November Life

 

 

 

 

On Sundays, like most days, we are a two car family. Even if all of us are headed to church, someone invariably is headed in another direction in the afternoon. The boys hit the woods with Andy in search of Ole Henry the eight-point-buck. The girls come with me to dance rehearsal for this year's Singing Christmas Tree. We are still a month off from performance shape, but it humbles my heart to see ideas come to life.

 

Watching dances unfold as we rehearse and choreograph together.

Pre hunting trip, the boys take five to be measured for Bible character garb. They have agreed to stand in the sanctuary holding lanterns for me...no dancing or singing required. Much less commitment than the waltzing lessons of 2011.

Backing away from the Halloween treats is also helping me focus on performance shape...at least for November.

What's a thirteen year old girl to pack? Warm clothes, I hope! A and L head to D.C. for a school field trip.

Charlotte Motor Speedway with Brennan on his class field trip

A cherished afternoon and evening at home to lie on the floor and play with magnetic hematite stones

The detangling of knots ritual that we are still assisting with post bath, pre-bedtime.

All that's left of ancient candy corn that were meant as decorations, but still mysteriously got eaten anyway.

Bartering a trail ride with my friend Paula for a Pilates session for her friend's birthday. Score! I love riding, especially in beautiful places in beautiful autumn.

A tree in my neighborhood that makes me happy every time I drive past it (one thousand times a day).

An old, but clean (for the moment) car that smells good. Andy pulled out the manual to discover how to remove the center console. Eleven years of spilled beverages, seventy five cents, and a hairball were lurking under that thing. You needed one of those scrapers that painters use to extract the goo from the van, but he did it, and I love him so for the effort. Aahhh, Febreeze.

Comedian I am reading...well, technically, listening to. Parenting stories that crack me up because they are so true...like how he spends half his life getting his five children to school.

Luckily for the teachers, Aldi carried, for a brief stint, our favorite apple chips. Sorry, don't bother going. We bought them out. We have a lot of teachers to love with five kids. Happy American Education Week.

 

Pitching the barrage of holiday catalogs in the recycle bin before the kids circle everything in them for wish lists. Sighing a little sigh when the next Zumba instructor DVD comes in the mail and I haven't finished learning the last one yet.

Lizard catching....who needs a dog when you can catch your own pets?

Go outside and make your own fun, people.

 

Girls Night Out on the Town. We enjoyed a TLC fundraiser night at Town Theater to see White Christmas. Haven't eaten turkey yet, but the stores are already posting holiday hours in early November.

To combat the crazy rush, I am ordering my soul in God's presence. I am loving this devotional book, available through Forge ministries. (ForgeForward.org). It has simple spiritual exercises you can do each day to set your focus.