FALLing Back into the Routine

Fall is here whether I am ready or not.

Labor day was gorgeous and we made a final trip to the pool. Grateful for a working washing machine, I washed the bathing suits and beach towels one last time. The laundry room has shifted from pool mode to school & soccer mode. The school bags & rain jackets have made a reappearance, the flip flops have disappeared.

Tuesday we awoke to a major drop in temperature and there was no mistaking the change in season.

I am dragging my heals a bit. Not sure why. Maybe b/c I don't feel as prepared for the fall as I did for the summer. Maybe it's b/c during the school year I have so much less control over my days. Ha! There lies my problem. I am not really in control (oh, how I love to think I am).

There is a lot going on this week and next week. Our transition will not be a slow one.

I have not felt sad to see Owen go off to school. I have missed him a lot and Mason has too, but it has actually felt completely normal. I am dreading the changes in him that we will most likely see. I don't like not knowing every part of his day. I am praying for him, but don't feel as though I am trusting God with his well-being. I need to give that over.

Soccer has already started. Owen will have practice every Thurs and games on Saturdays. Mason will have games on Saturdays too. We have switched leagues and it's going to be a lot more complicated. Their games are occasionally at different locations and overlapping times. I don't feel ready for this. It feels like the start of the rest of my life: being the chauffeur and cheerleader.

Mason will start preschool on Monday. He will be gone 3 mornings a week. He is excited.

Ryan is no longer taking a morning nap and has made it his daily goal to climb anything and all things taller than himself including the kitchen island and dining room table. (Jill, I keep thinking of Ethan)

So, I am trying to figure out my routine, our routine. I want God to be in every part of my Fall. I don't want to get so crazy busy that I miss the moments to see His grace and share His grace with others. I want to be the wife, the mom, the chauffeur and the cheerleader He is calling me to be. Right now it feels foggy.

I think I need to remember I am serving Him. If I am serving Him, my family will be well served. If His love is my motivation I can't go wrong. It hasn't felt that way this week, but at least I am recognizing it right now. His mercies are new every morning.