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A list of things to remember about life in October 2016, when Grace and Luke are in middle school, Kate is in kindergarten, Drew is is second grade, Ben is b.u.s.y. with his MBA program and work, and Leslie is just trying to keep up with it all. In no particular order....

• We have soccer in some form at least once every day of the week and most of the day each Saturday. It is safe to say I am ready for the end of the 2016 soccer season.
• For the first time in over six weeks, we worked on the house just a little this weekend. Not starting anything new, just trying to wrap up a few projects. Our kitchen cabinets finally have pulls, the island is finally done after adding some trim and spending lots of time painting and waxing, the kitchen walls are finally done being painted (It took me only an hour; I don't know why this has been on my to-do list for eight weeks! geesh.), etc. We also added a huge dry erase board to an empty wall and I did a deep clean of the mudporch, also known as "the dumping ground". 
• I have a new teaching partner at work. My former partner and friend, Jayne, left to accept an HR position at our City Hall. I was sad to see her go and nervous about getting a new partner (you spend a lot of time with a teaching partner!), but I am happy to say that two weeks in, I am thrilled with my new coworker. She is really, really good with the kids and as organized and enthusiastic as I could hope for. whew.
• Luke heads off to sixth grade camp next week. 
• Grace is part of a trio of good girls that Ben and I feel happy with her spending time with. It's a nice feeling. Friends have SO very much influence in the teen years!
• Grace has me newly set up on Instagram. She thinks I should be posting the items I paint onto a My Home Is My Happy Place account. I am first starting with a personal account to see if this is something I want to devote my time and energy to.
• Likewise, Ben is gently pushing me to create a website for my business rather than operating through Facebook. Luke heard this and spent hours creating a new logo for me to use on the website. Love that kid.
• Also likewise... Drew would like me to hire him to help me prep signs. I was hesitant, so he suggested, "Why don't we have a 'trial' to see what you think of my work?" He made air quotes when he said the word "trial".  Love that kid too.
• Kate does not love soccer. It might be a bit more aggressive a sport than fits her personality. She protests going to practice and games. We will finish the season.
• Plans for a puppy are on hold. While we would NO DOUBT love to have a second Westie in the house, only one parent is on board at the moment. Ben is wisely sure that adding a puppy to the mix would be a recipe for stress. Maybe once soccer season is finally over.....
• We had a ninety minute meeting at school regarding Drew. There were twelve adults sitting around a table discussing our son. Weird feeling. Ben and me, the counselor, the principal, his second and first grade teachers, the IQ tester for the district, the gifted coordinator for the district, the heads of the science, math, and language arts for the district, and his gifted teacher. Basically, we were looking to see what needs to be done to make sure that school is a challenge and good fit for Drew. I was filled with gratitude for a district so devoted to individual student success. Long story short, though he qualified on a number scale to look into acceleration, nobody thinks that is the best route for Drew at this time. I left there needing to process everything I heard for days. 
• Halloween prep is happening hard core in the Hedenberg house. Man, these kids (and their dad) get pretty into dressing up!