I am actually writing this BEFORE it’s officially day one, but by the time it’s published, it will be!

Day One of WHAT, you ask?

National Novel Writing Month and National Blog Posting Month, of course!  And yes, this will be the third year I have signed myself up for both of these things simultaneousy; and yes, I have never accomplished NaBloPoMo; and yes, I have only won Nanowrimo once, two years ago; but THIS might be the year that I could accomplish both!

No, stop laughing! I can do this! ;)

So this is my first Nablo post, and once the clock strikes midnight (and this post has been published), I will be participating in the first writing challenge of Nanowrimo: a midnight kickoff, in the quietness of our own homes, with the goal of writing at least 500 words before we drop off to sleep.  This way, after we wake up tomorrow morning, we will still try for 1,667 words before bed tomorrow, and that 500 extra words will be like a happy little padding for the month.  Trust me, most of us will need it!

I will do my best to not only post here every day, but use that posting time to upload a photo, or that video walkthrough I’ve been meaning to do, or brag about how much fun my kids are having writing their own Nano novels, or lament over how the pile of dirty dishes is falling off the countertops and onto the unswept floor.  Even *if* I’m not able to post daily, y’all can stop complaining about the lack of updates!

:D I love you all, I truly do, and I’m taking my deep breath NOW before the plunge into this next month. It’s gonna be a doozy! (Just wait until I tell you what I’m planning on getting into BESIDES Nano and Nablo!

(Me and the lovely glow of my computer monitor. Also there is a lamp on the piano and a lamp on my desk. Looks deliciously dark and gothy, eh?)

I am completely in love with my house. Especially the way it creaks and snaps and gently sighs at night. My wood floors and curtainless windows (so sue me, I don’t have curtains for many of these windows yet) bathe me in peaceful, calm darkness after sundown.

Maybe I’ll post a photo of the house in the daylight next time. Or not. I like being mysterious and vaguely creepy.

I’m so weary I can hardly do anything other than watch some TV, unpack a few boxes here and there, eat food, take care of the kids, and… sleep.  I don’t think I’ve caught up yet from all the sleep I missed over the weekend, but it’s not for lack of trying.

Hey, at least I managed to not only think of writing a blog post, but actually here I am – WRITING IT!

Whew.  That was so exhausting to write.  No, seriously.  I think I need another nap.

My 24/25 week (whatever, I can’t keep track of where I am) checkup at my midwife’s went uneventfully well today.  Serenity kicks like a, well, an extremely sensitive small person who does not enjoy being poked by anything, let alone that stupid doppler thingy to check her hyperactive little heartbeat is metering along the way it should.  Greaaaaat.

So I am hoping that soon, I will want to do something other than hibernate for the next six months.  I have stuff to do, after all.  Like stare dreamily into my back yard, watching the leaves float slowly down over the browning grass.

If you’re wondering why you don’t see me around much right now?  That’s because we’re moving.

Okay, yes, you already knew that.  But what you DON’T know, what Troy and I just found out this evening, is that his factory – for the winter months – is cutting down on all overtime, and not providing as many weekend hours to the employees.  Which means a slimmer paycheck.  Which means that we are moving up our moving timetable to RIGHTNOWTHISMINUTE instead of slowly by next weekend.

We have a truck booked for Saturday already, because we were going to move some stuff this weekend and the rest next.  Now, our goal is to be moved in enough by Saturday night to officially live there, and use the rest of the week to bring over bits and pieces (read: the couch and washer and dryer that are more difficult to move alone – since we didn’t have help to move this weekend, just Troy and a good ol’ equipment dolly).

We are hoping that with less back-and-forthing next week as a result of our gigantic moving binge on Saturday, that we will save enough in gas to make up for the loss of income that begins with the very next paycheck.

Tonight I have not done any more packing, because what I needed to do was conserve my energy one last time before tomorrow – because tomorrow is finish-painting day, clean-new-kitchen and move-in-dishes-and-pans day, and get-bathroom-ready-for-showers-and-baths day.  Thank God I have two fantastic older kids who are MORE than willing to help, and a broom and a hard-floor lightweight vacuum just for those purposes.  And thank God Troy’s job provided us with enough cushioning, financially speaking, that we have been able to do this move on our own steam – affording a moving truck, extra gas, painting supplies, cleaning supplies, and more eating out than we like because of time crunches is NEVER easy, but we have been able to do it.  I keep a ridiculously close eye on every penny spent, and Troy works hard to bring home those pennies (and I contribute a few myself here and there), and that is how this has worked.

Now I have to go and put pans and cutlery in a box for tomorrow, because we are leaving bright and early to paint and clean and I have four people besides myself to feed over there (two of whom are male and consume way more food than I have been prepared for – and I don’t mean Ian), and one lonely skillet in the other house’s cupboard to do it with.

My internet at the new house is scheduled to be working this Monday, so GOD WILLING, I will only be gone for a few days.  You probably won’t even miss me!  I will be checking email on my phone anyway because I am a freak like that!  Hold me, I’M FREAKING OUT A LITTLE BIT!