Autumn Revisited: Theme Mud

There are so many pictures and stories that I didn't get around to this autumn, so I am going to spend some time revisiting them now. Being outside all day today, just two days after Christmas, in 70 degree weather, has me itching to share those recent memories. One of the themes of autumn for us was mud, glorious mud. There were days spent with friends, painting playhouses a muddy brown,...

mud jumping that can't be beat,...

hikes that ended in muddy puddle-jumping bliss,...

and hikes that started with mud pies.
And don't feel too badly about Maxwell being left out of the fun. Although he has tried to join in...

I did make him sit out the mud fun, because I knew he would eat handfulls of it and get it in his eyes. But I did let him have some tastes of sand...

and rocks from time to time.

We love mud. It is good for the skin as well as the soul. My kids have always been drawn to dirt, as I think all kids are. And I for one can't wait for spring so I can get my hands into my garden soil again. I love the smell of soil, fresh, crisp earth, in my hands. I can close my eyes and smell it now. So for us, dirt and mud is a regular, and I'm sure there will be more muddy madness to come, especially this spring. I hope everyone having warm weather today was able to enjoy it, and I will follow this with some pictures of Christmas festivities soon. We are still celebrating, as we won't have Christmas with Adam's family until New Year's day, which means I am off to finish more hand-made presents. Oh, and a happy, happy birthday to my wonderful brother. Here is an original poem written just for you:

Roses are red

Old antlers are white

Your birthday was so nice

You should have flown a kite