Bullets

• I have been thinking about doing a several post telling of why, and how, and some of the things in between, of our long road to Evelyn. Then I realized that November is National Adoption Awareness Month and I thought it might be a good time to get things written down. I am pulling the thoughts and dates together in my head and will start in a day or so.
• Leslie has has a schedule change. For the first time in his Coast Guard career, he is not standing duty. He used to have to work 2 days on then had 2 days off with sliding 3 day weekends. Now he just "Day Works", he goes in at 8 am and is home by 5 pm. It's so wonderful to have him home every night.
• We three raked, and raked, and swept the leaves out of our yard yesterday and I awoke this morning to see the entire yard re-covered in leaves!!! AGGGHHH!!!! I can hardly lift my arms today so I guess they will have to wait a day or two. Or maybe I will just wait until the giant oak that stands over my back yard is all bare and done shedding.
• We had a fire in the fireplace last night. For the first time, Billy Bones got brave enough to get close and I think he will reside permanently in front of the fireplace either waiting for a fire or sucking up all of the heat.
• Leslie and I have been doing alot of work changing some of our parenting techniques and I think that they are paying off. It's heartening to see. Though Ev was a corker at the grocery store yesterday and I wanted to stop right in the middle and leave because I was loosing my mind. Really, how can I concentrate on Granola Bars and their price and what flavors we want if I have to stop in the middle of the aisle to explain in intricate detail, the mystery of shaving cream?!?! (NO I have no idea why the granola bars were next to the shaving creams).
• Evelyn had her Mandarin book out yesterday and she kept running up to me and telling me things out of the book. This was in front of our next door neighbor and I know that she (the neighbor) was floored. I couldn't tell if it was from the cuteness, the fact that Ev speaks a little Mandarin (taught by us- not remembered), or the sound of Mandarin on the suburban streets of Cleveland.
• Evelyn has been marching around announcing that she can not wait for Valentine's Day. I think that's her favorite and I am not sure why. There is candy, but not like Halloween and only small token gifts, not like Christmas. I dunno, maybe it's all the red and pink.
• Leslie went and picked up the cool a$$ Christmas present so that is home with no worries and I can now sleep at night( it's actually stored in Jodi's garage-thanks Jodi). I originally thought that we could set it up in the basement and then move it out back in the spring but, that's not going to work. So I guess she will get either a cool winter cottage or a super duper Birthday gift- we'll see. Either way, I couldn't pass it up.
• My Mom is in New York City - right now. I hope that she is having a blast! She is there with some friends from work, with no husband or kids or grand kids. Remember Mom, what happens in The Big Apple- stays in The Big Apple.