can you smell that?!

Don't worry, it's something good!   It's chocolate!  It smells like a bakery in here, and I just made a hot Americano, so maybe it's like a cafe'.  I'll tell you a little secret:  Aldi cake mix.  99 cents.  Chocolate cupcakes, made from the back of the box recipe but with a bit of espresso powder (I usually used coffee instead of water, but these are for small children, ha), and a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder.  Their mixes are so good, in my humble opinion.  

I was GOING to make individual brownies in the muffin pan, and make marshmallow ghosts on top, but when I told Camille, she was all wide-eyed, and said That sounds exactly like what Anya said she was going to make!  

Tomorrow is our Activity Club harvest/fall/halloween party, and there is a spooky dessert contest.  I thought I could give each kid a ginormous bag of candy, that would be scary for the parents ha.  But instead, I am baking.  Cookie Monster cupcakes?  Those are easy, just make the ridiculous blue frosting, put white circles of frosting with a chocolate chip in each, going different ways, for the eyes, and stuff a cookie where the mouth should be.  But do kids these days even know Cookie Monster?

My other idea is yummier, a nice whoosh of peanut butter frosting, a peanut butter cup with chocolate spider legs, and those cute little candy eyes...the mixing of something so amazing as a peanut butter cup with something as horrific as a spider!  

Kathryn and I went out and about with her three small children this morning, after I got back from the pool.  The dollar store for some decorations for tomorrow, then Aldi.  We stopped for coffee, then home...it's such a lovely ride through the autumn trees...some are naked already, some at peak.  

I hate to say it, but my knees killed me today in the stores.  Just ached so badly.  I don't like it, not one little bit.  I see people just walking along, and I think, Do they know how nice it is for them just to be able to walk like that, no problem?  But then I think, everyone has their trials.  Some of my issues may be of my own doing, some not, but in any case, no one rides through life on the Easy Train.  It may seem it when you scroll through instagram, and see all those nice houses and lovely put-together ladies at the gym, saying no excuses!  

I just finished doing up the leftover dishes from yesterday, swept the floors, and did some laundry.  You'd think I'd be all caught up, not having little kids anymore, but guess what?  They visit.    Yes I love it, I really do.  I'm glad my older kids still like coming over.  Sometimes it's loud and crazy, and honestly, I don't like loud, OR crazy, but I can deal with it.  When I was the captain of the ship back when my kids were little, I had them use their indoor voices inside, neither Paul or I tolerate noise very well.  He has tinnitus, and I just feel stress when kids scream, ha.  

I don't like stickiness, crumbs, dirty floors, clutter....and I have very few organizational skills.  Not a good candidate for a big family.  And multi-tasking is a very energy draining way to live, turns out.  No wonder I was so tired for so many years.  But.  BUT:  I have zero regrets, loved each and every newborn, and would give anything to go back and go through it all again, even the tired part.  Well, maybe I'd skip the stomach bug parts.  And the potty training.

Paul and I drove down the road to the mechanic to pick up his truck.  It is all fixed again, not sure what the trouble was, but when I asked Paul if it was fixed, he said for now.  It struck me as funny.  What, do we think it's all fixed FOR GOOD?  That we're all done with car repairs?  Oh ho, life=maintenance.   Vehicles, appliances, anything you own, they take turns breaking down.   But it also struck me that we don't actually own anything, we just get to use it while we're earth-side.  Can't take it with us.  So why do we strive so hard to accrue it all?  I guess that's how we're programmed, for survival.

Anyway, each day is a gift, and I'm learning more and more to be thankful for the the days, and all the things in them.  Have a really good evening.  

(Tomorrow I'll post pictures of the final cupcakes, who knows what I'll decide!)