11 on the 11th of October, 2011

1. I am sadly watching the leaves fall off the trees and onto the ground. I hate this time of year. Not because it's so beautiful, visually it's lovely, but because I KNOW the next season lurks around the corner. The longest season of all... winter.

2. I have noticed that when the alarm goes off at 7 am, it's now DARK. I know there'll be a week or so that it might seem light-ish, once we switch the clocks back... But along with the leaves falling, and old man winter lurking around the corner, it's yet another sign that the next season is the longest of all for us. Cold and dark, what an unpleasant combination.

3. I have decorated the mantle for Halloween. I didn't put up as many of my decorations this year, but I do think it looks just right. The kids disagree... I think I could dismember a body in the kitchen, and they'd tell me 'still not scary enough'.

4. The crock pot has made it's way back onto the counter again. Our schedule is quite busy we're on the go 4 nights a week; I'd like to utilize the crock pot maybe 2 times a week this year. Last year, when we had Crock Pot Tuesday, Mason told me that because of the crock pot, he now hated Tuesdays. [Of course when it's Peanut Butter Pork night, he suddenly loves the crock pot] I'm going to find some new awesome recipes.

[picture from Stephanie O'Dea - A year of crockpotting]

5. My kids have picked out what they're going to be for Halloween this year. Madelyn is planning on being Little Red Riding Hood. Mason has decided he'd like to be a pirate this year. I'm looking forward to putting his costume together. Madelyn's costume was bought last year, and then she changed her mind at the last minute and was Jessie from Toy Story.

6. We're into the routine of school now, full time days for both kids. I have to tell you, that the days go by so quickly, it seems unfair. I'm shocked actually. I've also discovered something else, in the past when I've been in the school and I've walked by the Lost 'n Found, I've always thought to myself "Seriously? WHO forgets their jacket?" [Enter Madelyn] who on a daily basis forgets to change into her outside shoes, therefore wearing home the indoor shoes. She forgets her jacket, her vest, her hat and mittens, and yesterday came home without her lunch box... Ey-yi-yi... In the 5 years Mason has been going to school, I checked the lost 'n found once, now I go bi-weekly... I was under the impression that girls were supposed to be more responsible.

7. It's barely the middle of October, and we're knee deep in fund-raisers for school, gymnastics and Cubs... It just never ends. So far we've doled money out to the school for scholastic book orders. For gymnastic we've bought frozen cookie dough [I hope it's yummy, we're taking a chance with this one, but how can frozen cookie dough be bad?] We're in the midst of our fresh fruit fund raiser for school and Scout Popcorn is for sale! The scout popcorn is SO worth it. We love it around our place!

8. I have had my first pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin scone from Starbucks. Both did not disappoint. [I've also made my own batch of SB Pumpkin Scones, they didn't disappoint either]


9. If you decide to take just the weekend off of doing laundry, it piles up in an alarming fashion.

10. My sweet hubby signed me up for a photography class, it's in November. I'm super excited. Wasn't that nice of him? I think so.

11. It's the time of year that I see so many decorating ideas, and I begin my wish list. Here's number one on my wish list, a front porch like this:

Sadly, I don't even care what the rest of the house looks like, I'm just smitten with this snippet! Dream on!