no tricks....

just treats.

yes.  i give out candy for halloween.  i just don't see anything wrong with it.

so far it's been a pretty decent evening.  i've had iron man, robin, 2 dorothys, several princesses, a skeleton, a couple of vampires, 2 football players, a cheerleader, a horse, a zombie, a monster, scooby doo, captain america, a bunny, the most adorable butterfly ever, a doctor, a bumblebee, a ladybug, a teenage mutant ninja  turtle, a cute purple monster, and some other unidentifiable "guests" at my door.  i've also had some older kids who didn't even bother to dress up.  in my world, if you make an effort, you get two pieces of candy.  if you don't even try, you only get one.  i'm stingy like that.

i carved pumpkins again this year and they turned out really well.  i took pictures but am too lazy to get the camera and upload them.  you'll have to wait.

miss raven does NOT like halloween.  it is just too stressful for the girl.  every time someone knocks at the door she freaks out.  i thought about putting her in the bedroom but i didn't want her to think she was in trouble.  she is trying to relax on MY heated blanket right now.  spoiled little diva.

it was good to get back to school today.  i missed my babies and we had fun today.  they are getting excited because they know the holidays are coming up.  they get next friday off for parent-teacher conferences, the following monday off for Veteran's Day, and then it is only 6 school days until thanksgiving.  after that, christmas is only a hop, skip, and a jump away.  vacation is so close they can almost taste it.  truth be told....i feel the same way!  ;)

at the beginning of the year i put a name tag on each desk.  my theme was monsters this year and the desk tags were no exception.  i never told them this but i had decided that whoever kept their name tag on their desk for the whole first quarter would get a special prize.  as of last thursday i had two girls and one boy still in the running.  then i looked up.  the boy was taking his name tag over to the trash.  i almost said something to him but then decided that wouldn't be fair to the other 12 who had throw theirs away before him.  since friday was the end of the quarter and we didn't have school on monday or tuesday, they two girls got their prize today.  they got to spend ALL day long in the comfy chairs.  OMG.  you should have see the looks on the faces of the other kids!  twelve of them were SUPREMELY jealous and the one that threw the tag away last thursday was so, so disappointed!  let me tell you what.  i found the GOLD MINE of rewards right there.  every kid asked me if i was use that reward again this year.  of course i didn't commit to anything.  have to keep the little boogers guessing.  ;)

have a wonderful thursday.  oh, and....only 54 shopping days left until christmas.

:)

Thankful...

it isn't even november yet, but i have much to be thankful for...

• safety during one of the worst storms this area has ever seen...a "FRANKENstorm", if you will
• power.  i can't even put into words how much that one little word means to me.  i was prepared to be without it for days and days and days.  imagine my surprise and my happy heart upon waking this morning to find that, for once, my power company deserves praise and not wrath.
• family and friends who called/texted to check on me.  it is always good to feel loved and cared for.
• no storm damage.  the wind howled last night and, i'll be honest, i was SCARED.  as far as i can tell from my "inspection" this morning, the house is safe and sound.  no windows broken, no leaks, no cracks.

i spent some time this morning carving pumpkins.  i haven't taken pictures yet, but i will.  i am hoping that the trick-or-treaters are still able to come around tomorrow night.  i have the cute pumpkins and i have a TON of candy.  we never did lose power here and the streets are clear, so i am keeping my fingers crossed.

my thoughts and prayers go out to those who suffered the brunt of this storm.  so many people lost so, so much.  the pictures on the news this morning show devastation like i have never seen in this country.  i am truly hoping that these people find the relief that they need and that it happens soon, before the really cold weather sets in.

It will get worse before it gets better...

I figured I should blog again while I still had the chance.  There is no telling when the power will finally go out and, if you believe what the news is saying, it could be upwards of two weeks before it will come back on.

The rain started last night around eight or so.  I took miss raven out around 8:30 and she was less than thrilled.  We snuggled up all night, listening to the rain and praying the power would stay on.

The thing is...the worst is yet to come.  It is supposed to get REALLY bad tonight (WHY must storms intensify at night?  This ALWAYS happens!) and I am certain that I will lose power at some point.  The winds are supposed to pick up and gust up to 75 miles an hour.

I go back and forth between being in denial and being scared out of my mind.  The media is really hyping this storm up and I wonder how much of it is sensationalism, just to get the ratings.  I do think this is a powerful storm, a bully storm, and it shouldn't be trivialized.  I just think that sometimes, the weather people are secretly giddy when things like this happen and they make it out to be more than it is.

