Is It Really September?

As we finished Week 4 of school today, it really is.

A friend recently reminded me of the old saying, “The days are long, but the years are short.”  I’m experiencing this in an alarming way the older my children get and the closer I get to 40.  But, before I get maudlin, here’s an update.

On the home front, we have settled pretty well into our school routine, Jeremy notwithstanding.  Some days, he naps; others, he plays contentedly by himself; and, still others, he screams and climbs on the table and pulls on papers and books in a valiant attempt to be the center of attention. 

Charlotte and Elijah are coping remarkably well.  Charlotte can even do her spelling and writing while he crawls up on her chair and hugs her from behind.  Elijah spends a lot of time yelling back at him to “PLEASE BE QUIET!”  Elijah has some concentration issues if there is too much background noise, which is basically the constant state of affairs with a 17-month-old.

(Thedaysarelongtheyearsareshort.  Thedaysarelongtheyearsareshort.)

What helps this year is that Charlotte and Elijah really like what we are studying and the stuff they get to do, now that they’ve moved on up to the 6th and 4th grades.  This includes a lot more computer time doing research, practicing typing, and reviewing French.  It also includes some fun projects, like making Maori carvings in soap and learning Australian children’s games.  Tomorrow, Elijah will make a traditional New Zealand dessert to share (who’d have thought there was such a thing), and Charlotte will show us a Maori stick game using sticks she made out of newspaper. They selected these projects themselves, and I would bang my head against a wall having to do most any of them.  But they seem to be enjoying themselves!

Jeff got back from Japan last Friday and, so far, doesn’t have anymore trips scheduled.  Of course, that could change anytime, but c’est la vie.

I ran 22 miles last weekend, my last long run before the race on September 25.  I will run 13 on Saturday and then a 10K the next weekend.  As I shared before, I will be mighty glad to have this Bucket List event firmly behind me.

And those are our current events.  I hope that your school years and autumns have gotten off to a great start!  We are very much enjoying the cooler weather here after the scorcher summer.

Have a good one!