October is my favorite month, and not just because it’s my birthday month.  I love Fall~ which brings cooler weather, apple cider, and sweaters.   I love the crisp air, and the changing of the leaves (not that we get that here in Texas, but in Michigan where I’m from it is a sight to behold).  What I do NOT love is the commercialism of the holiday season.  Do I enjoy shopping? Absolutely.  But I don’t enjoy the excessive marketing and advertising on television, online, on the radio, and in my favorite magazines.  

Little A is doing very well at school.  Her teacher and therapists all praise her efforts and the fact that she is repeating so many more words than she was six weeks ago.  This week she begins twice-weekly private therapy sessions of occupational therapy and physical therapy (because, honestly, how much is she really progressing working on PT for 15 minutes once a week?!) I’m optimistic for her, and hoping to squeeze in as much therapy as possible before January gets here.

I’ve ordered what I am hoping are some fun items to spark her creativity here at home: play-doh in various colors; washable finger paints; paint books that only require water and a paint brush; and some construction paper, glitter glue, and shape-cutting scissors.  Let the fun begin! If I do by some miracle manage to actually make any crafts with her, I will be sure to post photos here 🙂

Little A’s school is having their Fall Carnival on the 25th.  I’m excited to take her, I think she’ll have fun, but her daddy is dreading it.  Screaming kids and their parents are his worst nightmare; the older he gets, the more he resembles a Grumpy Old Man. Which he isn’t, at all.  He just really doesn’t enjoy being in large crowds with screaming kids who don’t belong to him. Which, you know, don’t we all avoid that if possible???

This week I am working on my third paper for MSA 698; I also begin my very last class at Central Michigan University.  I didn’t need the class for my degree, but I did need it in order to receive financial aid.  I’m actually looking forward to the class.  It’s called Gender and Generational Supervision, and the professor is the same one I had for my very first class of my MSA degree.  He is an excellent professor, very interesting, and actually expects each of us to attend our online class every week through WebEx.  He is only one of three professors during my entire program that has had this requirement–and it has helped me tremendously in the past. I’ll keep you posted on how this goes.

My mother gave up her pretty little trailer to a family in need and moved back into my childhood home with my sister and her husband and children.  They’ve turned the old living room into a bedroom for her, and my mom is now saving the money she used to spend on rent and utilities for a train ticket down to Texas to see Little A.  This is exciting because, while Little A has seen her Mema on video chat, she’s never seen her in person. 

    My sister and niece will be accompanying her, and they have never seen Little A in person either.  And I haven’t seen any of them in four years, since before Little A was born.  Now I’ve got to find fun things for us to do while they are here 🙂  Maybe by that time Little A will be talking and able to say Mema and Aunt Erry. We’ll see.

Thank you for checking in with our family, and following our story.  More to follow~