It's pouring down rain and I am voluntarily driving to the big town north of here, though two of Boatie's windows will not roll up suddenly and mysteriously, which means I will have to drive the store van (and GET the store van).

There I shall drop off old clothes, meet with a bookstore lady about spring promotion etc, and pick up some produce.

Then I have an early lunch date at the store, even though I'm not working today (working a double tomorrow for an employee headed out of town) because Dixie's dishing up local turnip greens and I have never had them for real before.

The sickness that's been chasing me finally caught me and wrestled me to the ground. Went to a different doctor, got shot up with all the stuff I try not to take, and now feel human again. Big, big, big difference.

K's new project is amazing. He's made an enormous amount of progress in a single week, and it's fun watching him be excited to hit the door running. That being said, the balance is swinging again-- for instance, kids, Thanksgiving break, we both have to work, what gives? Guess we'll find out next week.

Next week, in fact, is going to be nuts. Monday, I have to pick up 20 local turkeys from an hour away and get them into our walk-in, while having both children and simultaneously getting interviewed by O magazine. (Uh huh). Tuesday, in between working like usual, I also have to appear in court (I WAS SERVED, Y'ALL, TO serve as a witness in a custody case of a former employee) and pick up Christmas trees. Wednesday is the day before Thanksgiving, meaning folks are going to be picking UP all those turkeys and also pies, cakes, and casseroles, the store closes early, and my mother and sister arrive (huzzah!).

I think Thursday is going to feel really, really good. Friday should be alright too. The store will be kind of half-way open: most people will be out of town, doing the black Friday thing, so we're going to restock, remake, and get decorated for Christmas. Set the trees up, bust out the gingerbread kits and extra goodies I've been squirreling away... I love Christmas at the store, with the smell of evergreen in the air.

So. How are the children?

The children.

The children are sometimes really wonderful and sometimes really awful. Caspian needs to take more naps but no one is at home to let him. Annaliese is ROCKING school but often has the world's worst, most adolescent tone in her voice, which we are working on, working on, working on. I've noticed they are happy to go to bed around 7 on these long dark nights and we are happy to let them.

These chilluns... it's a whole new ballgame these days.

Annaliese has this look a lot: grumpy, hiding a smile, sulky, pouty. Her daddy usually swoops her up and tickles her out of it.

Caspian is into Spiderman, as I think we all know now. His favorite chore at the store is carrying out empty boxes.

We're having a very lean Christmas this year: no storebought presents. Luckily for them, they are the only grandchildren on both sides and have three auntie/uncle sets who spoil them rotten... from us, they're getting built-in bookcases and boring stuff like that :) Annaliese's room is basically boxes set around the perimeter filled with junk that she is inordinately attached to (she's got the hoarder gene!) and she'll actually love it. When I asked them what they wanted for Christmas this year, they both looked up at me with their shining brown eyes and rosebud little mouths and I swear they lisped, "Whatevah Santa brings us, Mama."

Devious beasts!

Alright, time to vault out of pajamas and into the rain....