'm so proud of our boy, who loves a good physical challenge and puts all his intellectual might to figuring out how to make it work.

Sad, so sad

Your first shy hello to me was by way of an insatiable craving for obscure recipes. I finally gave in and went to the store and bought peanuts and raddishes and other unusual ingredients. Then the usual symptoms set in: a sudden need for an afternoon nap, bras suddenly to small to hold my new curves, a general uplift in my spirit - feelings of sudden inexplicable joy and strength would seize me and seemingly never let up. I knew from a few days on that I was pregnant. Expecting at 42. I felt biblical, I felt singled out for a miracle, I felt happy. I felt like Sarah and Hannah must have felt when they realized they were pregnant by God's will. Jacob and I held off on a test for a few more weeks, we wanted to wrap our minds around a shockingly new reality that had seemed to not be possible for us anymore. We made careful plans, always hedging for the possibility that you might go away before we ever laid eyes upon your beating heart. All the statistics reminded us to do so, but hope kept us in happy denial. When we finally did the test, we felt that pure, shiny joy that only comes a few times in life. We were numb to anything negative. Together we could do anything. Even make a new life. We went and ran through the mud, the pictures of that day, tell a story of two people who share a new wellspring of joy together. I was feeling too sure, perhaps. Too cocky. I was in awe that my 42-year-old body wanted to do this, but I was happy for the experience. I made first preparations. Bought a sulfide-free shampoo. Tweaked my diet, abstained from caffein and even took it easy - something that is hard for me to do. You chose to leave me at 6 weeks this Thursday on an unbearably sunny, happy day with little warning but much pain and suffering. But I welcomed the physical pain, because it made you real to me and it helped me justify all the tears that are still flowing as I once again go from Sarah to Job - wondering what else difficult God has in store for me. I imagined you many times during the six weeks we had together. Tough never boy or girl, you were happy and a precious sibling to Gus. It make me especially happy to daydream up a sibling for Gus. "I can't make friends for him, but I can make a sibling for him," I thought to myself - probably with more self-satisfaction than God wants to see from me. But most of all you made me happy without much reason. Just happy for no reason other than that you were there, growing and making me feel more whole by the day. I am so very grateful for your brief stay in my body for the brief respite you brought to my sore soul, for the belief you gave me that good things are still ahead of me. Now I try to keep you in my heart and harvest some of that joy that you gave me. Your absence fills me with great sadness, but I try to remember that you were here for a reason, I just have to find that reason and hold on to it. Thank you, little startling, for coming into my life.