Sue in Exile

Shanna's kids for Halloween

Maya

Allie, Josh, and unhappy Hannah

lit up paperweights

ranbow over Shanna's neighborhood

Pretty stream that goes through the park I've been taking the kids to

Tessa

me and my charges. Do you think the feedbag way of carrying my purse will catch on?

The lake near us lit by dawn

For their tenth anniversary, Shanna and Ramy flew to Mexico so we have moved into their house to watch the kids. Since they are in school as I type this, I am home getting supplies. They live fairly close. My long run yesterday overlapped a long run path I take from my house. Her neighborhood has the advantage of being absolutely flat despite the word 'hill' in her little town. As a bonus, Maya needed to be watched on the weekend due to her father again being missing in action and on election day so we have four kids most of the time. Daniel and Tessa are excited that we are there but Oliver never misses an opportunity to complain and to tell me how the other grandma is so much better than me.

I have been trying to keep them as active as possible taking them to parks but it is very hard to pull them away from those screens, especially Oliver. Tomorrow I have some art projects lined up as it will be too cold to drag them outside.

I decorated the house for Halloween but no kids came. I will bring Shanna's kids over at some point to amuse them. Halloween was quite cold so I wasn't too sorry I wasn't asked to go out with any of the grandkids. Shanna's neighborhood is the exact opposite of ours: little personal property but a lot of communal land (parks). All houses have front porches to encourage interactions between neighbors. Also each neighbor tries to outdo the next in Halloween decorations. A kid can quickly run from house to house as they are so close. The streets are crowded with kids who come in from other neighborhoods, including Naomi and Maya though they did stop at Shanna's and went out with Tessa. Favorite decoration: a hologram of life sized dancing skeletons. Not favored especially by Maya: a man with a chainsaw chasing kids.

I was sad to see that frost had come while we were in New York. Most of my flowers are dead except, strangely enough poppies and primroses despite them being associated with spring. But we will soon get a 'hard' frost  to finish them off. I spent much time digging up bulbs and tubers and bringing some of the plants into the house or garage. What we need to do is drain the pond and all my water features before the hard frost. I guess that will be Wednesday's activity. I also spend an exciting time organizing my clothes and closet. With so much space, you'd think I would have a space for everything but no, all in a jumble. Removed all the size 10s and 8s.They aren't far away if I am forced to wear them again.

We did have 3 kids but they were spread apart so it isn't like herding cats as keeping the 4 of them happy and on task is, ages 9,8,7 and 5. Shanna printed detailed instructions on what to pack in lunches and where to take them for their many activities. I've been doing homework with Daniel getting a week's worth done but he has a big project due this week so some of tomorrow will be spent on it. I am hoping Oliver doesn't need to be nagged too much to do his tonight. Oliver takes a separate bus to a different school that comes 30 minutes before the other kids'. No problem walking them to the stop. But then Oliver's bus was almost 20 minutes late! Run back to the house to get the other kids to the stop in the opposite direction. If I had my phone, I could have called Steve to do Tessa and Daniel duty. As he seems to be coming down with something, I had agreed to do all outside stuff.