And a happy September to you. I started this blog three years ago, and am nearing nine hundred posts on it since then. A few years back I took a little break from my more normal posts, and spent the month of September just posting a single image a day, thirty images in thirty days. E was starting school for the first time, and we were immersed in the new kind of hectic that change brings about. There’s a wonderful order that comes when you start a new schedule, but it’s the little things that keep you running around – snacks packed, violin day, a birthday book for assembly, notes to teachers, playdates, etc. There’s something tempting about doing that blogging ritual again this year, but I like the outlet for words (when I allow myself time to sit and write them) and so I’ll probably just do more of the same.
M has his final licensing exam today, his ninth, and although he’s spread them out over several years, he’s managed to fit them into and around the schedules of the rest of us. Those of you that have kids (or not), and jobs, and house projects, and church responsibilities, and committees and boards and the vague hope of a spare moment to exercise or relax, know just how difficult it can be to find the time to get back into school mode and cover the dining room table, turn off the outside world, and study for nights and weekends. Difficult enough that I’ve only done it once, and it seemed like it took me months to recover. And without jinxing him on the day of his final one, he’s managed to do this and pass them all, and then get back into the swing of things around here with ease. I’ve missed him in the evenings, and am looking forward to this evening, and the restoration of conversation, and the return of normal life. I’m sure he’s looking forward to some sleep. That’s always an elusive goal.
So if you’ll bear with me a bit, I might just stretch out these photos from last weekend for a few more days, at least until we move into the long weekend ahead, catch our breath a bit, and start anew. It’s been a week of loss, and family health scares, and accidents and frustrations as well, and we’re all looking for a bit of calm and normalcy. Violin day, soccer practice, brown bag lunch, assemblies… the stuff of September, the routine, the ritual, regular life.
Dinner prep after school. E’s on the cooking team for today’s lunch for school!