I finally got back to Avdi’s for erev preps and overnight.  The kids had a long weekend off from school and were all home.  Everyone, including me, seemed calmer and friendlier.  Maybe it was just the time off, or maybe something different about me.  I know I’m just getting glimpses, while Avdi gets the whole picture, but there were no meltdowns or tensions to speak of while I was there.  We were all just being a family, in this gorgeous St. Louis fall weather, taking a moment to soak up sun.

We all had a pleasant Shabbat meal together.  I got in the cooking “zone” and the results got high ranks.  I think it did our morale good.  E and Y separately went out to hang out with friends.  S didn’t give me any trouble.  Avdi even got to go out last night with friends and unwind and not have to worry.

Today we were out in the sukkah feeling a little sad that it had to be dismantled, as every year.  So I suggested maybe having a modified sukkah-deconstruction B&B tomorrow, so Avdi could have friends and some help, make a fun occasion of it.  I’m hoping that will happen.  It really was a beautiful sukkah, even if we couldn’t spend as much time as we liked in it.

I have lots of photos to make up for lost time.  St. Louis really is an autumn town, warm, breezy, dazzling sun, and the leaves not even in full color yet.  Still lots of flowers blooming, especially natives.  We even had a fire weather warning, it’s been so dry.