Well, hello, November ...

I can't believe it's November. Really, I'm having a hard time believing October is over.

So, before we move on, perhaps you'd like to see my kids dressed up for the Fall Festival at Cate's preschool ...

They wanted to hold cousin Kieran, who hadn't put his costume on yet. But it wasn't long after that he had to endure costuming and a brief photo shoot ...

It didn't take Ben long to figure out this trick-or-treating {well, technically trunk-or-treating ...}

Funny thing was he had his eye on this one purple Dum-Dum in his bag and each time he stopped to collect more candy, he wanted to find that one sucker. He got that sucker in his mouth not long after ... and then two minutes later dropped it on the ground.

I was going for one more pictures of my kids dressed up. Together. This is what I got ...

I guess I shouldn't have said, "Hey, Ben, give your sister a kiss." Apparently he was still in dog mode.

So, back to the present. To November ...

Many dates in November are palindromes. Love that. And, yes, I realize how this reveals how nerdy I can be. What do you think about me remembering that I learned about palindromes in 1991 as a sixth-grader in Mrs. Upchurch's math class? Nerd, I know. {And this paragraph is dedicated to Dustin Sapp.}

November means cooler weather (maybe?) and an extended family trip to Branson. We love that place. Obviously.

A perk of November is basketball season begins while football is still happening. Our beloved Racers have an exhibition basketball game tonight and their last home football game on Saturday. Plus there are Thanksgiving and Christmas parties to start planning. And gifts to buy and sort and wrap. And cards to make and letters to write.

It's really a wonderful time of the year, even if November shoved October out of the way.
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Squeeze like you mean it

I'm not a mom who matches her kids' outfits. Coordinating for family pictures has happened before, but that just involves finding things in their closets that go together. And they do both have Frosty T-shirts that they wore on the same day. Once.

But I love their matching shoes. Although, as Cate pointed out, they are slightly different color browns. Slightly.

Still. How cute are they?

My absolute favorite thing about having two kids is watching them together. So when they willing squeeze each other, my heart melts. Every morning, Ben asks, "Cate?" And I have to tell him she's still sleeping. Then when she comes down the stairs, he greets her with an excited "Hi, Cate!" He usually waves too.

Yes, Ben pulls her hair sometimes. And, yes, she gets aggravated when he destroys something she's working on. But sometimes they squeeze each other like they really do mean it.
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A favorite friend

That's me between of two of my dearest friends -- Holly (right) and Jaclyn (left).

I got to spend time with one of my favorite people this week. Holly lives in Texas now, so even though we email almost daily, spending time around the kitchen table and on the couch is such a treat.

We met in September 2007. I was a new mom with a 4-month-old daughter who had just quit a full-time newspaper reporting job. Holly was a recent college graduate who was hired as my replacement. We spent a work day together, me showing her around and introducing her to some of my sources. Then she emailed me with a question, so we met at Quizno's to talk business.

And we became friends that day.

She's only ever known me as a mom, and she loves my kids. She listens to me talk about motherhood and asks real questions about married life. We both love words and stories, which is probably why email is our primary form communication. She moved from Murray to New Mexico back to Murray and then back to New Mexico before settling recently in Texas. {Right, Holly? I got myself confused thinking through that.} Yet we've gotten closer as time has gone on.

It's not all long-distance emails. Our friendship is more than that. We had text message dates while watching "The Bachelor" a couple season ago. She also was right there with me on my first tubing adventure. We've played Hearts. And we've drank Sonic drinks at Happy Hour together.

Holly's visit this week was good for my soul. And my kids were fond of having her around too ...

Holly inspires and encourages me. She makes me think about things. And she answers my questions about anything. She helps herself to drinks in my fridge and washes her plate and fork when she's done eating, even though nobody asked her to or expects her to. She makes me laugh. And my kids adore her. Trust me, if you knew her, she'd be one of your favorite people too.
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{Maine} Kennebunkport

While driving from Ellsworth, Maine, to Boston, I wanted to stop at a coastal town. A couple different friends recommended a few different towns. Being the conservatives we are, we chose Kennebunkport.

Good choice, really. And, no, we didn't see George and Barbara Bush. But we did see their house.

Perfect location, if you ask me. And it seems huge. There appears to be a guest house, windmill and tennis court next door. And then on up the driveway toward the street were multiple SUVs and a house that I would bet is for the workers who drive those vehicles.

Plus, if you can afford it, who wouldn't want to look at that shoreline all day? The town itself is quaint and what I pictured a Maine coastal town to be.

Plus sharing the beauty of the beach with my daughter is always a good time.

I'm posting about our vacation as I have time. I'm sure you're not surprised I took a lot of pictures in Maine. You can see them here. And the posted blog installments are here.
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Wild Cards

It's no secret we like sports around here. We even have a family room dedicated to our favorite teams. Baseball is a favorite, right up there with college basketball.

