Westmoreland Asays

We had yet another rain-free night of trick-or-treating in Portland--that's five years in a row, for those counting. Aaron went with his friends, while one of Ian's friends (and his parents) came with us. Edward was a bit too fast, Ian was a bit too slow, so we ended up a very disjointed group. And like what seems every year, the kids wanted to go home early. I think they are just so anxious to see what they got and to start gorging themselves on their loot. Patience is still a growing virtue in these young boys.

For the first time as a complete family unit, we participated in the 15th annual Monster March. The local business association sponsors the walk--which includes police escort--that travels from Llewellyn Elementary, through, downtown Westmoreland, and back to the school. People and businesses line the street to watch and hand out candy to the costumed participants. Ian wore his ninja costume from last halloween, Edward dressed as a hippie, Aaron wore his Thomas the Tank Engine costume ironically (he was a little embarrased at first, but his friends really liked his choice), Meg dressed as Black Widow (one of the Avengers from Marvel Comics), and I was Hawkeye (also from the Avengers, and one of the love interests of Black Widow).

Sports have been an important part of my life since I can remember. I played any sport I could, whether it was wiffleball with the Stone Hedge posse growing up or running on the cross country team in college. I make a conscious effort not to re-live my life through my children, so I haven't tried to push any of them to do play sports like I did. So I was mildly surprised and really excited when Aaron expressed his interest in playing football this past summer. Unfortunately, his fifth-sixth grade team could not recruit enough players so they did not field a team, but that didn't stop him from conditioning and practicing every night--sometimes in 100 degrees of heat, and once or twice in rain storms. Fortunately, there was another team in the neighborhood that agreed to scrimmage with Aaron's team for five or six practice games in the fall. The season went through mid-October, and by the end Aaron was ready to be done; but after a week or so he was already hankering to tac...

I took an afternoon away from the office to drive with the family to our second-annual visit to Sauvie Island to guzzle autumn beverages, scout for pumpkins to harvest, wander through a corn maze, and breath in some of the last warm air of the year.