Snippets

*The recent time change has affected me more than in the past. It's felt so much later at night than it is in reality. Currently it's 8pm, and I'm thinking, "Okay, this day has been long enough. It's dark, has been for a couple hours now, and I want to go to bed."

*I feel a sinus headache coming on -the downside of the cooler weather. Stephen's not feeling so great himself, but that could be because he has a paper due tomorrow and an exam on Tuesday.

*I keep a small stash of sweets to reward Nora when occasion calls for it. The stock now consists of candy corn and Reese's pieces (neither of which I care much for, which works out well for self-control purposes :-P). I've also used it to comfort her when she's had a fall or some other "tragedy". She's gotten smart on me. Today she tried out her best impression of injury and tears and said, "Mom, I need candy corn. I bonked my head, and that would make it feel better." It was a step up from yesterday when she tried to convince me she needed them because she had a tummy ache.

*Christmas is coming, and Nora couldn't be more EXCITED. She daily asks about our Christmas tree (we bought a used 7.5 foot artificial tree a couple weeks ago, and I made the mistake of taking her with me to pick it up while I talked it up because I was pretty excited myself...maybe you can imagine how "In a few weeks..." means absolutely nothing to a 2-year-old). I considered making stockings for the kiddos, but when I found cute ones at Target for $1, I decided that was the way to go this year. It's funny how children make logical mistakes. When we got home, Nora attempted to wear the "stockings," and seemed puzzled by my explanation of their real purpose.

*We're having a potluck Thanksgiving at our place with some friends this year, and I'm making the turkey. We'll see how that goes. Maybe with a good brine and lots of butter under the skin, it will be moist enough. I got some fallish decorations from Michael's today for 70% off and am pleased with how it all came together as a centerpiece for our table. It's great how even little things can go a long way in making the home atmosphere more festive.

*Last week we registered our car in the state of Texas, got our plates, driver's licenses and registered to vote. It's all official now...

*...which leads into my next asterisk about my new driving habits. Here's my new routine: after buckling two children in their car seats, throwing in all the things I try to never leave without, I get in and... buckle my seatbelt and put on my eye glasses. The first, I know you're thinking, "That's a new driving habit???" Shamefully, for the most part, yes. But, God in his grace gave me a wake up call in the form of a ticket for not wearing said restraint. I didn't know you could get pulled over for just that, but like I said, three weeks and counting and it's worked like a charm. It's just painful that it took that...The incident also proved that with children in tow, I will not be able to keep anything from my spouse (not that I want to, but... :-P) The first thing Nora said (or pretty close to it) when Stephen got home that night? "Policeman on motorcycle...momma seatbelt." Granted it was unclear, and I could have feigned ignorance, but those days are numbered. Her vocabulary and ability to communicate increases daily. And the eyeglasses? After wishing I needed glasses up through college, I got my wish the year after I graduated to help with driving, watching movies, working on the computer, etc. I've worn them half-heartedly because I viewed them as dispensable. Not so any longer. My license has been restricted to driving with the glasses. I failed the eye test at the DMV, and thankfully had the glasses in the car to allow me to pass. I am still surprised that my eyesight has changed that much in just three years. Kinda scary...

*Speaking of driving, you know how when you're in a new place you have to get over that hump of finding where everything is?...so last night, we drove around for an hour and a half trying to find a shopping center that was supposed to be only 20 minutes away. The problem was we thought we knew where we were going, and we didn't account for rush hour. So, actually we weren't really driving around, it was more like inching along in circles. Sounds maddening right? It was. We never did find the darned place (though I went back today -with printed directions- and found it in under 20 minutes and had a good long walk with the kiddos there). Instead, we went to Starbucks, used my birthday gift card and actually managed to have a nice time out as a family. I have to brag on my hubby (for whom being lost and wasting fuel are some of life's cruelest torments) because he was able to stay upbeat, which helped me and the kiddos do the same. He really is an awesome leader.

*Joseph has started laughing, and I love it. It really brightens my day whenever I'm able to make him laugh -tickling in just the right spot or surprise noises (boo! with smile, not too loud; yes, already my son is picky about loud noises and a million other things).

*It's been a couple weeks now, but Stephen and I reached the 5 year anniversary of our "thing-ness" (so maybe I'm tired, feeling foggy headed and should have gone to bed at 8pm because that's the word that comes to mind; you know the phrase "we're a thing now"...anyway). We had waffles for breakfast. It's the little things.

So, it's 9pm. My written smattering of happenings is running dry. The time change, you know? It's come full circle now.