We're Cardinals fans. From the comforts of our couch, we watched many of the 162 regular-season games that were alright. We even had really good seats for one of those.

In August, the Cardinals were 10 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race. On the last day of the regular season, they managed to clinch a spot -- the last spot -- in the playoffs. Then they went on to beat the Phillies and then the NL Central-winning Brewers. We kept thinking how amazing it was the Cardinals were playing in the World Series. After a mediocre season, the Cardinals were one of the last two teams standing.

I met Kristen while preparing for Marketplace and during the event we realized our husbands play basketball together. And we're all Cardinals fans. In fact, she went to high school with David Freese. Yep, MVP David Freese. We invited them over to watch some of the World Series -- Game 3 {you know, when Albert Pujols hit three homeruns ...} and then Game 7.

The thing about the Cardinals: They kept finding ways to win. Albert Pujols was intentionally walked so many times. But David Freese stepped up. And so did Lance Berkman. And Allen Craig. And Yadier Molina threw people out. And the Cardinals were the team that had heart and character to carry them to the end. All the way to the end.

The Cardinals are World Champions now. After a Game 6 that came down to one strike three times and took our breath many more times, the Cardinals finished business in front of their hometown crowd in Game 7.

Wild Cards, indeed.
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A bear & some pumpkins

"What are you going to be for Halloween?" somebody asked almost-2-year-old Ben the other day.

"Care Bear." And then he growled.

Truth is, his sister was dressing up as a Care Bear for her party today at school. He apparently overheard the plan. And liked it. This morning when Cate was in her costume, Ben petted her back and said "Care Bear" more than once.
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And then earlier this week there was pumpkin carving. Although Ben would tell you we "cut pun-tins." You get the idea either way.

And while the carving was happening, Ben was drumming ...


Both of the kids are fond of the pumpkin family on our front porch. If you've been to our house this week, I'm sure they've shown you. And, yes, those are battery-powered lights in the pumpkins. Not candles. Of course, these lights are safer with the little boy hands that like go inside the pumpkins. But, also, I didn't have any candles. Turns out, that's probably best now that I think about it.
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Falling for fall

The weather this fall has been up and down. Within just a few week, we've had temperatures in the 40s during the day and then back up near 80 earlier this week. And today is rainy after a few beautiful days.

Either way, fall is a fun time of the year to jump in and enjoy the people and places around you. So, go ahead, and jump in ... and soak in ... life, especially ...

... fall parties,
... the excitement of football season,
... the smelling-so-good crock pots of soup,
... jackets and layers,
... the way the leaves flutter to the ground, and
... roasting marshmallows.

What do you love about fall?
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{Maine} Lookin' at lighthouses

One of my favorite vacation activities was a lighthouse tour. We saw lighthouses, of course, but we also saw beautiful homes, plenty of shoreline, and close up of lobster boats, all while enjoying a boat ride.

Yes, I could live there. So, so pretty.

That's a lobster boat and the buoys that mark where the fishermen set their traps.

Another pretty lighthouse. Of course, none of this matters when you wake up at 5:30 nearly every morning of vacation ...

Right, Ben? At least he did nap while we were going about our vacation business.

Have I mentioned how much I loved the rocky shoreline? I couldn't get enough of it. And I'm making sure you feel the same. And, really, I just love being out on the water. Any water.

This is Southwest Harbor. See the house that sits the highest? Well, see the roof of the house that sits the highest? That belongs to Martha Stewart.

"Hey, Cate, let me take your picture ..."

"Take my picture again, Momma. I'll hold my hair."

I hope I taught her a good boat ride is always worth the crazy hair that follows.

I'm posting about our vacation as I have time. I'm sure you're not surprised I took a lot of pictures in Maine. You can see them here. And the posted blog installments are here.
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My boy @ 23 months

My boy turns 2 in less than a month. Really, it's hard to believe, but I wouldn't trade this oh-so active toddler stage for his high-maintenance newborn stage any day. Of course, he's still high-maintenance. But he's really funny too.

Right now he's into animals and "pun-tins." He talks often and makes friends easily. He moves constantly. He adores his big sister. And he keeps me on my toes. Really, Ben epitomizes the saying "all boy." And although mothering a boy can be hard, I wouldn't have it any other way.

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Slugs & Bugs Under Where?

I've been craving Mexican food, especially that delicious white cheese dip, more than usual, thanks to Randall Goodgame and Andrew Peterson. Yep, they're musicians who make me crave a particular food. Perhaps I should explain. My 4-year-old daughter asks the same thing nearly every time we get in the mini van these days: "Can we listen to 'Cheese Dip?'"

I usually say yes and proceed to bring up the "Slugs & Bugs Under Where?" playlist on my iPhone.

And, technically, the song isn't called "Cheese Dip." Cate knows it's called "Mexican Rhapsody," but she's just quoting her favorite line in the fun song, which happens to be the fifth track on what's clearly going to be another of my family's favorite albums.

