Early October means more than just a change of season ’round here.  It means another giant leap into the unknown, for us, that is.  Having a second child isn’t uncharted territory, but it will be a sea change for this household.  I’m alternately reassured by parents who say that when their second was born, it seemed natural, like it had always been that way, then by friends who say two isn’t twice as hard, it’s exponentially harder.  Seems like there’s probably some middle ground where we’ll safely make landfall.

We’ve been doing what we can to prepare for number two, and Abraham has been enjoying denial so far.

Having a backhoe parked next to the house most days provides an easy distraction when necessary.

The weather has been fall-like to the point where we can make a few small piles, and as soon as we rake ’em up, Abe tears them apart.  You don’t have to explain to a kid what a pile of leaves is for.

By the way, when in this part of the country, remember that a tight-fitting winter hat is called a toboggan, or ‘boggan for short.  There’s no use in explaining.

The Highland county fair was an even bigger hit this year, mostly because of the easy access to heavy equipment.

Another hint of fall is the local corn maze.  Despite growing up in the middle of what is probably the world’s largest corn monoculture, it was my first.  Now I know what I missed.  Abraham did a great job of leading us through.

Sarah’s playgroup friends put on a great outdoor ed. and painting session out at the High Rocks camp.  Her days out with Abraham are always full of culture and education.

Whereas most of my days with him are slightly less dignified.

We’re trying to make sure Abe gets to spend a lot of time with mommy before baby shows up, both because of the last two pictures and because she’ll be pretty distracted in the coming weeks.  We’re trying to help him understand what to expect, too, and so far he seems to have bought in.

It may be a different story once little sibling is in the house, though.

For now, though, it’s mostly business as usual around here.

So while we’re anxious for fall, we’ve been enjoying the wait.