Fall Update

I am guilty of a complete lack of attention to this blog. Lately, any time that I spend online has been devoted to other endeavors: namely, shopping, shopping, and more shopping. I have become a bit obsessive about finding the best deal on the toys that will soon clutter my home. But I am just about done with my Christmas shopping. Time to catch up on everything else.

As promised, my kids are loving this Fall weather-- well, Florida Fall weather:

When inside, they love concocting costumes and putting on "performances" for us:

Chase has, at long last, joined the bipedal folk,

and thus fancies himself King of the Playground. I follow behind nervously-- torn between keeping him safe and allowing him to explore.

I always scoff at the parents of two year-olds who barely let their kid tackle a small slide without some kind of OSHA inspection. And so, I try my best to practice laissez-faire parenting at the park. (And I have a feeling that after writing this, Chase will fall and break his arm and the rest of you will mock me and my laissez-faire parenting tactics... rightly so.)

Aside from all of my online shopping, I am also trying to navigate the world of coupons. (The picture below is a horrible picture of me-- but it shows the weekly chaos I endure to save money with coupons.)

I hate coupons.But as my friends spin tales of their savings, I can't help but think- "Am I really so rich or busy that I can't at least try out this blasted coupon thing?" (The answer to both is 'no'.) And so I try. I get better each week. But I refuse to be the lady arguing with the checker. I usually feel the need to apologize to not only the checker, but also to those in line behind me.

Hours are spent clipping, categorizing, and organizing coupons and making grocery lists. But my savings are (so far) worth the extra effort. A small part of me wishes that it weren't worth it.

I am also gearing up to start my Master's Degree in Education next year. By "gearing up", I mean studying for and taking the GRE, applying to schools, and trying to force myself to think like a grown up again.

Lance had his first campout as the Ward Scout Master last weekend. Camping in Florida is a far cry from camping in his home state of Utah. He will have to be a little more creative to find ways to educate and enlighten the young men on their scouting trips. He is also the 2nd Counselor in the Young Men's organization-- so he gets plenty of face time with the boys. (Lucky him!)

That's it! You are caught up for now...