I definitely think the power companies do this.  They tell you it will be a LONG time before power is restored so that, when it comes back on way sooner than they said, you will think they are fabulous and not complain about rate hikes.

Currently miss raven and I are snuggled under our electric blankets.  Yes, she has one of her own.  I got tired of trying to "share".  Don't judge.  I am on my second cup of coffee, trying to be very thankful for it as I am not sure when my next cup of hot coffee will be.  If you are the praying type, please pray for us, that we will be safe, that my house won't be damaged, and that our power won't go out.

Thanks for reading!

:)

To blog or not to blog...

Well, hello there.

I'm not dead.

Nothing's wrong.

miss raven and I are still ok.

Just really haven't felt like blogging much and, to be honest, I was questioning why I blog in the first place.

For the last several weeks I haven't been too sure that I was going to keep blogging.  I read other blogs and other people seem to have a much more interesting life than I do.  I don't get many comments, I've been blogging for two(ish) years now and only have 20 followers (really, I think I only have like, 17).  I guess I kind of was feeling like I was wasting my time blogging.

I don't say anything earth-shattering.  I try not to be too controversial.  It's mostly like a conversation with my BFF...things I could, and sometimes do, say to her through text messages.

I know, I know.  I'm whining.

I'm just not sure.  I like to put my thoughts down, but I really do censor them so much that it ends up not being my complete thoughts.

Things really are going well.

Mostly.

Except for this:

(weather.com)

FRANKENSTORM Sandy.

Stupid #*$%(#.  Bad as your relative Irene.

They are already telling us to be prepared to lose power.

We all know what that means.

No power = No coffee = CRANKY Melicity

How's that for an evil math problem?

My knitting is going ok.  I wanted to have my finished sweater to show you but I can't get past the sleeves.  I've tried DPNs and I've tried magic loop but I can't get those suckers to look right.  I was so frustrated with it this afternoon that I just put it away rather than throw it across the room.  Depending on what happens tomorrow I may try to pick it up again and at least do the edge ribbing.

I'll try to be back soon.  I really do love my little blog and I'm not quite sure that I want to give it up just yet....

If you are in the path of the Frankenstorm, please be safe!

SAD...

It took me a while to figure out why I was in such a funk.

Then it hit me the other day.

It's fall.

(shudder)

And I think we all know what that means.

It's almost winter.


And that makes me so sad.  I'm not even kidding.  I totally identify with Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Please note that it's initials also spell SAD.

I'm trying to shake this but the changing of the seasons, a difficult decision to make concerning a relationship, miss raven being sick last weekend, not sleeping well at all, and the frenetic pace of school....well, with all that and LIFE....all I've wanted to do lately is just pull the covers up over my head and shut out the world.

What frightens me is that if I am this messed up about fall, what the heck am I going to look like come winter?

The kiddos are wonderful at school and truly, they are the reason right now I am not completely falling apart.  They make me laugh despite my depression and were so very sweet when they found out that raven wasn't feeling well.  One of them even told me to tell her that they were praying for her.  They ask about her every day and are always begging me to tell them stories about her.

One of our favorite times during the day is right after lunch when I read to them.  I sit in one of the "comfy" chairs and they sit/lounge on the floor.  The girls crochet, the boys...well, the boys are boys, and I read two chapters of our current book.  We are reading the "Secret Series".  They LOVED the first book:  The Name of This Book is a Secret and we are about three chapters from finishing the second book If You're Reading This It's Too Late.  I have to tell you, I get a secret thrill when I stop reading and they beg and plead and bargain for me to read "just ONE more chapter, pllllllleeeeeeaaaaaassssseeeeee!!!!!!!!!!"  I LOVE it!

I am very much looking forward to this long weekend and have been for a while.  I am attending a fiber festival (go figure....more yarn) and am planning on purchasing my very first yarn swift.  I can decide on the walnut or cherry.  Any suggestions?

My sweater class starts next Wednesday and I am looking forward to that as well.  I am planning on doing my gauge swatch(es) tonight and am hoping that goes off without too many issues.  Although I am looking forward to this class, I am still a little nervous about it.  I love the pattern but am a tiny bit afraid that it may be over my head.

Well....I need to go get ready for school.  Yesterday was not a good day at school (not because of my kids) and I am really hoping that today is a better day.

I promise...

I really am still alive.

This whole "Fall" thing is kicking my butt and I am fighting off depression.

I'll be back soon.

I promise.