Been busy...

Went trick or treating for Halloween. (May have pics at some point, may not.)

Traded beds with my aunt (her king for our full) and all the attendant cleaning, moving of furniture, and hauling of mattresses to make that happen.

Bridget has a snotty nose and cough; think Maggie may be coming down with it.

Trying to keep the kiddos from going crazy with the candy (which is kept out of reach and rationed out); last night Emma said a prayer before her dinner (they were eating before us) that went, "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, please bless that I will grow strong and healthy and not eat too much sugar..."

Grumpiness seems to abound anyway. Emma was making upset noises and I asked her what was the matter. She said, "I'm not going to tell you." I asked why not, and she replied, "Because it's JUST MY answer! I'm not going to answer you because it's my answer!" *sigh* Four year olds...

Keep getting annoying political calls. We voted 2 weeks ago (we're permanent absentee voters.) Can't wait for the stupid thing to be done with.

Maggie is crawling (not creeping, up off the ground; crawling, like a Marine.) She also rolls very precisely in the direction she wants to go. This is quite a leap from a few days ago. She seems to enjoy it. Likes to play with anything she can get her hand on, and shred paper like the cats do. Has destroyed 2 books so far ("We READ the books, we don't EAT the books" has become a common refrain.)

Went to the library two or 3 weeks in a row now. Getting to be a tradition now, after dance class on Thursdays. I think I like it. It seems good for me. Just found out that you can now pay your library fines online (for a long time you could view them and pay by phone, but they've added a credit card interface, apparently.) Coolness.

Finally decided what to make for Christmas gifts. Can't wait for Thanksgiving. Jeff is taking time off that week. Not sure if we'll get out of town or not. Hoping so, really want a change of pace.

Feeling very good some days, weepy and frustrated others. Some days I'm upset with myself and disappointed in how little self-control I seem to have, how I sometimes snap too readily at my kids. I think I need to remember that this is a partnership, not just between me and my husband, but between us and Heavenly Father. They're His kids, too, and I can ask Him for help in parenting them the way He wants it done. But it's hard to remember that when you have a migraine and they WON'T stop jumping on you and they're making messes in the room they've been told not to enter and breaking things and life just makes you want to cry and scream in frustration. Other days they are a joy, helpful and kind and loving with each other, and that makes me ashamed I don't treat them all the time the way I want them to treat each other.

I think the election is adding a lot of stress to our household, on top of the rest of it. I'll be REALLY glad when it's over. Did I say that already? Also dealing with multiple insurance companies and agencies trying to get Bridget's tooth covered. We're about ready to pay for it ourselves. Why do we have insurance if we have to pay for it out of pocket or wait eight months to get a potentially life-threatening condition treated? So annoying.

But then the weather is changing and that makes me happy. I try to find happiness in the small things around me that I enjoy. I try to do things that make me happy and help the kids do them too. Bridget likes to be read to and get to sit in a lap. Maggie likes just about any one-on-one playtime. Emma loves to help me cook. I try to let her as much as possible because that is a GOOD habit to develop. Personally, I would love to get away to a little cafe/bookstore, sip a cup of cocoa, eat a yummy sandwich, and read some good secondhand mystery. Very unlikely that will happen, though... Oh, well, at least I can go to the library and snatch a few words here and there from a good old Mary Higgins Clark (whom I have just discovered, after years of rather unintentional avoidance, that I really like.)