Growing In Love and Life

The seasons are changing in the obvious sense that Summertime is winding down—the morning mist-enveloped riverbanks and cool afternoon breezes say it is so—and my mental energy has shifted, too, to the tasks of Fall, and readying ourselves for our second year of homeschool and other plans we have reserved for the slower, colder, months.

I was motivated last week to tackle my quarterly inventory of the boys' dresser drawers. Carefully checking the size tags on their ever-smaller tees and shorts, gathering the items that Roscoe has outgrown—checking for signs of too much wear and passing the good stuff down to Merritt—to make room for a few fresh tops and pairs of pants. The emptying and the filling, it is a chore that I enjoy and one that highlights in real time that the boys just keep growing and getting bigger and outgrowing and moving forward.

This summer has been one of the fullest—and also one of the laziest—and everyone was content with that arrangement for a long while until August roared in and I felt compelled to seek order once again. I've since shared individual planning meetings with each of the boys to discuss the topics and projects that they want to pursue this Fall. The books they want to read, the games they want to learn to play, the youtube channels they want to get to know better. They are seventy-five percent done saving up for a game console, so I'm sure Jurassic World will be a big theme come September.

The seasons are changing in other ways too. Today is my birthday: I'm thirty-three. It's been a special week for me because the boys shared their mornings at forest camp, and I was left alone with my coffee and my computer. It's amazing what two hours a day can mean to the mama who spends most all of her time with her boys.

Timehop shared a photo of Roscoe from Summer two years ago, which feels like yesterday. I remember vividly the start of his first-ever week at camp. I was full of ALL the emotions, as it was his first structured experience away from home.

Feeling nostalgic, I stole a photo of my two guys at camp drop-off 2015.





I'm relishing this moment for all that it is, as I also let the whirly buzzy feelings of anticipation build up inside me for what is to come in our next season of life together.

This week I started my preconception regimen of prenatals and probiotics, as suggested by my midwife. I'm readying my body and mind with hope to add another little human to our dynamic soon. I almost can't believe it because for the last year or so, at least, I truly thought that my two boys would be it. Forever and always. As it turns out Andy and I are gathering our energy once more to re-enter the crazy.

I'm eager for all that this year may hold for each of us, and for the ways that we will be challenged to grow in love and life.