We made it! The last few weeks were rough, but we powered through the fall season and can now (somewhat) relax. Cross-country is over. The marching band season is at an end. The only thing left on the calendar for the year is Holly’s 4-day-a-week dance classes and a few band concerts. Now, perhaps Connor can finally get some sleep instead of staying up until the wee hours of the morning finishing his homework.

Connor’s cross-country season was a resounding success. He ended up staying on the varsity squad for the entire second half of the season and consistently performed among the top four on the team. His team wasn’t the strongest in the state, but it was a great experience for him. He was the youngest runner on the team by a good year, PR’d every single race in the regular season, and earned a letter. We are SO proud of him.

The marching band season is also at an end. His marching band ended up fourth in their division. It may have been a lot of work, but he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. You could see it every time he put on his uniform. He now focuses his attention on concert band and perhaps pep band before marching band heats up again in the spring with parade season. I know he is going to enjoy the downtime and lack of outdoor practicing.

Jim and I managed to sneak off for a weekend trip to San Francisco in October. Jim continues to travel every week with stops home lasting about 36 hours, so it was wonderful to spend four entire days together seeing the sites and touring wine country. It was also amazing to just relax without worrying about practices, schedules, alarms, feeding the kids in time, or everything else that has kept me running nonstop for the past two months. We separated thoroughly relaxed and ready to finish the next months of separation. Of course, we came back with several cases of wine too. That will help as well.

Books reviewed this month:

• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
• A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
• The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper
• The Elementals by Francesca Lia Block
• The Heavens Rise by Christopher Rice
• How to Be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman (Bloggers Recommend selection for October)
• I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
• The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa
• Lighthouse Island by Paulette Jiles
• Longbourn by Jo Baker
• NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
• Parasite by Mira Grant
• The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
• We Are Water by Wally Lamb (Bloggers Recommend selection for October)
• The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle (Bloggers Recommend selection for November)
• The Wolves of Midwinter by Anne Rice

Of course, now that things have settled down somewhat – Holly still has dance four times a week – now it is time for me to get sick. I blame Holly, who has been fighting a cold for the past week. So, I plan to use today’s extra hour by sleeping. I think I’m going to need it.