Journal: Fall in August?

Out my window: 59 and cool.  It isn't currently raining, but did earlier this morning. It has been pretty lovely weather lately, though still weirdly fallish.

Clothing myself in: Black shirt, grey hoody. Pink exercise pants.

Around the house: Since my last post, I finished organizing the storage room and cleaned the guest bedroom, which is good because my niece and three of her friends are staying here right now.  The boys are staying in the basement and the girls are staying in my girl's room, which I also super cleaned this weekend.  I I super cleaned the boy's room last week, although I did get to dresser or their shelves yet.  Hopefully this upcoming weekend once our guests leave.

The toddler: Well, he had a couple of weeks of sleeping past six (or at least staying quiet until then) and better poop, though I didn't want to mention it on my blog for fear of jinxing it (eyeroll at myself). That is over now.  It was nice while it lasted.

He talks so much! I mean, he has always talked well, but he is getting more and more articulate.  I was actually saying thank you to Joe for helping me find my phone, but George overheard and he said, "No problem, Mom. No problem, Mom."  He uses the term, "No fair" correctly (thanks, older kids) and when it is time to nurse, he asks for "boo and snunnel" which just slays me with cuteness.  He loves playing outside and is even getting along better with Adelle, thank goodness.
  
The kiddos: We are in the last leg of summer vacation- school starts in a month.  It is going to be very strange to have just my two littles here all day.  We still need to do all of our school shopping and all that fun stuff.

In the kitchen: Oh, some chili is the only thing I can think of off the top of my head. Those blueberries went fast- I think we ate most of them in plain or with yogurt. I did make a blueberry cobbler, which was yum.  With this cooler weather, Joe and I were discussing some of our fall soups yesterday.

Crafting: Finished the pink and brown sweater- whew! Working on a baby sweater to sell.

Bringing me joy: Chatting with my niece Sophia and her friends, cool fall-like weather, even if it isn't fall (if it could be fall all year round I wouldn't mind), the peace and quiet I get from my kids for hours after we go to the library, finally being able to be outside more consistently, my sweet puppy (when he isn't exasperating me), when people tell me that I look like my mother, and anticipation of our upcoming visit from Mom Marney.

Thinking about: Disillusionment.  I won't lie, it has been a tough summer.  Mosquitoes, poison ivy, Isaac getting Kawasaki, mosquitoes, not being able to go in the woods, Clementine getting Lyme disease, a few house issues, mosquitoes. And did I mention mosquitoes? For as wonderful as our first year here was, it has been a rough start to this one.  I am not sure what to make of it. A sign to toughen up? A sign that there are other things out there for us? As unpleasant as it has been, I am still sure that this is where we are supposed to be right now, and I suppose that is all that matters. As always, only time and an openness to God's will for us will tell what happens next.