Parent-teacher conference

Although I was out of town for the last half of last week for a conference, several things still happened:

(1)  Emma survived.

(2)  Russell survived.

(3)  The house was still in one piece...however, the ability of our house to remain standing is questionable whether I'm in town or not.

(4)  I attended Emma's parent-teacher conference (via speakerphone).

I won't bore you with the details of the conversation, but here are some of the phrases we heard: "We have no concerns about Emma."  "She's so smart!"  "She's so curious!"  "She's so sweet!"

I'm so glad we're not starting out the parent-teacher conferences at the age of 2 hearing, "Well, we have some concerns about Emma's ability to blahblahblah."

On another subject, I've been having that nervous, fluttery, excited feeling in my stomach lately (and it is NOT a baby).  It's because my current week looks like this:

Soooo much to do and almost all of it very, very fun!

I've been buying Christmas presents.  The wheels have been turning as to where I want to shop on Thanksgiving night/Black Friday.  Emma is celebrating Halloween this week first and next week again.  She's been painting pumpkins.  The leaves are falling.  And WE'RE SELLING OUR TOWNHOME!!!  What does that mean?

CASH FOR A RENOVATION!

We are FINALLY going to start adding on to our house - adding on a laundry room, a master bath, a walk-in closet, and a master bedroom.  Ok, so we haven't even called the builder we have in mind yet.  But that's ok, because I have that nervous, fluttery, excited feeling to get me through to the actual renovation event.  I'm sure that after that point, it will be nothing but stress, anxiety, and amazement at how many decisions have to be made.  I will be so happy with the addition for many reasons, one of them being that the sooner we are done with that major undertaking, the sooner that the smaller renovations can take place.

Yet ANOTHER reason to be excited??  I'm holding out hope that XM Radio will begin playing Christmas music on November 1 again, just like they did last year.  Before anyone comments and tells me I can listen to Christmas music year-round on all sorts of internet radio stations, that spoils the anticipatory excitement I get from finally hearing it on XM (I'm essentially paying for that excitement, so I'm not going to ruin it with free Christmas music year-round...then what would happen if I...dare I say it...got tired of Christmas music??!!)  I'm even excited about the first time I hear the Christmas Shoes song and practically break my neck trying to get to the radio to change the station to ANYTHING but that song.

What a blessed life I live.  Yes, we have our struggles and rough days, but we have to try to rise above them and see the blessings that are showered upon us.  I guess sometimes those blessings come in the form of nervous, fluttery, excited feelings.