And... we're off!

Tuesday morning alarms were going off all over the house... signalling the return to routine and kids with new found purpose... it's music to my ears after a summer of poking and prodding... fighting the teenage urge to melt into the couch, ipods in hand and earphones alienating my little darlings from their surroundings. It was a hard summer... one where I found myself longing for little ones who used to play at parks and who would jump at the chance to go on a mom-led outing.

Tuesday morning... the blessed day after Labor Day... school started.

Savannah is now a sophomore... looking forward to coursework including Fourth Year Spanish, Advanced Drama and Photography as well as her core curriculum of Honors English, Advanced Algebra and Biology. She is driven... motivated by a desire to excel academically and to come out of her high school experience with a well rounded set of coursework.

Ethan started his first of two years at his junior high. So far he LOVES the variety of changing classrooms every period... having/sharing a locker for the first time... meeting new friends after going from a 6th grade class of 90 to a 7th grade class of around 400... it's a big transition, but one he seems to relish. He has grown a ridiculous amount over the summer. I have a feeling I'll be buying all new pants for him once he stops wearing shorts and we discover all his jeans are up to his ankles. He was allowed to grow his hair out over the summer... for the first time ever it's actually long enough that it's starting to lay down under it's own weight. I found a product (after looking for about TEN years) that I can spray on his hair when it's wet that actually encourages curl and eliminates frizz... dare I say that I actually like his long, curly mop? Alas, I am only one of two parents and the other half does NOT like it. We shall see how long it's actually allowed to continue growing. Since the 'other half' has never actually taken any of the kids for haircuts, I have a feeling it may just keep getting longer and longer.

Gracie joins me each afternoon on our new lush front lawn to await the kids return... it's a ritual I absolutely adore... sitting on my front step... looking down the block. Hearing about their days is such a treat... my energy from 3:00 to 5:00 is completely focused on them. It's my greatest joy to be in the moment - listening to their stories - giving them my undivided attention - letting them have the spotlight as they recall the details of the day.

Kyler will start school later this month, but has already been training with his cross country team for several weeks. He is participating in a special program available here where he takes all his classes at a local college, getting both high school equivalencies and college credit for his coursework. He won't start classes for a couple more weeks, but today his XC team had their time trials to determine their placement on the team... he finished 3rd out of 30 runners... he's off to a great start. I cannot tell you the thrill it is to be back on the course, scanning the crowd for his long, practiced stride... watching him run has brought me so much pride over his high school career. I will miss it most of all, I think, when that part of our lives is over. We're pursuing the possibility of his running in college... perhaps I will have a few more years to watch... time will tell. Here's the start of his race today... just look at all that nervous energy shooting up that first big hill... LOVE these crazy boys. I get to be 'Team Mom' for the second year in a row... it's a role I absolutely adore.

I can safely say that fall is my favorite time of year... these precious moments with my kids are so lovely... the cool mornings and shorter days, the beautiful, bright Spokane sunshine peeking through the changing leaves, open houses at school and papers to sign. It just seems like the whole world is breathing out a sigh of relief... after maintaining weeks and weeks of long, full, hot days we get to relax and begin settling into the satisfaction that comes from routine and schedule and accomplishment.

Work for me this week has been crazy... lots of people returning to the meeting room - cashing in on the 'quasi-new-year' of September to re-commit and focus again on their weight loss goals. I'm always so thrilled to meet new members and welcome lapsed members back into the meeting room. Showing up is half the battle and I relish the opportunity to motivate and inspire all my members to commit to lasting change. What a thrill to get to watch people change their lives for the better every single week. I'm humbled by the privilege.

Most definitely, September has won my heart...