Today

Sometimes I think about blogging, and then I feel all this pressure to "catch up" on all the things that have been going on, and as the pressure mounts, the desire to blog disappears, and then I just never blog.  So, rather than play catch up, I now present you with today.

I woke up about 30 minutes before I needed to, allowing for that glorious time when you aren't really asleep, but you aren't quite awake, and you just get to lay in bed, thinking about that dream you just had or what you're going to wear today or what you thought of the book you finished last night.  Glorious time.  Always a good start to the day.

We got Julia onto the school bus, and then Ella and I played a rousing game of Dinosaur Train.  Ella won.  Time to go to preschool.  We walk in the doors, and I remember that it's Friday, and Friday means show and tell, and we forgot to bring something to show and tell.  It's the letter C this week, and luckily Ella wore a hair clip.  I pulled that little clip out, declared it to be the perfect item to show and tell about, and by some miracle Ella agreed with me.  Crisis averted. 

Post preschool drop-off, I went for a lovely walk down by the river.  The leaves are all the most marvelous colors right now, and today was a windy day, which means the leaves were being blown off the trees and right into my path, so I was basically walking through fall.  It felt a bit magical, I won't lie.  And I got to listen to the most recent episode of Serial, which made it all the better.  (Follow that link, friends.  It's an intriguing little podcast.)

Then I made a quick stop at the library (to pick up the holds I've been waiting for months to come in!) before heading home.  Peace and quiet abounded.  Worked on a little sewing project.  Read a little.  Called my sister.  Time to get Ella.

Ella and I enjoyed a windy bike ride (Ella on the bike, me walking (and pushing the bike part of the time, unfortunately)), and then settled in to read together.  At some point, I realized that the words I was saying were not the words on the page.  Not even close.  For example, there are no ninjas in a fairy book, and yet I was talking about ninjas. This is when I realize just how sleepy I am.  So sleepy I start making up new stories that are a bit crazy.  Maybe a lot crazy.  And that is when I give Ella my phone, tell her to play a couple of games, and I close my eyes. 

30 minutes later, I perk up, and decide to bake cookies.  Oatmeal chocolate chip, to be precise.  I have this wonderful recipe (courtesy of my sister-in-law Melissa), and I think I've only made them about 3 times in the last 4 years.  This is because upon moving to Michigan, my cookies all turned out flat.  Giant cookie-pancakes.  So I gave up making cookies.  But I figured we lived in a new state, it was time to give it a go.  So glad I did, those cookies are divine, and NOT flat.  Don't know whether to blame Michigan or the oven in our apartment there.  We'll go with the oven, because I love Michigan too much to malign it in such a way.

Then things start getting really exciting.  Time to get Julia from the bus stop.  More cookies baking.  Out the door to a storytime.  Back home to change into costumes in preparation for the ward Trunk or Treat.  Inspiration struck for a trunk decoration.  Amazed at the possibility of actually decorating a trunk this year!  Off we went, to enjoy food, friends, and trick or treating.

The trunk decoration proved to be a big flop.  I lost a piece somewhere in my trunk, the wind blew things off, and in the end, we just sat by our car and gave out candy.  Oh well.  Next year I have this great idea for a trunk decoration...

And now here we are, kids in bed, dryer humming, and I'm gearing up to watch another episode of Lark Rise to Candleford.  This is the good life.  Not perfect by any means, but oh, so good.