Stream of consciousness

I took a 24-hour business trip this week. Out of town Sunday night, back before the kids went to bed on Monday night. Tiring, but better than being out of town long-term.

I did, however, enjoy room service for breakfast at my hotel. I love to eat at my leisure while watching Today, something I rarely get to do anymore. Our morning TV at home is usually tuned to Treehouse. (It's an effective motivator: "If you get your breakfast eaten and teeth brushed, then you can watch Treehouse until it's time to leave!")

Liam came home with his school progress report on Monday. He scored top marks (first of four boxes checked) in all ~20 categories, except for one: Speaking loudly and clearly in complete sentences. No surprise there! He scored in the second box on that one.

Mallory's new favourite thing to do is to dress up in the cast-offs of all of our Halloween costumes. At the same time. And then make up names for herself, like "Cowboy Jessie Lightyear" and "Stinky Woody Buzz" and so on and so forth. It is actually pretty funny.

On my way home from my business trip, I stopped off to do a little shopping. I was itching to get home and nearly drove straight through, but there's no denying that Liam has been growing like a weed lately, and he was sorely lacking in clothes. So I picked him up some new duds and in hindsight, am glad I stopped. It's easier to do it that way, when I'm on my own and not weighed down by whiney kids who want to leave the store. (It is difficult to eyeball something and try to guess Liam's size when he's not there next to me, but I think I did OK, because it all fits.)

On Sunday I took the kids to see Megamind, which they enjoyed, though Liam says it's no Toy Story 3.

Liam's class photo came home from school and this year, they printed all the kids' names at the bottom, so we know who they are and could find them in the phone book if need be. Hooray! Now, if only Liam would agree to letting us set up a playdate for him. (I tried and tried to get him to invite a kid or two from school to our Christmas party, and he just kept saying no.)

We still don't have garland up on the stairs. We plain old ran out of time on the weekend. Maybe we'll get to it on Friday, which is a day off, although it's supposed to be 60 degrees and that means we are going outside, baby!

I think I have a touch of plantar fasciitis, but (a) it doesn't hurt when I run - only when I walk and (b) I've been ramping up the number of times per week that I run and it's not getting any worse. I'm doing lots of calf stretches and seem to be holding my own.

Right now I am really enjoying a book called 17 Hours to Glory and the infamy of someone known as "IMFL Poop Guy". These are triathlon-related stories that, I admit, maybe don't appeal to the general population so much.

I have a new pair of shoes that I adore - the Bates booties by Naturalizer - they are hands down the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. And sassy, too.

46 days til Christmas!