Goings Ons (Spooookkkkyyyy edition)

Happy Halloween! Doesn't it feel that the Halloween that never ends? We've been celebrating in some form or another since Friday. On the plus side, the kids' costumes are getting a lot of use. On the minus side...well, really there is no minus, I do like Halloween, and my we've been keeping the sugar consumption in high-moderate range. We are going trick or treating this evening, with two Darth Vaders, a Jedi, and Princess Leia. We* also made a super cute BB8 pumpkin.

Stuff that I wanted to tell you about...mostly good! 

• I've become a faster runner! I ran a 5K on Saturday, without training, and was shocked to realize I finished in <27 minutes! I figured I was running my usual 9-10 minute/mile pace. Though I was alarmed at how exhausted I felt, I figured it was the lack of training. I was so proud of myself. I'm looking for another 5K to run to see if it was just a fluke. 
• I tried (and really liked) a subscription meal delivery service. I've always been opposed to these things because a) the $, b) the inefficient packaging and c) the work involved (i.e. if I'm paying the $, why not get take out?), but my sister gave me a code for a completely free week to a service, and so we got a 4-meal box last week. We both found it easy and sort of fun to open up a kit with everything you need and follow the (simple) directions to get a new & healthy meal on the table in 30-40 minutes. The real beauty, though, was that we didn't have to plan & prep last Sunday. I think it'd be a great option for when we are away or super busy on the weekend. 
• We finally made it to a farm yesterday, for a birthday party. It was almost an hour away, but really was idyllic, with hay rides, pumpkin patch, animals to feed and a beautiful (80 degree!!??) fall day. I even got to eat a caramel apple (yumm! it had nuts and chocolate on it!) 
• Not so positive---we found an engorged tick on L's head last night, probably from hiking last weekend. So now I'm freaking out about Lyme disease and made myself nuts reading CDC vs AAP vs. etc.. recommendations. We have a call out to the pediatrician because I need someone else to take over the decision-making. I even CHECKED his head when he got home but a tiny black tick in his thick black hair was easily missed. Over the course of the week this sucker got SO BIG G felt something weird on his head when they were wrestling. WEAR HATS if you go in the woods. (there was no rash on his head and he's fine so far)
• We met with B's school teacher/counselor/psychologist last week and they determined he is doing really well but could use some minor modifications to help him with social and attention issues. We are waiting for the 504 plan they are writing up. I really do think he's doing better, we can see it at home. Maybe he's just growing into himself more slowly than we all want him to? I also need to talk to the psychologist who runs his social skills group to tell her we want to take a break. Its a PITA to get to every week, its $$$$, and it's unclear what the goals are & if we are actually meeting them. Plus he would rather use that day, when I pick him up directly from school, to get in another day of karate or have a playdate with a friend, which both sound like social-skill-building activities to me, and don't cost another $75/hour. 
• I am debating doing NaNoBloPoMo (posting daily for the month of November) vs. doing a complete social media break for the month. I feel the need to go extreme. You will know by tomorrow which one I chose!

Wishing you more treats than tricks!

*Which means, I found it, said "we" should make it, and G executed 100%. I am nothing but the brains behind this operation.