Philadelphia

I'm so focused on GRE study. Friday is coming quickly. I'll be so glad to have it behind me. It's so frustrating, because I'm spending so much time on just inane stuff. You know, who wants to remember how to do quadratic equations again?! Studying for the GRE has no real product at the end. I'm not researching or writing. And it's just stupid.

Today we celebrate the great habit of those with more power triumphing over those with less power. Not to mix philosophy and history or anything... So why is it that we have Columbus Day? Did the powers that be miss having Fall Break or something?

Anyway, so no mail today. Or banks. Or school.

Nice for E to have a quieter day, because it's been a crazy weekend.

Another cool day. The rain has mostly stopped. A few drizzles, but the sunshine is starting to come through.

Marlowe has not been sleeping well at all. I noticed today that his third 2yr molar is about halfway in. One more to go and then we will be free!

We hurried out the door this morning for the first meeting of "Toddler Time" a sort of preschool co-op I'm doing with some other moms. I think it went really well. I did the craft, of course. Leaf prints. I also set up a sensory table=under-the-bed box from Ikea filled with rice. That was a huge hit.

Hooray October!!!

My favorite month in my favorite season!!!!! The month of mums, pumpkins, spices, crisp air, and apple pie. As Marlowe kept informing me this morning, dragging a bag of apples around saying "Want make apple pie!!" (this child isn't even 2 1/2 yet)

Hooray the last day of September!!! And blustery, rainy day at that.

Sent Ellis to school on the bus, so we didn't have to walk in the windy rain. Marlowe and I went to Trader Joe's, which turned out to be a huge undertaking, since I hadn't been really grocery shopping in two weeks (and I'm on the one week plan, bc of all our fresh veggies). And I got some things for Grammy's house, and some things for a woman in our church who recently had surgery--she just lives a couple blocks away.

I awoke yesterday feeling grumpy. It was a beautiful, late summer day. It needed to be enjoyed by children. But I was having trouble finding enthusiasm for doing anything that required getting out of bed.

Last week I was browsing around a couple of shops, and I stumbled on a new store in a nearby neighborhood. It's a children's clothing retail store, but dedicated to more sustainable clothing options: recycled (aka gently used *grin*), eco-friendly, handmade, natural, that kind of stuff. I'm so excited bc I can bring in some of my gently used stuff, and they'll buy it outright, not consignment. And I might sell some of my Tshirts that I make--will just have to see if I'm up for that. (The store is The Nesting House in Mt.

Recently I joined a gym. Shocker, I know. Yes, it's the first time I have ever joined a gym. I was terribly nervous about it, being the nonathlete that I am. I don't know how to use anything. I didn't want to look stupid. I'm just totally out of my element. Anyway, this isn't really about the gym, but I will say, that in order to make this worthwhile, I decided to just jump in. I got a few sessions with a trainer, gone to a few of the classes, and am working on a 5k training program. I'm figuring out the gym thing.

So one month ago we were this: