November 2

A couple of months I posted on my regular blog about my propensity to decide to make sweeping changes to my lifestyle, and then brush it all aside when I fail to meet my high expectations. Well, at that time I had decided to focus on my weight, and my nail biting. Thus far, the weight issue is as big of a failure as ever, but I am happy to report success on the nail biting. As a matter of fact, I have had to do a major nail clipping because they were too long. Here they are, just a day or so after one of those major clippings. Sweet success.

November 1

I used to be really interested in politics, as recently as the last election I was excited about the debates, interested in points of view, and passionate about my own stance on a lot of issues. At this stage in the game, I am totally worn out of politics, and the ads are driving me crazy. I hate that we live in a country where so much of the advertising that we see is playing on our fears. Blah, I don't think I am going to even bother voting tomorrow.

October 31

The kids (and Aunt Cassie! :)) all posed for a picture before we took off around the block. We had another great day with family, and topped it off with a trick or treating adventure...great weekend!

October 30

Stealing another Cassie picture today...For October 30th you really couldn't ask for better weather. We had a nice little family tailgate party before half of our crew headed to Kinnick for the game. I really appreciated getting to tailgate, but not having to drag my family and all of our stuff across town to do it...Leila enjoying running and playing in our new yard. Beautiful day, beautiful girl!

October 29

So begins the Halloween weekend. We came home from school today with the start of Leila's candy stash, and they both wanted a treat. Friday night, I can use a treat too though, so I get that. When Leila was a baby it much easier to avoid giving her junk food, because there wasn't a preschooler with a sweet tooth around.

October 28

I am not really into landscaping. At our old house I had a flower garden, and I did get excited in the spring to see the first flowers pop up, but I am over the work of a garden. Not to mention the bee attraction factor. When we bought this house we had an allowance for landscaping and we knew we would have a certain number of shrubs and a tree for the front yard. My only requirement was that the tree be a flowering crab. When Grandma passed away in 2007 we all felt the need to do *something* so we built a little benched area in the Tabor park for Grandma, and in the center we planted a flowering crab tree. I wanted a flowering crab for my yard, to remind me of that tree in Tabor, and to remind me of my Grandma Dalene. This tree isn't exactly the same thing...it does have berries that I am sure I will get tired of having shed in my yard, but I am still happy to have it as a reminder of my family on the other side of the state, and of the effort we all put in to find a special way to say goodbye.

October 27

When I was a little girl, I remember seeing lots of doodled on pieces of paper around our home. My mom could make the very best flowers and bumblebees...honestly, everything she made was the very best, except the lasagna.
I give my Grandma Dalene a lot of credit for teaching for me to do things, but my momma is the one with a special talent for creating. Everything she makes turns out so much better than I could do myself. Maybe I have a bit of bias, since she is my Mom, and if that is the case, maybe one day my kids will think I am the craft-master extraordaire who can whip out a beautiful birthday cake or an awesome and unique Halloween costume in no time flat, but I have a feeling that we will be looking to Grandma Lori's skills for a very long time! Thanks Mom for the beautiful Halloween costumes for the girls, You are the Womanzi!