I'll never catch up with everything that's on my mind. I've started reading some new blogs, and I really do like how organized some of these people are. They have certain days for featuring certain things. Friday Faves. Or Five on Friday. What I'm Reading. What We ate this Week. I think people care because they have a big following.
I think my favorite one is Amazon Purchases. Every time I read one of these, I really think I need at least one of whatever they order. But then common sense takes over and I usually don't order. I did order some room spray lately though at someone's recommendation. The things I order are so weird that no one would want a list: A cat tree. Collagen. Clay and accessories. Yummy Jelly back-to-school purses for the girls. A birthday gift for Ryan.
Because I have no energy left on a friday afternoon, I'm going to post my five random things and do better after a good night's sleep.
1. This book:
I've been seeing it on so many reading lists, including the NYT one, for months and months. I'm not sure how long I've had it on my request list from the library, and in all that time I've not read a review on it. After trying to read so many books lately that have been on the top of many lists and finding them uninteresting, I admit I didn't have high hopes for this one. Fortunately, it came through from page one, and I was crying in the first chapter. I read it in three days and could not get it off my mind. I'm not going to write a review because there are many out there, but it's worth reading. Elise is even reading it now, and she hardly ever likes the same things I do. I'm not a lover of the idea of marshes and the wildlife that live there - probably just never thought much about them - but this author paints a beautiful picture that sticks with you. I'll have this book on my mind a long time and will be looking to see what else I can find by her. And I also hear that feelers are out to make a movie from the book. So, we'll see.
2. Fall is certainly near: This week has been the best week of the year weather-wise, and getting to walk Graysen to school in the early mornings has been a joy. Blue skies. Light breeze. A few red and gold trees just barely dropping their leaves. Little girl excitement and deep conversations about porch decorations we pass, how many blackberries there are, things to look forward to, why people are litterbugs.
This is a picture from last week when we picked a quart bag of blackberries. Today they were so big and juicy, and we didn't have a bag.
3. Getting off to a good start this year:
Emily and I always plan to get together to get things sorted out but never manage to do it, but Sunday afternoon, we sent Ryan with the girls to ride bikes, and we piled all our calendars and planners and lists on the table and spent an hour getting our lives synced. Somewhat. I felt better, but I think it left Emily more overwhelmed than ever. Children's lives aren't all she has to coordinate, and her mind is full of the clinic and it's day-to-day operations, making time for friends, establishing bedtimes, getting meals together, and trying to make as many appearances as she can at the girl's events.
I don't mind at all - and love - the daily interaction with the girls, getting them back and forth to school and playdates and taking them out for lunch - but I wish she could be there more. We're trying to establish a happy medium, and she's taking off more time now for special things. She took Kate today for her "meeting" as she called it, the orientation for our last year at Rooster Valley. It will be a sad day in May when we won't go there any more. I haven't heard much about the meeting except it went well, and Kate is really, really excited to be starting back next Tuesday.
I won't be able to walk Graysen to school any more since Katherine will have to be delivered 15 minutes later and 10 miles away, so car pool will begin. I'm not looking forward to that. Both girls are supposed to be on the right side for easy jumping out, and I'm not sure how we'll manage that one! Emily is off next week, so we'll see what she works out. Last year, I could take Graysen to the gate of the playground, and she would go in after one kiss and 3 waves. This year, it seems cruel to just toss her out. What if she can't get her seat belt undone? I'm not supposed to get out either place (which is a blessing I'm looking forward to this winter more than I should)!
New school boots!
Playdate with Kate's very, very best friend Makena. They played for three hours without one disagreement, and Kate cried when she went home. Thank goodness they'll be going to the same school this year.
This bunny hopped through the fence, scratched out a little nest, and lay down and watched them for a bit.
Special dinner the night before first grade.
And soon I'm going to have all those days to do what I want!
4. It's bad when I can't think of 5 interesting things in my life. Oh, living vicariously through the Win-Bins. The four of them went camping one weekend, sailing another, and Emily and the girls spent a long weekend with their friend Erin and their two boys in Westport. On the ocean. I didn't know you could get to the Pacific in less than 2 hours. So many good experiences that they're getting to have. This picture says it all:
Shawn the sailor who graciously took the group of 8 sailing.
Erin is a reluctant sailor, but I think they all had a good time. The kids standing on the edge of the boat would have done me in.
Little Kate just goes where she's taken. What a good experience for these girls. Emily included. I think Ryan took all the pictures, so he's not in any of them.
5. And lastly, I guess just looking to the future and hoping for a happy year. New school beginnings, Halloween coming up, Thanksgiving, Christmas, probably more snow and bitter cold. I think I'll stop at fall! Emily and Ryan planned a nice birthday trip for me last year - a trip to the Washington State Fair in Puyallup. It was a lot of fun but not something we want to do again this year, so I find myself having to think about what I want to do this year. They think I need an experience, and I do. I don't want to be up here in this beautiful state and not see all the pretty things. I want to see Rainier, so Emily is looking into that. I don't want to be ON it, just see it up close, but then the weather has to be just right for that. There are islands and whale-watching excursions and a trip at Christmastime to the Leavenworth Christmas Lighting Festival. Then there's Canada if I can go ahead and get going with a passport. We also want to have a girls' night when we take the children to a hotel and just let them have the thrill of having a room with a refrigerator and buying stuff from a vending machine and watching TV on a big bed. It doesn't take much to thrill them at this age, and that sounds good to me too. It doesn't take much.
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