I love how tactile Fall is around here. I suppose Summer is a bit the same - grass and sand between your toes, the smell of outdoor grilling, humid evenings and sun-warmed kid bodies... But my favorite is Fall. It feels so precious. Every day there are fewer leaves on the trees and so it makes me want to look a little longer and try to remember just how glorious that one maple down the block is today -- because by this time next week it will be a mass of naked branches.
Yesterday morning we walked to school in 37 degrees with a little extra pep in our step (so chilly!!!) and today we met our friends for a trudge through the forest preserve to rustle the leaves, gather sticks and rocks, and see the amazing foliage glittering above our heads. Why didn't we take a photo of our intrepid explorers?! I guess we were caught up chatting and gathering and enjoying, and that is a good thing. I'll have to depend on my memory for that one.
We have a mandatory Rest Time in our house every afternoon. I instituted it when Christopher dropped his afternoon nap at 2.5 years old. It was a considerable amount of work to put in place at the time, but now we all just expect it. (And perhaps secretly look forward to it!) Today I'm having my rest time in the sun room with bare arms and bare feet. The sun is low, warm, amber and autumnal. There's a buttercup squash smeared in butter, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice in the oven. Two tired boy bodies are playing in their respective spaces, and the cutest baby girl in the whole wide world is upstairs sleeping. This is a day I want to remember in February when it's brutally cold and in 10, 20, 30 years when they're all big and busy with their own exciting lives.
These days with three little ones at home... The days are full. They're sometimes overwhelming and sometimes infuriating. They're always interesting and often comical. These days are fleeting in the bigger picture. I am trying my best to remember the big stuff and the little stuff.
