Countdown

October 16; 8 days until Logan turns 11, 15 days until Halloween. Joe's birthday. Thanksgiving. Christmas. New Year's. Moving Day. 

Fall is my favorite, but it's busy. 

The kids have been reminding me--often--that we haven't put up our Halloween decorations. I've been putting it off, mainly because holiday decorating isn't as fun as it was when it was a new thing for me (let's say around 11 years ago when Logan was born). Also, I keep thinking about how I will decorate the new house, and that translates into ingratitude for what I have now, and therefore a lesser desire to clean/decorate/enjoy. 

But I love my kids and I want to be more grateful, so Ammon and I pulled out our decorations and bought some spider webbing from Target's dollar spot. We got to work while we watched Monsters Inc.

First of all, a bag of that spider webbing expands as you start to pull it apart. It goes a long way..... Also, it sticks to stuff and it might not be so easy to get off in 16 days. 

We just decorated a few areas in the living room. Maybe next year we'll do more... In our new house... But I'm trying not to focus on that, remember?

The black things are tiny mice. 

Something still isn't quite right with this area, but I gave up on it. The kids won't care. 

I would like to find a black rose and a black plate--next year?

Overall, I think the kids will be surprised and pleased when they get home from school. 

On a different note--I have been a BYU-Idaho ambassador for the last 7 years. Technically, I was supposed to be talking to the youth in our stake and ward about BYU-I and helping them apply, register, answer questions, etc. I haven't really been doing it, so this year when they sent out the renewal papers I declined. But our favorite babysitter (the one that knows where everything is and what you expect and how to get the kids in bed and actually plays with your kids) asked me a few weeks ago if I would help her figure out what classes she needed to take and how to register, etc. It has been a long time since I've been in college (again, that 11 year number!), but of course I said yes, and felt that it was quite a compliment to be asked. Today she came over and we looked at classes and campus maps and figured out how to navigate through the college's online website. It was enjoyable to talk to her as an adult, and crazy to think that in few short years--8?!--I will be doing this with my own children. We will miss her as our babysitter, but I know she is headed towards good things. 

I suppose that today has been a day of counting down, and realizing that it goes by much faster than anticipated. So put up your decorations, play with your babies, come what may and love it.  Also, don't wait until single didget days to rush your son to complete his Webelos requirements. Oops.