Guacamole and Other Important Things

I love food. When it's 9 o'clock in the evening, and my husband offers to make me guacamole, I can't resist. So here I am, sitting at this desk, and dipping chips in mashed avocados in between typing words. It's a great way of life.

Not long ago, Chris and I were able to purchase a used car from a friend for a great deal. Now, we have a white mini-van and a Honda Accord, also white. (Chris swore he would never get another white vehicle.) We are a two-car family! We haven't had two cars as a family since Chris and I were first married (almost 7 years ago.) Because we have two cars, I have more options on when I can get errands done. Devon and I went shopping together today. I quickly learned (or re-learned) that I need to give her something to keep her hands (and mouth) occupied. (I hadn't shopped with her or any of my kids for a long time. The shopping was done after Chris got home when he could watch them.) So, what did I have to keep her occupied? At first, a book. I decided to buy a Halloween book for the little ones. We always need to add more books to the kids' bookshelf since the older books get ripped and worn out after awhile. When the book didn't cut it anymore, two lollipops did the trick. I don't normally give my kids more than one candy bar or lollipop at a time, but I'm not sure if there is any such thing as "too much candy" while shopping with young children. I really, really don't want them to touch anything in the cart.

After our Wal-Mart extravaganza, Devon and I walked from our house to pick up Paige from Preschool. I've really been impressed with how well she is doing. She's making lots of friends and learning things I wouldn't think about teaching her at this point. She knows how to spell and write her name! It's amazing to see all that she can do. When we pick her up, it's funny to see her get shy when her classmates tell her, "Paige, your mom is here!" And, she prefers me to pick her up with the van. Not a huge fan of walking, I guess. But, I will try to take advantage of the cool weather for as long as I can. It's good exercise, and I am saving gas that way, too.

Micah received a 100% on his spelling test today! He is so proud, and I am so happy for him and proud of his accomplishments. He's very smart. He's good at math and getting much better at writing. (That was an issue for him last year.) We read every weekday together for at least 15 minutes (at the request of his teacher.) Several words he already knows, and so I have him try to sound out new and simple 3-letter words to increase his vocabulary.

I've really enjoyed watching all of my children grow. Amazing things happen when I focus more on what I have than on what I want. And right now, I still have my chips and guacamole. Awesome.