Positively progressing

Good grief, it's hard to make time to blog.

September is a good month, isn't it? It started out at 100 degrees, and today was a pleasant 80. Snap your fingers; summer's gone, and I say Good riddance.

We find the school schedule difficult to fit in everything, but we're managing. Gavin has really enjoyed Chinese immersion, so far, and it's fun to hear him practice his new vocabulary. He continues to struggle with the all-day-every-day school routine that leaves never enough time for projects and play (and homework! Blah.). He's also currently on a soccer team and has been taking piano lessons for a few months, which started out extremely rough but he's settling in. He and Paige both have cavities to fill on Monday, and he's working on losing one of his top front teeth. Finally. He's so excited.

Paige had a bit of an adjustment going to preschool right after the Kawasaki incident, but she loves it now. (She is still taking a baby Aspirin daily and will see the cardiologist for a follow-up soon.)

The Dax Man continues to challenge my management skills daily with his incessant mischief. My, my, he is a special kind of curious. The extraordinarily agile kind. His current favorite pastimes include climbing Gavin's top bunk to throw off every pillow, blanket, and animal; using kitchen chairs to reach the candy I swear I hid; opening every door to whatever destruction awaits, including the front door; playing with all the knobs and buttons in my van without my knowledge so that my battery is dead the next time I try to go somewhere . . . he uses so many tactics--I will not bore you by listing ALL of them here. Just know he keeps me cleaning up spills and messes more than any other kid I've ever known. I've had several people tell me they're glad Dax is mine.

Leif has been quite busy with work and has been traveling to Duchesne over the last few weeks, which is where he is now. He's excited about a marketing group he got into, and I've noticed his confidence has grown a lot because of it. People talk him up for good reason. I recently got a text message from Heather asking, "Why does Leif know everything about everything??" He's good at stuff.

So I got sick a week and a half ago, and I feel like I've had three different illnesses clambering for attention since. The cold is going away, but I have been having stomach problems, and the past two days I've been nauseated and fainty. What the French, Toast?! I have no idea what's going on, and no, I am definitely not pregnant. I don't care about anything except being healthy in time for the marathon--next weekend! Agh! My training was better than it's ever been, so I hope it carries me through these two crappy pre-marathon weeks and kicks in just in time. If not . . . I'm not sure I'll be at the starting line. But let's try to think positively, shall we? Huh, Melis? Melis, are you there?

In other news, the primary program is over. Insert huge sigh. Good heavens, that was a lot of work. Just a heads up: if you're ever the 1st counselor in a primary presidency, the seating chart for the primary program is your worst job. It all came together nicely; the kids were great. I was so sick last Friday, the day of the practice, but Somebody pulled me through. I had a pile of cough drops on the podium Sunday and didn't have to use even one! Blessed day. I also had a bottle of water sitting under my feet--yes, under--which I accidentally knocked over, duh, so my feet were swimming the whole time. Our chorister found this song called Gethsemane that she taught the kids, and I cried so many times listening to it. The younger kids recited their own answers to specific questions, and Gavin said, "The Church was built up and then it got knocked down. Joseph Smith rebuilt the Church," and Paige said, "We are on the earth because we are supposed to like each other and to live. The thing I like most on the earth is playing games with my cousins." We bribed the heck out of them, and they nailed it. Go kids.

I have another appointment tomorrow with my cousin Travis the Chiropractor to tend to my right IT band. Hope it holds up. I'm a hot mess.