Happy Halloween!! I am heading out tonight with two athletes – one football and one soccer. They are pretty excited to trick or treat this evening! I am linking up with Mel, Shay, and Sheaffer to share What’s Up this month.

Here are the questions I am going to answer:

Plus the bonus question: What is your favorite Halloween costume?

WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK:
Monday: pretzel dogs as we dash from religious education to sports
Tuesday: chicken broccoli cheese mash up
Wednesday: chili, we always have chili on Halloween
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: heading to my sister-in-law’s for my niece’s birthday
Saturday: something quick, probably out
Sunday: crockpot or leftovers

WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:
All the Halloween fun from years past.

WHAT I’M LOVING:
I am loving the sunshine this week! It is still a little chilly, but the sunshine on my cheeks has been wonderful!

I am also loving Hallmark! Confession: I may have watched a few Christmas Hallmark movies but I am really looking for fall movies and loving the Golden Girls at night.

We have been lucky enough to meet TWO authors this month and it was wonderful. First of all, Karma Wilson was absolutely amazing! She is an incredible story teller that kept our entire school entertained in an assemble. Then when I got to talk with her afterwards, she was just so funny and cool. I could’ve hung out with her all day!

Jason Reynolds was a different kind of amazing. I didn’t get to talk with him in as small of a setting as Karma Wilson but he was still incredible!! His messages of hope for children and young adults are so important. His writing is so powerful!

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO::
We took a little trip to Florida last weekend. We got to tour TPC Sawgrass on Thursday.

We toured the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium on Friday.

I ran two races with Zooma on Amelia Island, one Friday night and one Saturday morning, before we headed back home.

The boys have been loving after school golf once a week.

They’ve been playing a lot of soccer, baseball, and backyard football with the neighbors.

We went to the inaugural Cider Stroll on our Main Street this weekend and it was so fun! There were a ton of people, cute little mugs, and lots of yummy ciders.

WHAT I’M DREADING:
I am not really dreading anything right now. The cold, dark weather is around the corner but I love the coziness it brings to the Christmas season. After Christmas, I may start to dread that.

WHAT I’M WORKING ON:
The book fair is coming to my school next week and I am working on getting ready for that right now. It is such an exciting time and the kids love it, but it is a little more exhausting than a regular week.

I am getting an early start on Christmas shopping this year. Jeff and I have started making our lists of people we need to shop for and some of what we’d like to get them. Now we are searching for sales and inspiration for fun gifts.

WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:
I am really excited about book fair! By the end of the 9 days, I will probably be excited for it to be packed up and gone. 🙂

I am also excited for Luke to have his school bread bake. It is a second grade rite of passage around here and I know he’s just going to love it! Here’s Jack at his bread bake.

WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:
I am not really watching much besides my usuals: Hallmark, Housewives, and 60 minutes. We did begin watching Hocus Pocus and need to finish that this week.

I shared what I was reading earlier this month here. Recently, I read Welcome to Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand and I really liked it. I am pretty bummed that I have to wait a whole year for the next book. When I read her first winter trilogy, I waited until the third book came out and read all three together. I loved reading it that way and almost wish I would’ve waited to read the Paradise trilogy together too.

I started the Track series by Jason Reynolds. I read Ghost and have Patina sitting on the top of my to read pile.

Currently I am reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry and 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown. Mrs. Lewis is long, over 400 pages, so it’s taking me a little while to get through it. It is great historical fiction and I am really enjoying it. Everything I’ve heard about it says the second half is even better so I can’t wait! Princess Margaret is 99 vignettes so I can pick it up and read when I have a few moments. It’s also taking me a little while, but it is good. That Princess Margaret was quite a character! If you love The Crown, you should probably pick this one up!

All of my books for this year are here.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:
I discovered the Billy Joel station on XM radio and I am listening to that every time I am in the car. Billy Joel has so many great sing in the car hits! My kids are even starting to learn the words! Success!

WHAT I’M WEARING:
Our lifeguard costumes for a fun neighborhood Halloween party!

I have been wearing the Sims Stone necklace a ton. Confession: I bought it in every color to give as gifts, but then I started wearing them. And now I’ve worn them all so I am keeping them. Oops!

I’ve been wearing some dresses that can transition through fall.

I have been rocking my new mid rise jeans from Target and breaking out my Sperry’s.

Of course, I have been rocking my JMU purple and gold!

And my Halloween running shirt, too!

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:
We have a jam packed weekend because of events being rescheduled.
On Friday, we are heading to my sister-in-law’s to celebrate my niece’s 7th birthday.

On Saturday, Jack has a swim meet in the morning and Luke has an afternoon soccer game. Jeff has to work in the evening.

On Sunday, Jack has a swim meet in in the morning and Luke has a swim meet in the afternoon. Jeff has to work all day, so the boys and I will be hanging out at the pool all day.

Anticipating our busy weekend, I already have a relaxing manicure planned with two girlfriends while our kids are in religious education on Monday evening.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:
I am excited for the turkey trot on Thanksgiving! It is one of my favorite annual traditions!

I am also looking forward to tournament weekends. Luke has at least one soccer tournament and Jack has a basketball tournament. As it gets chillier, I am looking forward to our warm, indoor sports – swimming, indoor soccer, and basketball.

I am looking forward to an evening with author Natasha Solomons. I liked her book Song of Hartgrove Hall and am looking forward to her new book. Our library is partnering with my amazing local bookstore to bring her here.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW:
Jack got his braces off!! He is in the two phase plan and phase 1 is over! He started about 16 months ago with expanders, bite plates, upper braces, bottom braces, and rubber bands. He is now braces free and just in time for all that chewy Halloween candy!

BONUS: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HALLOWEEN COSTUME:
I think my favorite adult costume is Thing 1 and Thing 2. It isn’t a spectacular costume but it is a big joke in our neighborhood. One of the neighbors throws a BIG party every year and goes all out. Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday so Jeff and I wore the same costume two years in a row. The only difference was that we switched off being Thing 1 and Thing 2. Most of our neighbors thought it was funny, but the hosts were comically frustrated with us. It is now a running joke that Jeff and I will be Thing 1 and Thing 2. This year we were lifeguards, but the threat of the Things is always there.