while you were out

It's only a few more days until my husband returns from his month-long trip to China. Wow! A lot has changed since that warm day on Oct. 15 when he headed to the airport.

The jet lag can be tough enough on its own. Not to mention the culture shock of returning to America. So, just to help prepare him, here are a few things I would like him to know:

We elected a new president. It was history-making. I'm tempted to go on a political tirade right now, but just to keep the few readers I have, I'm going to keep moving.

The leaves on the trees all turned beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. Then they fell on the ground. Now, we need to rake, but it's 32 degrees outside. Besides, I don't want you to miss all of the fall fun, so I'll save it for you.

Daylight Savings Time ended. We now watch the sunset at 4:30.

Remember when gas cost $3.59 a gallon. That was way back when you left. Now, we can fill up the tank for $2.49 a gallon. Nice, huh?

The kids got dressed up in their favorite costumes. They roamed the neighborhood for two hours. We still have six pounds of candy to show for it. (I scheduled a root canal for the Saturday after you get home.)

Our 7-year-old son is gone. He has been replaced by an 8-year-old with a big gap in the front of his mouth. The adult teeth are pushing through.

Remember our 4-year-old? The one who was drawing circles back when you left? She has taught herself to write all of her letters and numbers, as well as her name and some other simple words.

The oil on the van needed to be changed, so I just left it in the driveway and drove your car for a couple of weeks. I promise I did not let the kids eat any yogurt in your car. Or pudding. Chips? Maybe a couple. But we did our best to clean out the crumbs.

Speaking of cars... I had a minor accident. No injuries, except to my dignity, self respect and general ability to show my face in public. I ran into someone's car in the parking lot at church. We were taking a little boy home for a playdate. He commented, "I've never seen THAT happen before!"

I sort of forgot about garbage day. A couple of times. I know how you love a big job. A challenge. I didn't want to steal all the fun.

The mirror in the bedroom fell off the wall. The fire alarm needs a new battery. The dishwasher is acting weird again.

A new restaurant opened down the street. You'll be really happy. Chinese food.