wrapping up september.

The fall decorations are out, candles are lit, pumpkin seems to be in everything...yep, it's fall! After a few weeks of school we seem to have sort of found our rhythm as we juggle all the activities besides school and work. Kids are happily adjusted in their classes, loving their teachers and excited about new curriculum. The beginning of the year is always so fun! Let's just hope that excitement continues as homework gets harder and the days get colder.

Lucy has been loving first grade. Her teacher is the sweetest and best fit for her too. She squeals with delight over homework assignments and gets to start yoga club on Monday! We've been practicing at home and it's so fun to watch her learn new hobbies.

 Soccer practice has been so nice these late September days too. Even after a little rain the sun and rainbows make the fields so beautiful.

 Carter started 3 on 3 basketball last weekend and loved being back on the court. It's a short season before his longer winter league but a great way to get some good practice in.

 Lucy's game last week was awesome! The weather was a bit crazy with rain/wind/sun/clouds the entire hour and Simon was less than thrilled to be there but she scored 2 goals and her team remained undefeated. More importantly I've seen so much improvement from her this season in passing and defense and she truly enjoys playing.

 My parents were in town last weekend too which made it extra special! While this wasn't their typical FL weather they loved watching the kids play sports and we enjoyed spending time catching up with them.

 We really value family meals in our home since it's the one time the kids open up and tell us everything about their day, their friends, their concerns...everything. So, any chance I get I'll make a big, hearty weekend breakfast to enjoy as we sit around the table. Last week....cinnamon swirl french toast with handpicked strawberries we froze over the summer and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Yum!!

 We went swimming at my parent's hotel pool and then came back to watch the Seahawks game together. So fun!

 Then it was back to routine. Soccer, cross country, work, preschool, curriculum nights, playdates, playing at the park, walks and grocery shopping. But....70 degrees ALL week! I'd say our September was pretty wonderful. Now...all things Halloween!

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a lot of firsts.

The first few weeks of school. The excitement, the new routines, the new schedules. It's all a bit exhausting. All the kids are settling in well, loving their teachers, having fun with friends and sleeping hard at night. It's a lot of work for all of us to keep up with the newness of the season.

The sunny fall days have been so nice though! We are taking advantage of the crispy mornings as we walk to school with the fallen leaves crunching below our feet. Playing at the park after school, walks around the neighborhood, making soups and breads and pumpkin muffins. Fall really is a great time of year.

 Simon and I keep busy with a mixture of sports at the park and errands around town. He's been mixing up his usual baseball play with some soccer. It's so fun to watch him learn more. And on cold/rainy days? We visit the pet store (aka free zoo!) for some doggy daycare watching.

 I've amped up my baking and am usually in the kitchen every morning preparing something comforting and warm and delicious. Lately it's been chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin muffins, beef vegetable soup and veggie egg bakes. Yum!!!

 The kids have embraced the cooler mornings by getting out ALL the blankets. It's either a mountain on the floor to jump onto or a fort or a cozy couch reading session. Either way these blankets are here to stay for at least the next 6 months.

 Soccer Saturdays are our new routine with Lucy's games happening every week. This week we'll add in Carter's basketball games and then throw in a little midweek soccer for Simon too! Whew!

 Lucy is doing so well this season. Her aggression has really come out (in a good way!) and she scored 2 goals at last week game. Woohoo!

 With Carter starting another season of basketball he needed some new shoes. So we went shopping last weekend and ended up buying him a size 7 shoe!!! Size 7 and he's only 8 years old. I was even able to squeeze my feet into them when we got home. Sheesh kid, stop growing.

Simon got to start his soccer last week and it was so fun and adorable. He's playing once a week with a group of about 10 other 3-4 year olds including his best friend Rowan. So fun to watch them run around together. He even scored 2 goals too!

 Lucy is now really into reading chapter books and while I love the change in pace during our nighttime reading her book choices could use some improvement. She loves them but the rescue ninja princesses weren't my favorite selection. Oh well, glad she's so into reading! Now we've moved on to a cooking queen and then a purrkitten mermicorn book. Whoa.

 Simon got to start his first day of preschool this week too! So many firsts. 2nd year for him (5th for our family) at a really wonderful preschool. He barely said goodbye to me as he ran in the door. So glad he's happy there and learning so much.

 We celebrated with some froyo before picking up the big kids from school. A pretty wonderful week of firsts....

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our transition to fall.

September is here and it is suddenly all about the fall season! First days of school, first soccer games, first smells of all things pumpkin and turkey and spices. While summer is always my favorite time of year there is something so refreshing about fall. It's a new season full of excitement and transition and change. So...here we go!

We ended the summer with one last trip up to the beach house. It was a beautiful weekend spent outside playing at the beach, long walks around the neighborhood and fresh crab for dinner. 

 The last day of summer I decided to just take it easy. We played outside, rode bikes, met up with friends at the school playground and chose our first day of school outfits. We had a ridiculously fun summer, it was hard to see it end!

 And then...first day of school! Seriously kids, stop growing.

 Drop off was quick and easy. Carter barely said goodbye to me as he ran off to find his friends by the basketball court and Lucy squealed with delight seeing her old kindergarten teacher and friends lined up by the classroom. Then it was Simon's turn for some one-on-one time! And of course, he chose baseball. I was smart enough to bring the bat and ball with me when we walked to school so we didn't have to play pretend baseball (another big favorite of his!).

 After taking turns playing pitcher, catcher, batter and umpire, running the bases, playing in the dirt and finally chasing a few crows we left the park after a few hours for a fun Target run. While he misses Carter and Lucy all day I think he'll be just fine if he gets to play baseball with me every day while they go to school.

 That night was another soccer practice for Lucy. So glad we still had a few days of sunshine before the rain began this week.

 And Matt clearly had a little shadow during practice. Simon did this all on his own...like father, like son!

 Later in the week after another soccer practice we celebrated with a team pizza party. I headed to Costco to get pizza for everyone and then we let the kids play and run around after practice. This is the 3rd year of these girls playing together (and actually 5th year for Lucy and 2 of her friends) so it's so fun to already know all the parents.

 Lucy had her first game of the season last weekend and did great!

 Big and little siblings played on empty fields making it even easier for me to watch the game. A big win for Team Reign!

 Matt and I were able to sneak away for the night too for an outdoor concert. Our schedule is getting busy with so many school and sports activities so it was the perfect opportunity for some alone time together, even for a few hours.

 And then Sunday began the official start of the NFL season. During the week we have a general rule of no TV time for the kids (and let's be honest...I'm so tired at the end of the day it's very rare for us to turn it on too!). But Sundays...it's all football, all day long. To celebrate we decided to cook up a huge 20 lb. turkey that's been sitting in our freezer for months. I randomly bought it one day during a good sale so we figured this was the perfect opportunity to have a mini thanksgiving dinner in September! And now...leftovers for days!!!

 This marks the first official full week of school so we are still finding our groove. But sports, puzzles, dress up, dance parties and reading are filling our days.

Happy Fall everyone!

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