Ahh. Fall.

Today is the first real day of fall for me.  The heat has FINALLY broken.  It's cool, and blustery, and beautiful.
Ainsley was lamenting the end of summer over the weekend. That girl LOVES the heat.  The last day of the pool feels a bit like the loss of a close friend each year.  I feel that, but that first true fall day?  It's my absolute favorite.
Right now I have my carpenters pandora station on and I just mixed up some spiced play dough.  I thought I'd bring it to dance today so Felix and I can play while the girls dance away.  (They started their Nutcracker routine last week and are SO excited to be little mice!).  I'm trying to find ways to make all this waiting room time with my boy count a bit more.  As of late it's been filled with him carrying around a tiny dinosaur toy while I knit.  I think a better balance can be found.
Oh and that tiny guy.  He is LOVING school.  I have yet to hear one sad or anxious peep out of him.  I hope I always remember how he looks with that giant backpack on, arms folded in front so it won't fall off his shoulders, marching proudly to and from school with no interest at all in holding my hand.  I love that little boy so much.
Today is picture day for the girls at school.  We chose outfits last night but of course this morning there were disagreements about hair and accessories.  I'm finding myself slipping into some bad behaviors with them and trying very hard to word things correctly so they don't feel like I'm telling them they don't look good.  At the same time I know I am relatively lax about what I let them wear/how I let them leave the house so I don't think its too much to ask for a good brushing through!

I am still trying to find my new groove with fall.  Felix's long naps are throwing me a bit, silly I know.  I have to be in the house and be relatively quiet so he doesn't wake.  Always a new groove.

*****

Well, now the week is almost done.  I'm remembering how fast the weeks go in school.  I am thankful for our smooth afternoons. It can be hard to get out the door again after coming home from school but we all love the activities.  I love being out in the world with my little people, watching them learn and have fun and grow.  I am thankful for school for them, but it makes those afternoons extra precious.

Right now I am so excited about fall knitting and cooking.  I just ordered some yarn for myself for a new sweater, one for Felix too.  Then I was perusing old patterns and decided on a whim to look up a gorgeous (expensive, yikes!) yarn that I used for one of my all time favorite little girl sweater and low and behold, a sale!  a 50% off sale!!! Well, I just had to get yarn, enough for my two ladies.  So now my fingers must fly to get it all done.  I think nap time will oblige that nicely.

And cooking!  Oh how I wait for crock pots and slow cooks, and soups and thick savory meals.  I'm in heaven.
This week I made Moosewood's lentil soup, and Moosewood's Ginger Carrot Soup.  I served the latter spooned over a wild rice blend and cashews and the former for lunch for me and dinner with Costco's Rosemary Parmesan Bread (that bread was still warm from the oven when I bought it, I love Costco).
Tomorrow I'm making an old Smitten Kitchen favorite, Sweet Potato Swiss Chard Gratin.  I splurged on some good Icelandic Salmon from Whole Foods and am going to try a maple mustard glaze with that.  It sounds like a winner so lets hope!  Ooh and for dessert, a simple bar recipe I read about in the latest book I devoured.  There's something magical about walking into a bookstore to browse, spying a book who's cover speaks to your soul, reading the jacket, having your breath leave you for a moment, buying it without a second thought and just sinking into a story that you feel was written just for you.  Magic.
I'm rounding out all this homemade goodness with a Costco lasagna at some point.  I'm rather excited for that as well.
I bought a two pack of pork tenderloin to make Ellie Krieger's version last week, but only used the one so next week I may have to do our old standby overnight marinade of soyaki for the other. Oooh!  And Shepherd's pie with leftover Pioneer Woman inspired mashed potatoes (meaning I put cream cheese and little butter and lots of good milk in them).
Next week will have to be leftovers and freezer purging, and maybe some kind of stew and biscuits.  And I haven't done nearly enough with apples and pumpkins.  It's time.
Oooh I love fall cooking.

Really, I love fall.  We're feeling settled in school and activities.  The girls are SO excited for Halloween and the first year that they are inventing their own costumes (I was presented with images they both drew, I hope I can do them justice).  I am just so excited to be here in this moment with my family who I couldn't adore more if I tried.
Happy fall to you all! and to all a good fall!