A good hectic.

The sun was coming into the house so nicely the other day.  I’m still observing these things about this new place: where the best morning light is, where the dust settles, how to angle the chairs, where this plant should go.  It’s like every day holds a bit of discovery, if I move slow enough to notice it.  I’m moving fairly slow these days, so I’m noticing.

The mornings start early.  Kids are out the door, peanut butter toast and cereal consumed, shoes tied, by 7:00 am at the latest.  Maybe even 6:57.  When winter hits and it’s still dark at that hour, it’ll be a less welcome departure time, I’m sure.  I’m finding myself more excited to get into the kitchen.  I’ve gotten the dutch oven out twice this week.  Once for a sweet potato soup, and the other for a corn chowder.  I need to share that corn chowder recipe soon.  It starts with sizzling bacon and it ends with a generous splash of cream.  You can’t go wrong.

We’re diving head first into this school year.  Sports, practices, field trips, getting kids here and there.  It feels hectic but a good hectic if that makes sense.  They are genuinely enjoying themselves in their new schools, they’ve already had friends over.  We’re feeling a sense of community here and, I don’t want to jinx anything, but we’re really happy.  Come winter, I imagine the place will feel tight–less time outdoors, our downsizing will be more obvious.  But right now, we’re enjoying it.

William’s nursing his first cold, and only three days into the school year!  He’s been playing hard, eating too much sugar (perhaps my most often repeated mantra: “You’re eating too much sugar!”), and not getting enough sleep, so it’s to be expected.  It’s hard to drop summer and get right into the habits school requires.  Attacking it head first with vitamins and water and essential oils, and he’ll be back to normal.

We watched Bears the other night and it was so sweet.  I’d suggest it for your own family movie night (but thank you for the suggestions you gave on Facebook!).  There’s nothing scary about it–no animal massacres like Planet Earth sometimes shows–and Parker loved it as did the rest of us.  Lately when we’re sitting down to a show or movie, William rubs my feet.  He’s really nice.

The baby has just started hiccuping which is so sweet.  This season in our life has been so busy, I’m just starting to really dive into this pregnancy.  The other day I had a mental wake-up call: “You are pregnant.  You will miss this when it’s gone.”  It’s so true.  I’m being more intentional, from here on out.  I find my hand draped across my stomach all the time, I audibly say, “Awww” at the little kicks he gives me while I wonder if that last kick was a heel or a hand.  I’ve now grasped that a tiny, squishy, precious baby that is mine comes at the end of all of this (Delayed, yes.  Is that just how it is the second, third, or fourth time around??).  With that, I’m getting so excited.  I’m getting so excited for the newborn smell, for him to be placed on me for the first time, to meet my son.  I’m not sure I could ever get enough of those moments.

Things are good here.  How are they there?