Here comes November

After a long and frustrating day, I am about to sit down with my work computer on the couch in front of Glee (so that it doesn't feel quite as work-ish).  Work is not what I feel like doing.  But I need to, just to keep my head above water right now.  November, into December, is notoriously the craziest time of the year for me.  And here it is.  November 2.  Already.  So, in an effort to do something that I want to do before doing something that I have to do, I am going to share a few quick stories here. 

• Halloween - quite a success.  Both kids were totally into the pumpkin carving/painting scene.  Ev loved the "guts" and lots and lots of paint.  (Might have to add some pictures here.)  Cort loved the design process and scooping out the guts - with a spoon.  And making ears on the pumpkins, which was very important to him.  Trick-or-treating was a bit chilly, but otherwise awesome.  Everly was in her element.  Any day she has a reason to put something into a bag that she can carry on her arm is a good day.  Cortlan used his best trick-or-treat manners at every house.
• Two in-service days in a row were much welcome.  Not that I don't love teaching the kids, and honestly, I generally prefer to do so.  But I desperately needed a catch-up day.  Obviously, I didn't get as much caught up as I'd hoped (as only half of one of the days was not consumed by meetings).  But there are a few additional bonuses of the in-services:  1.  We get to wake the kids up just a touch later than normal and take our time getting ready and getting to school. 2.  John and I get an hour and a half for lunch.  Read: the best we can do for a date.  Yay! for being the first into Miyako on a Monday that happened to be the last day to use the Entertainment book coupon.
• Everly needed new tennis shoes so she and I made a trip today to find some.  There were definitely highs and lows to the process.  Once Everly saw the shoes, she wanted all of them and started ranting and tearing off the shoes she was wearing.  Store 1: None her size in my price range.  Store 2: Found a cute pair that had laces.  The ones with velcro cost three times as much.  (They know what parents want.)  I decided to risk it and get the ones with laces.  I figure we will have to get up earlier in the morning as a result, but hey, I saved some money.  And Everly LOVES them.  In fact, she screamed the entire way home about them.  She was mad that they weren't on her feet.  (Is it bad that after trying to calm her down numerous times I just turned up the radio really, really loud?)  But the best was that when we got home, she had to have them on to "show Daddy."  The problem was that Daddy wasn't home.  She waited by the door crying for Daddy with her shoes on until he came home (at least fifteen minutes later), at which point she ran proudly around the basement in what Cortlan has dubbed "her running shoes."  Disclaimer:  Everly is getting two teeth, and is ultra sensitive these days.
• We got to vote today, and the kids got to share in the experience with us.
• Cortlan declared, "I don't like girls anymore.  But I love you, Mommy."
• Everly said her first sentence, "Elly's pretty."  (Elly is our boxer.)