The weather has taken a serious turn. The wind has stripped the trees of all their beautiful fall leaves and it appears that winter is on the horizon. Leaving the YMCA this morning, I had a moment or two when I was sure the wind was going to pick up Kulia and whisk her away to Oz. She may have been under the same impression because she practically climbed up my leg and into my arms.

So what do you do on a cold and stormy Oregon Monday? Well, lets see. Some of us like to work on art projects.

Others prefer to hone their musical abilities.

But I think the smartest move is to curl up with a quilt and take a nap under the grey and gloomy skies.

Poor Josh. Every time he leaves town, we make plans to have Kat over for some fun. He was heading out of town this weekend so we decided on a Buster’s run for ribs and then some card games or crafting while he was gone. When he heard the plans he was, justifiably enough, a little grumbly about missing out on the fun. Even better, Kat was going to bring down Melo puppy so she could be worshiped and adored by my children as a princess puppy should be. So imagine my alarm to learn that Melo has pulled a muscle/strained a joint/pinched a nerve or done something that required lots of rest and no activity for a week. When I told Leina that Melo couldn’t come visit this weekend she was sad. When I told her Melo was hurt and had to go to the vet, she began crying.

Yes, crying.

This girl loves Melo almost as much as Kat does and for those of you who know Kat, you will realize how much love this is. To calm Leina down, I told her she could send Melo a special message to help her feel better.

Melo, this one is for you puppy. Get well soon. (Toward the end, Leina actually starts tearing up again thinking about Melo being sick. Ah, my sweet sensitive girl!)

With my girls, you never know what the day will bring. Some days, they rise from bed grumpy and obstinate. Other days, they are sunshine and happiness. Today, I would have to categorize them as barely controlled balls of energy.

Each morning, Leina wakes at 7am and runs into our room to roust Kevin who heads downstairs to start breakfast. I usually lie in bed another 20-30 minutes gathering my strength and giving Kevin some quality time with his girls. So when I do lumber down the stair around 7:30am, I never know what will greet me. This morning, however, as I lay in bed fortifying myself, I could hear the distinct sounds of pounding feet, shrieks, and giggles coming from below.

This is what I found.

And they haven’t stopped since. I’m thinking they are liking the extra hour of sleep in the morning. Either that or they have begun sneaking sips from my coffee cup when I am not looking. Wouldn’t you love to have this much energy before 8am? I know I would.

(As you can see from the clip, Kevin has recovered from his horrible day. Baby kisses can erase just about all forms of heartache thankfully!)

This was Leina’s first try at her school photo. Needless to say, we signed up for a picture re-take today. I’m hoping round two yields something a little better. I can only guess that Leina was talking during the entire time. I can’t really complain because I have a hard time snapping a decent shot of her myself. It really is a rare moment when her mouth isn’t going a mile a minute. I shudder to think about our phone bill when she reaches her teen years.

Poor Kevin is having a truely terrible day. Awful would be an understatement. Too many demands, too few resources, and too much of a work ethic on his part have all collided. He called me early today after storming out of work. I guess he totally lost his cool and let fly. He was so mad he actually left the building, got in his car, and drove off. My only suggestion was that he go somewhere to blow of steam – talk a walk, get a cup of coffee, drive mindlessly. I’m not sure where he went or how he’s doing but I hope he’s able to shake off his rage and make it through the day. Sometimes, being a hard and conscientious worker means caring too much. It ain’t fair, but it is true. I’m sure Kevin will work through it but I find myself falling into mommy mode – I want to wave a magic wand and make it all better. Somehow, I don’t think a Hello Kitty band-aid will make it right though. If only you could have a retake day in life. Wouldn’t it be great? Things go horrible wrong and turn out topsy-turvy and everyone just smiles, shakes their heads, and says, “well, we’re gonna need a retake.” Only in preschool I guess, too bad.

The weekend of freedom is over and my little ones are back resting in their rooms. They had a blast at the grandparents’ house and were duly spoiled and treated. Usually, when they leave I mope around the house missing them. This time, however, I was floating on freedom while Kevin bemoaned their absence. He couldn’t wait to get them back while I was much more willing to prolong my freedom.

Now that November is officially here, the Christmas panic has set in. I have so many presents to make. I have a ridiculously long and ambitious list taped above my desk. The frenzy is so great that even the kids have noticed. Today, Leina asked me if I could play with her or if I had more sewing to do. Sorry kid. Momma can’t play until after Dec 23rd.

Here’s a sneak peak at a little pillow I’m making for a special little neice this year. It came out so cute! I want to keep if for myself! Now, I just have to make three more pillows, two kitty cats, a raven ornament, three banners… oh my, I must cease typing and begin sewing immediately!

My children.

Are.

Gone.

Gone!

We threw them out at their grandparents house and fled. Seriously. I left a trail of burned rubber out of their driveway. Then, we shopped, ate, drove, talked, worked, showered, and ate some more. It was heavenly.

We just got back from a massive meal with Kat & Josh. I wanted to go somewhere that didn’t have a kids menu or a kids corner or even kids. Anywhere. None! I had delicious frufru drinks, an artsy fartsy dish and a ginorous chocolate dessert thingy. And I didn’t even have to break out the wipes once. No one spilled their water or announced half way through the meal that their poo-poos were starting.

Did I mention that my kids are gone?

Tomorrow I will do whatever I want and not have to microwave a single dino nugget or mediate a toy dispute, or try and convince a child to stop pulling on the dog’s tail. Oh my goodness, just the thought makes me giddy.

And now, I’m off to bed with no worries of being rousted at 2:30am with an accident. I’ve shivering with joy. Good night!