Kids, Crickets & Cactus

 I missed September's blog post, but honestly, I didn't have a lot to report. It was a busy month filled with trying to go on with normal life while missing someone who left an enormous hole. The one highlight of September was M's birthday. I can't believe my oldest kid is now 25! (Geez, that makes me old too, doesn't it? Though I can hardly complain. I mentioned hot flashes the other day while talking to my dad, and he immediately responded with a comment about how wrong it is to hear his daughters talking about menopause-related stuff!) So here we are in October, and it's been a crazy busy, when I thought I would have a breather. I generally LOVE October; we have fall break, which usually lessens my load. But no. Turns out that when only two of your kids are still in school, fall break means less of a difference in your life. Not that I am not enjoying the cooler weather; I am, I am!!! It's so nice to go outside at 6am and actually shiver. (My body reacts ...