Tuesday

• Wake up at 6am to walk 3miles with pal-and-neighbor, Heather. Do ignatian examen together while walking. Consolation: Dinner with kiddos and William – happy to have been able to help. Desolation: Catie not getting to see her pal Tommy anymore now that they are in different classes.

• Get kids dressed. Take elder child to school and chaperone the world’s most miserable field trip to pumpkin patch (it rained the whole time). While on field trip, try to get quality-time w/child as well as pay attention to 3-4 other attention starved kiddos. Watch elder child walk out into pumpkin field crying because she is wet and wants to go home.

• Drive home with Karen, mother of Eden’s best friend, and Eloisa, mom of “new kid” Reah. Catch up w/Karen and find out how plans are going for Sabbath keeping. Dig Eloisa – v. kind, well spoken, confident woman w/killer black dreads and a bazillion piercings. Tell Eden I like Eloisa so Reah’s coming over for playdates.

• Come home to meet annoyed neighbor who doesn’t like how we are replacing his fence for him. Greet Paul and door and tell him to go work things out w/neighbor. (Peace talks fail and now neighbor and Paul are mad.) Help younger child call grandfather to ask if he will rebuild treehouse for younger child. (treehouse came down during fence replacement procedures.) As expected, grandfather cannot resist sound of four-year-old’s voice over telephone and agrees to rebuild treehouse this spring.

• Make sandwhich for hubby and send him to Michael Moore. (Make note to self to send out evite for Get the Vote out Cocktail Party on Nov 2nd) Turn on Moonspinners (old Haley Mills flick from Disney) and have “girls night” with kiddos. Eat frozen dinners on blanket in living room for indoor “picnic.”

• Put girls to bed. Try to talk Eden into holding still and listening when we “talk to Jesus.” Fail utterly. Bless children.

• Work in evening as all your “work time” (when you have a babysitter) has turned into “pumpkin patch” time. Email out this week’s lectio devina (killer article on compassion fatigue.) Try to find time to respond to blog poster who is opposed to latin terms like lectio divina. Check email. Wait for hubby to get home.