Let me introduce you to Randall Goodgame and Andrew Peterson. They're singers/songerwriters who can make me, my husband and my kids laugh, celebrate who God is and what he's doing in our family, and give us fun jingles to sing as we go about our days -- sometimes all at the same time. We were blessed by meeting Goodgame and his recent Slugs & Bugs Live show and now we have new tunes to bless us.

"Slugs & Bugs Under Where?" is available online at slugsandbugs.com. You can also buy it at Family Christian Stores, starting today. You can learn more about Slugs & Bugs on Facebook, on their blog, and on YouTube. We've been listening to "Slugs & Bugs Under Where?" for a couple weeks now because the pre-release downloads were part of the contribution to Kickstarter, a campaign that allowed fans to help fund the album.

Sure, "Mexican Rhapsody" is catchy and fun. And we really do like cheese dip and bowls that you can eat. But what I personally love on "Slugs & Bugs Under Where?" is "I'm Adopted." It's a song that speaks about being adopted into a family and being adopted into God's kingdom. I became a mom because of adoption. We expanded our family, thanks to adoption a second time. And we're promised eternal life because of an even greater adoption story. I'm grateful that somebody took some of what I believe about adoption and made a song that my family can treasure.

And then there's "God Makes Messy Thing Beautiful." What a testament to our creator, who is even more into the details than I try to be. I hope it's a message my daughter embraces too.

Speaking of my daughter, her other favorites are "Lightning Bug" and "Pajama Drama." She doesn't even know how funny it is that our current president's name rhymes with pajama. We all laugh when we listen to "Under Where?" and it's already created an opportunity for me to teach my girl about homophones, although I didn't describe them with that official term. "Tell it to Jesus" is a simple song about an important concept that I hope never leaves me kids' hearts.

Like their first album, Randall Goodgame and Andrew Peterson {and their musical friends who add so much joy through their instruments} make children's music work. It's fun. It's meaningful. It's not annoying. And all four of us -- from ages 33 to 2 -- in my house agree it's worth listening to, over and over again. And again.
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Sweetness

Cate likes making things, especially things involving sprinkles. For treats for her Halloween party at preschool later this week, I went with an idea a friend shared the other day when we were talking about the humongous marshmallows she brought to a bonfire. We dipped the marshmallows into melted baker's chocolate and then sprinkled sprinkles ...

It's serious business, you know. And, in case you aren't around 4-year-old girls much, the decision of which sprinkles to use is a big one.

She was proud of her finished products. We then put a toothpick in the bottoms and sat them chocolate side down in cupcake wrappers. Two were put in a sandwich bag for each kid in her class.

And, there, we have a cute, easy treat for friends.
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{Maine} Watchin' for whales

I had no idea when we quickly posed for this photo that I'd end up liking it so much. We said, "Cate, stick your head through there." And she did. The lady snapped the photo. And we ended up buying it. The bonus was they emailed an electronic version.

We left for the whale watch tour from Bar Harbor, where the sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid-70s ...

I'm not sure who Ben was waving too. Probably an elderly man we'd never met that he called "Papaw" and asked to "holda." The farther out into the Atlantic we got {and we went 20-something miles out}, the colder it was.

Ben also stopped waving to "Papaw" and gave into a nap, representing our home state while he slept. So the rest of us cuddled up ...

And then we eventually saw a whale. Yes, singular. Its name is Canine and it's 7 years old. Yes, it. The whale watch tour guides track them by their markings, but they hadn't identified whether Canine is a girl or a boy. My girl insists Canine is a girl, go figure.

Honestly, I wish we could have seen more whales. But I'm glad we at least saw Canine come up near the boat a few different times. And Cate is still talking about how we saw a humpback whale.

I'm posting about our vacation as I have time. I took a lot of pictures in Maine. You can see them here. The posted blog installments are here.
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{Approved for You} Google Calendar

This is new, occasional series about things that help me, entertain me and inspire me.

I have a secret to share: Google improved communication between my husband and me. No, we didn't Google "how to better communicate when one person is far more into details than the other."

Truth is, Google Calendar is our friend. Quite some time ago, I created a color-coded calendar. Events are orange if they're for our family, blue for Greg, pink for Cate, purple for me and green for Ben. Then I shared it with Greg, giving him access to edit, add and change calendars. It took him a little while to realize how beneficial this could be. But now he uses it too.

He knows when I have playdate lunch plans or a doctor's appointment. And I know when he has a lunch meeting or an appointment that may keep him a little later at the office. One day he even added "Lunch with wife" to a Tuesday without me realizing. Honestly, we should do that more. Perhaps I'll make some dates with my husband soon; I'll be sure to put them in blue so he knows to show up.

We can access it from our phones or any computer. It's a living document, always being updated and tweaked. Sometimes his additions prompt questions from me. But, hey, that's how communication works. Right, Google?
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