August is the Cruelest Month--And it's Over

School is back in session. Here are some signs that things are changing around here.

A) I am cooking again. Real food. Planned, prepared dinners. The fridge once again houses leftovers (yay for ready-made tasty lunches and second-day dinners!).

B) I agreed to host the neighborhood book club at my house. That I feel brave enough to invite a bunch of neighbors to my house, many who are new to the area and do not yet know me well, reveals that select moments in my life are now free from chaos (which, by the way, I've heard stands for Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). Since I'm now able to snatch little bits of respite, I can conjure the time to whip up come cookies and clean up the place (sort of...).

C) I am reading again. Henry and I are working on Sounder, and I actually finished a memoir called Let It Go. When my life gets too busy for books, I inevitably feel like something vital is missing. Reading soothes and inspires me, and I'm relieved to have reclaimed the time for it. Feel free to recommend any fabulous reads. I'm on the prowl.

D) Jack is really peacefully happy. He is ecstatic when Doris and Missy drive the bus to our house each morning, and he is thrilled to see Miss Sue and many other helpers when he arrives at school. He relishes his mornings in the sensory motor room, and adores his spins on the adaptive bike. Class time is pretty great too, especially when they bring in power tools and adjust the desk heights, and such. And there is always the vacuum which lives next door in Miss Gay's class, waiting to be visited. Structure has returned. Happy souls live here.

E) Football practice, chalk-talks, training, gear, and games have become all-consuming. This is a new adventure for a not-very-sporty couple like Jeff and me. We are, however, enjoying the excitement and happiness, discipline and responsibility it is cultivating in our eldest son. 

F) Daily behavior therapy is evolving into a sensory-rich, organic look at the myriad learning opportunities right here in Jack's home, backyard, and neighborhood. It is less about puzzles and learning games at the table in the therapy room, and more about contributing through household tasks and socializing in the family room with little brother. Jack is eating it up. He loves to sweep and wipe off the table and practice talking while walking to the park. Change can be really, really good.

G) The scrub oak on the foothills are beginning to simmer with red and orange. The air carries a hint of fall. Charlie's preschool starts tomorrow.  I. Love. Autumn.