Fall-tastic

Fall always makes me want to slow down, reconnect, and declutter (mind, soul, and home). The slowing down is often done for me since schools and activities make for busy weeks and by the time the weekend rolls around, we're ready to for slow mornings and fewer adventures. It's a nice juxtaposition -- busy on the micro level means calmer on the macro level. The reconnecting has felt good this year -- both with local friends who we missed over the summer and with far away friends who I've been bad about writing to as regularly as I think about them. And I do think about all you all and appreciate those who've reached out with emails or cute pictures as well; friendships and family are the best way to ward off the autumn morning chill. And the decluttering? Well, two carload trips to Goodwill later, that mission was accomplished. Holy clean (for me) basement. While spring is about rebirth and renewal, fall feels like appreciation and being deliberate. It feels like one really cozy sweater rather than fourteen new sun dresses. It feels like sitting and making stuff rather than not letting our feet hit the floor before we're out the door. Sure, the days are shorter and there isn't time to go to the playground after school now but that's okay. We're in that sweet spot of soaking up the lasts of summer, enjoying our at-home time, but still pre-cabin-fever and not sick of our teensy house. It's a good spot, a quintessentially autumn spot. I think some of this is rubbing off on my eldest child, too. The other night she couldn't sleep so she cleaned up her entire room. It was literally the most organized I'd ever seen it (if you know me well, you know that I do not like to clean per se, but I sure do like to organize/rearrange. My girl clearly takes after me on that front -- she loves her bins and bags.). We also finally did some crafts that have been percolating but not getting done. She made monsters for her friend who is a monster aficionado because she hadn't played with him in awhile and wanted to make something for him. It was sweet (though somehow the actual monster handover hasn't happened... we keep talking about it but I think the younger little guy really likes these little monsters and keeps absconding with them, thus we forget to take them with us). So, short days be damned, I'm happy to embrace the current mood before being cooped up doesn't sound so pleasant anymore.

 The artistes

Maybe I shouldn't push arts and crafts with this dude too much yet. The paint goes in the strangest places...

Unlike first-child-perfectionism over in this corner...

with a side of sheer joy. 

Wha?

No, Ma, the tablecloth is for the paintings. 

Let's just return to what we're supposed to be doing...

Compliance... four fourteen seconds, anyway.