Switching Gears, Changing Routines...

I've decided to listen to the little voice in my head that has been telling me to blow off chores, laundry and the like and write. It's funny as a 4th grade teacher this year, I really push the concept of my students as authors. Yet somehow in the hustle and bustle of the school year starting, I forgot I too was an author. Everyday for a full hour, I conduct what's called Writer's Workshop (based on Lucy Caulkins The Art of Teaching Writing). Funny enough, right now we are knee deep in personal narratives! I'm teaching 9 and 10 year olds about writing about small everyday moments, yet I haven't taken the time personally to write about my small moments. It's time to reflect and practice what I preach.

The summer ended with a major change in our lifestyle...a moment for our family that will never be forgotten. I don't want to go into the details here, but just a note to remember that this was a summer of positive change in our family. A change I will be eternally grateful for. But we stitched gears and changed lots of routines. Jonas and Lorelei had a rough start to the year with lots of crying at drop off and crabbiness at the end of the day. The big kids did fine, happily falling back into their schedules. We all have had the toughest time with the tiredness we feel at the end of the school days! Lorelei for example, fell asleep last night at 6:15 and stay asleep till 5:15 a.m.!! It's been nearly 5 weeks and I'm still feeling a bit out of routine. But we'll get there...

We've had some nice weekends for sure. Weekends full of birthday parties, dinners with family, one last swim and watching Gator football. We spent some time at the ranch in Junction with Jeff (my brother-in-law) and my niece Brieley. It rained a lot, so it wasn't the fun it could have been, but it was quality family time. Last weekend, I happily pulled out all our fall decorations! Fall is such a homey season. The house feels all warm and cozy, even if the weather is still sweltering outside!

We've added some new family members this weekend too! Like 4 kids, a huge dog and four tortoises weren't enough! Jonas has wanted a pet of his own for awhile. We researched and finally agreed to a gecko. So Lizzie the fat-tailed gecko joined the family this past weekend. John and I also discussed how we might be ready for cats again. Bailey really has a fondness for them and wanted one badly. We agreed to surprise him. John however also surprised me when he brought home a pair of kitties, instead of one. But they were bottle fed and raised together and both going to euthanized...so home they both came! They are a sweet pair...a male named Toby and a female named Mittens and yes, they have both been fixed! No extra kittens for us!