Indian Summer
I'm not sure why a warm stretch in autumn is called "Indian Summer," but I sure am grateful for it this week as we dive into the darkness that is nearing the winter solstice. Our electric bill will also reflect my gratitude as we've only turned the heat on a handful of times.
Autumn seemed to peak last weekend, the foliage in full beauty. The tops of the trees are now beginning to thin. Warm days keep us outside as much as possible but the cool nights are welcome, too. I'm feeling better now that I'm in my 2nd trimester and enjoying cooking and baking again (soup! fresh, warm bread! boxed macaroni n cheese because real life!). Overall, this is a busy season and I do feel weary. The boys are a huge handful of energy, the driving everywhere and working part time and just keeping up with it all seems to have me in a chokehold at moments. Things will settle down, though, or at least shift as winter sets in. I'm already looking forward to the 4 day Thanksgiving holiday. Two of my sisters and their kids visited last month, which was great, and I'm excited to see family again.
I'm waiting to feel the baby kick...it might be soon, Lord willing. In the meantime, I do seem to be growing out and I'm happy to be in the phase of "not enormous." Still, I am waiting for that connection to baby. The "oh, there you are, little one!"
The boys had fun trick or treating on Halloween. I'm glad we ended up staying local and sharing the evening with my parents. We all get so busy, but I'm happy we live near them and they can see the boys grow.
And now in November, the boys are doing a Thankful project with me in which they share something they are thankful for every day and I write it on their paper handprints. We did this last year, too. I think we ought to really keep it up all the time. There are always gifts to be thankful for "give thanks to the Lord, for He is good..."
A few weeks ago, I randomly grabbed Little House In The Big Woods off the shelf and began reading aloud while the boys played. Right away, Graham came over, engrossed in the stories. It's been wonderful. They were my favorite books as a little girl, and I thought Graham and Patrick were a bit young for them, but they (G especially) have loved it. We finished Big Woods and are going to start Little House On The Prairie next. It's a cozy tradition already, and I love the stories and morals and history captured in print.
Really, it's been a good fall. I'm holding on to this time of year. No rush.
-Laura Ingalls Wilder
Autumn seemed to peak last weekend, the foliage in full beauty. The tops of the trees are now beginning to thin. Warm days keep us outside as much as possible but the cool nights are welcome, too. I'm feeling better now that I'm in my 2nd trimester and enjoying cooking and baking again (soup! fresh, warm bread! boxed macaroni n cheese because real life!). Overall, this is a busy season and I do feel weary. The boys are a huge handful of energy, the driving everywhere and working part time and just keeping up with it all seems to have me in a chokehold at moments. Things will settle down, though, or at least shift as winter sets in. I'm already looking forward to the 4 day Thanksgiving holiday. Two of my sisters and their kids visited last month, which was great, and I'm excited to see family again.
I'm waiting to feel the baby kick...it might be soon, Lord willing. In the meantime, I do seem to be growing out and I'm happy to be in the phase of "not enormous." Still, I am waiting for that connection to baby. The "oh, there you are, little one!"
The boys had fun trick or treating on Halloween. I'm glad we ended up staying local and sharing the evening with my parents. We all get so busy, but I'm happy we live near them and they can see the boys grow.
A garbage man and a skeleton
And now in November, the boys are doing a Thankful project with me in which they share something they are thankful for every day and I write it on their paper handprints. We did this last year, too. I think we ought to really keep it up all the time. There are always gifts to be thankful for "give thanks to the Lord, for He is good..."
A few weeks ago, I randomly grabbed Little House In The Big Woods off the shelf and began reading aloud while the boys played. Right away, Graham came over, engrossed in the stories. It's been wonderful. They were my favorite books as a little girl, and I thought Graham and Patrick were a bit young for them, but they (G especially) have loved it. We finished Big Woods and are going to start Little House On The Prairie next. It's a cozy tradition already, and I love the stories and morals and history captured in print.
Really, it's been a good fall. I'm holding on to this time of year. No rush.
"But Laura lay awake a little while, listening to Pa's fiddle softly playing and to the lonely sound of the wind in the Big Woods. She looked at Pa sitting on the bench by the hearth, the firelight gleaming on his brown hair and beard and glistening on the honey-brown fiddle. She looked at Ma, gently rocking and knitting.
She thought to herself, 'this is now.'
She was glad that the cosy house, and Pa and Ma and the firelight and the music were now. They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago."
We must be thinking a like. We started a Thankfulness tree the other day where we write down what we're thankful on paper leaves and hang them on the tree. I've also been considering starting Little House in the Big Woods with Kira. She has never read a chapter book so I'm trying to figure how well she'll do.
ReplyDeleteI bet Kira would love the stories- she sounds really sweet and a bit calmer than my crazy boys ;-)
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