Back to Reality

I can't even tell you how good it feels to be back into our normal routine this fall. Allison is coming Monday and Friday afternoon, and the kids have school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I'm spending time at the office every weekday - which is something that hasn't happened since before we had kids (and BJ will say it didn't really happen often then, either).

After Claire spent 2.5 hours crying, "I wanna go school!" on Mary Grace's first day, I decided that it would be best to take her to the drop off program every day while MG is in school. I'd originally only planned to abuse use the drop off program twice a week, but she has such a good time, I figured I'd just keep taking her every day. It's only $6.50 for 2.5 hours of feeling like a big girl - what a bargain!

The downside of all this contact with other kids is that Claire and I are battling another cold. Yes, we just got over the one we had two weeks ago, and barely. Hopefully we're already over the worst of it. We have a party at the park for our buddy Owen this afternoon, so we'll just kill the germs with sunshine and Purell and hope for the best. Because seriously, I can't take another week of being locked in the house. Not when I've had a taste of "back to normal."

It seems like MG inherited BJ's immune system, and Claire got mine. Poor Claire. I don't get seriously sick, but I seem to pick up every little bug that goes around, and so does she. Mary Grace, on the other hand, is just like her dad - she doesn't get sick as often, but when she does she gets it bad - as in a 103.5 degree fever from a cold bad.

I need to be reminded next summer that it's better for all of us if we don't have 100 days of no structure between May and August. I didn't used to think I was the sort of person who thrived on routine... then I had kids. The more we get up and rolling, and the more we have stuff to do, the better we all do, myself included. So, don't let me forget next summer, ok?

Of course, just after we get a taste of our routine, Labor Day hits. I'm not sure whose idea it was to park Labor Day right after the start of school, but it seems to me that it would be better to move it later into September. What's the point of having a break when no one really needs a break yet?

Speaking of breaks, I hereby predict that we're going to have a wild winter. With the mild summer we've had in Indiana, I'm guessing that we're going to spend a lot of time snowed in, particularly in January and February. I'm one of those weirdos who likes being snowed in - we have a fireplace and I like to bake, and I can't think of anything nicer than having BJ at home on some random Wednesday, while the kids and I make cookies and snowmen. The kids are both big enough, finally, to enjoy the snow. Last year I worried that Claire was too little to communicate when she got too cold, but this year I know she'll be able to tell me. I feel like I should lay in some baking supplies now, so that we'll have them when it happens. I can just buy a lot of extras when everything goes on sale near Christmas.

Put in your orders for cookies and bread soon - supplies are limited, offer not valid in Vermont...

Has your life improved considerably since school started? What are you looking forward to this fall and winter?