Squeezing It In

 

Is it Halloween already??

I kept thinking it was two weeks away, starting at the beginning of October. Then somehow it was less than a week and I was still thinking two weeks...well. We did manage to get pumpkins carved last night (aren't they beautiful?). At least I am not responsible for anyone's costumes anymore, and I bought candy to pass out back at the beginning of the month. It's so strange to get to this point where none of my kids really need me for this holiday. S is going out to trick-or-treat with friends, K has no idea what his plans are (if any) but he says he'll let me know sometime today, B is probably going to spend the evening getting her cosplay ready for the con she's attending this weekend, J (as a service missionary) will probably hang around the house tonight, and M says she'll pass out the candy to any trick-or-treaters who come to the door.

I'm off the hook for everything but throwing some dinner together. I might just spend some time brainstorming for Nanowrimo's start tomorrow. I don't know if I've ever done that on Halloween before.

It did occur to me (once I wrapped my head around the idea that it actually is Halloween) that I had not updated the blog for October. So here we are, squeezing in a last minute monthly post. Let's check in with everyone, shall we?

S-- Seventh grade is treating her well so far, even if she doesn't recognize it. (She's not a fan of school anymore.) But for junior high (which I remember as a horrific experience that I had nightmares about until I was nearly 30) she's having a smooth time. She has a large group of friends, both at school and church, and she's been stretching her wings lately. October included a number of out of her comfort zone experiences. Young Women's camp for church was at the beginning of the month, and wouldn't you know it, her period decided to show up. (Honestly, our bodies have wonderful timing, don't they?) S had a brutal cycle this month, and spent much of the camp resting in her cabin. But she did manage to go rappelling, and one of the leaders carried her up for their Bishop's night testimony meeting, and when she got home she told me it was totally worth going. She also attending a Halloween/Birthday party with a bunch of kids from school where none of her close friends showed up, but she managed to tough it out and end up having a bunch of fun-- another growing experience that she embraced and came out feeling glad she went. Her 13th birthday is nearly upon her, and it is glaringly obvious my baby is a young lady now, not a little girl. Awww.

K-- Speaking of kids who aren't little anymore-- K was talking to me last night as I looked up, and I realized that my clown/gamer/tease of a son is growing into a young man. I guess his tenth grade year is going OK? He doesn't talk much about school (shocker), other than to complain about Spanish. (It's not easy for him, like everything else he's taking.) He's been attending stake dances and hanging out with friends on the weekend, besides playing coop games online with his buddies. He's currently learning how to drive and doing really well, though he's not enthusiastic about it. I suspect he'll love the freedom of being able to get around himself once he's more confident though.

B-- Things are going really well! She has a part-time job at a grocery store, and so far she is managing all the ups and downs that come with working. She's been on a few dates with a co-worker and other than that her major social time has been attending anime cons with friends. Cosplay is her thing right now (you should see her room!). So far so good. Her next goal is to buy a car and then consider if she's ready to tackle college. Overall, she's made great progress with her mental health. One step at a time!

J-- He is now past the six month mark as a service missionary, and he has gotten pretty comfortable with it. It is incredible to watch his growth, both spiritually and socially. (He got up last Saturday morning and drove to a city an hour away, on his own, to join a specific service project that his zone was participating. I couldn't even fathom that happening a year ago.) He is my temple buddy-- we attend the temple together every Wednesday, and it's great to get to spend some one on one time with him. Just be ready for an earful if you mention politics. J has definite opinions, and he is not afraid to share.

M-- She is still working full-time, though good luck getting her to describe what it is she does. Whatever they ask her to on the computer, I guess? She is currently navigating the challenges of a car that mysteriously keeps dying (it has a new battery, so it's not that, and there are a bunch of interesting electrical things that come and go) and so yay for adulting experiences. She is a dependable rock when it comes to taking care of things around the house. Going away to college taught her how to clean-- and it is so nice to have one kid who doesn't have to be asked to mop when it's her turn to clean the kitchen floor!

Terence-- Well, Terence is burning the candle at five different ends. I don't know how he does it. He's running on short stretches of sleep all the time, but so far he is surviving. He's starting to at least talk about retirement. Maybe. In ten more years. This morning he was supposed to be at a district meeting up in Payson and completely forgot. He got a call from his sergeant asking where on earth he was while we were at the gym working out. Oops. He turned it around, telling all his mocking squad mates that apparently now that his memory is going he might as well retire and run for President. *snicker*

And last but not least, me-- I finished another book this month! Yes, I have a rough draft of the final Sheralie series. So. Now it's time to work on publishing them. I have some promises to keep. As for the health stuff, I have a nerve test scheduled for November 14th. Apparently I get to have a wire inserted in my back for a week or so. Yay. It's an interesting test-- I'll share more about it once I get through it. It is a trial run to see if a specific treatment would help my overactive bladder issues. It will be a lifesaver if it does. I would dearly love to sleep through the night again.

There!

This was not a short update, was it? Hopefully that will make up for November, because you know how Novembers go...