Currently

Enjoying Gemma's favorite pasttime of reading aloud books with her own completely made-up stories.  Even though she's 'reading' books we've read a million times, she still makes up these hilariously wacky tales.  She likes to try out new words while she reads, "It just doesn't make any sense in this century" (where did she learn the word century?) and she likes to lick her finger to turn the page.  Yesterday she wanted me to listen to a book she called "The Man and His Lung" with a chortle I said, "what?!" and she responded unflinchingly, 'you know lungs, like you breath with."  oh, okay, that makes perfect sense.  

Rejoicing that we've officially 'kicked the kids out of our bed.' Its been long standing ritual in our house that the kids all start in their beds at night, and some nights that's where they wake up even; in their own beds.  But many an early morning (somewhere between 4a and 6am) we half-wake to little nighttime ninjas climbing into our bed.  It doesn't normally bother us because...survival and sleep deprivation, but Gemma is a physical assailant in her sleep.  seriously.  And Grey he's so big and takes up too much room and so we've kicked them out officially.  They are still welcome into our room if they choose, but they both have sleeping bags on the floor now.

Feeling impatient with the weather.  This week we've had rain and cold and super sunny warm days.  Let's just pick one here, fall, ok.  Hahah, it's been a weird week picking clothes for Greyson for school, sending him in jeans and long shirt yesterday morning, only to have him come home in the high 70's.  oops, sorry bud.  And our meals, we grilled out early this week instead of having a cozy casserole I had planned and then I wanted to make soup yesterday but it was too hot out for soup.  Today I have a sandwich type dinner planned, but it looks like rain so I'm thinking of making the soup instead.  yeesh.  #firstworldproblems 

Holding our breath as Violet gets a little more brave each day at standing and almost taking a step.  Not quite, but it's nearly there (this week maybe?) It's always amazing to me to see tiny bodies standing upright and ready to walk.  How?  They seem too teeny!  

Not eating out this month, and we are doing really well.  I've packed a lunch for Brandon each workday so far and we packed a snack for after library storytime yesterday when the girls and I are all starving for lunch.  We finally got in our monthly grocery trip yesterday and our pantry and freezer are happy again.  We have a big month too:  Brandon's birthday and our wedding anniversary - but I slotted in a favorite meal of his for his birthday and a 'fancy' dinner to make together for us (butternut squash risotto!) 

Smiling at the sound of Greyson's voice this morning at 6am whispering goodbye to me as he was headed into the woods with Brandon.  He's off of school today, so he was overjoyed to be asked to hang out in the blind this morning with Dad during archery season.  He whispered, "bye Mum, I'm' going hunting with Dad.  We'll try to bring home a deer today, okay, so you can make some deer meat sandwiches."  

Reading The Winter of our Disconnect, on the final two chapters now, but I have found myself sort of in a sea of articles and information about media and our world now that I started the book.  Ya know like they say, once you know you see it everywhere.  Also chipping away at This Much I Know is True and got through a brutal chapter that had a pit in my stomach.  Great book, great writing, just hard stuff to swallow.

Baking these pumpkin cookies which Brandon loves.  We all like them too, but how many pumpkin cookies can you eat until you want chocolate (me: 1) and I feel like that recipe makes such a big batch and so B has been eating them mostly on his own all this week.  The kids and I whipped up these peanut butter energy balls this week for an afternoon snack and without fail, they get gobbled up in two days.  So good and so easy - we even gave some to the busdriver this week because we were late to the bus stop twice this week while he waited! (once for drop off and once for pick up!)