Time Outdoors

As the days get colder and cloudier, we appreciate more the sunny days with a high in the 60s.  I also am more cognizant of the value of spending time outdoors, a commodity quickly waning.  Yesterday, I cut our afternoon TV time and suggested to the kids we bike to the playground nearby before the sun set.  They were overjoyed, but I don't know if their excitement necessarily came with the recognition of the shortening of daylight and warmth.

Michael loves to have a campfire at night but I have been less enthused in the past.  My previous excuse was the presence of mosquitoes.  These past few nights, however, have been the perfect time to sit by a fire to mesmerized by its glow.  The cold has shooed away all blood-sucking insects and our winter coats and boots keep us warm when we venture away from the hearth.  

A recent trip to Ikea helped us round out our outdoor living decor with some vintage-looking lanterns.  

Tonight, we ate our dinner outside!  The kids protested at first but were very content once they got the opportunity to assemble the spaghetti.

After dinner, Michael and the kids enjoyed the fire while I cleaned up.  Don't mistake the look of slumber as a sign of food coma - that is a look of annoyance from the striking flash from my phone's camera.  

In two days the temperature will drop significantly again and stay in the 40s / 50s for a while.  As we huddle in the bus next to our heaters, we can look back at this post and fondly remember the outdoors.