Fall flag football

We're finally at the end of football season. The tournament was supposed to be last Saturday, but got rained out, so instead the team went to Peter Piper pizza, and we'll hope for good weather this Saturday (because I'm SO ready to be done with practices!). His coaches were really invested in the team this year, which was fun. It was their first time coaching, though, and many of the boys' first times playing, so they won only about 1/4 or a 1/3 of their games. Mister had a chance to play quarterback, receiver, running back, and defense.

The spectators: Sweetie reading, H wandering (after stealing Sweetie's pink hat)

Will it come?

What do you think: if I bake pumpkin bread and gingersnap cookies (which had all been eaten but 3 by the time I took this pic), and if I put up the Halloween and fall decorations, will fall actually come? Will the triple-digit temps go away? The kids and I thought it was worth a shot today. I hope the fall decor doesn't just end up taunting me all month . . .

I feel sick.

It's not the swine flu. No, my sickness stems from that open (and empty?) bag of candy corns and the delicious baked caramel corn that my mom sends us every Halloween. If only there were a vaccination against eating too much.

Here's my mom's famous recipe, if you care to join me in my sickness:

1 lb (2 1/2 c packed) brown sugar

1 c white Karo syrup

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 sticks margarine

Boil for 5 min. Pour over 8 quarts popped popcorn, pour on baking sheet. Bake at 250 for 1 hr. Stir every 15 min. Empty on wax paper.

1. Long sleeves and a high of 63--hooray! 2. Baby smiles 3. Clean-smelling children

The fall colors are out

It's true that the leaves do not change color in the fall here in the southwest (sob, sob). But that does not mean that we are lacking fall colors altogether here in the P household. Go Cougs!