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...

TEAM COCO

And all is right with the world....

Balance

I am an incurable optimist. (At this point-- people who know me well are laughing). But its true-- I am. I am the annoying kind. If you ever want to complain or vent about something, I am the insensitive friend who feels the need to point out how your crappy situation is actually a fantastic blessing.

You feel like you need to lose weight? Just think of the millions of starving orphans in the world!
You have a bad job? At least you are not unemployed.
Did a friend stab you in the back? Just one less person you have to send a Christmas card to. Lucky you!

You get the point. I am an irritating, insensitive optimist. It really bugs me when people insist on throwing themselves pity parties and dwelling on the negative.

But having said that-- here are a few things that suck:
1. Daylight Savings ending. Just when the weather is cooling off and my kids are playing in the backyard for hours every evening, Daylight Savings ends. Next week-- it will be dark by 6 pm, and they will be transferring all of that energy and noise indoors.(This picture was taken a couple of hours ago. If you are wondering why Tobin is wearing his Halloween costume on November 5th-- well, I am wondering the same thing.)

2. Sinus infections

3. Beets- who eats beets... and why?4. Country music. All of it.

I am sure that there are more things that really suck, but those are the only things that come to mind right now.

In order to create balance-- here are a few things that I am in love with as of late:
1. Jeans. The only article of clothing I will actually spend more than $20 on. A good pair of jeans can make you feel comfortable and beautiful at the same time. While trying to lose weight, the actual numbers on the scale mean less to me than the way my jeans fit. As soon as my jeans feel tight, I know I need to pull out the Phentermine and P90x. I recently acquired this pair:

I LOVE them-- like, the thought of wearing them gets me out of bed in the morning.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning. I have been a hockey fan since 1994 (thank you Jen). I converted Lance and we love listening to and watching the games. I am so proud of the Lightning this season (currently #2 in the NHL).

3. Publix Supermarkets- where shopping truly is a pleasure.

4. Blast O' Butter popcorn. I am rediscovering this disgusting, buttery, delicious, artery-clogging treat. If you try it-- bring napkins.And there are MANY more things that I love, but these are the things occupying my simple mind lately.