The start of fall

Fall showed up this week. You can feel it in the mornings now.

It's funny how much the season changes things around here. Summer is loose. Kids outside until dark, meals whenever, nobody really sure what day it is. Then fall comes and everything kind of tightens back up.

School

Our school year started back in. By now we're past the first few weeks, which are always the hardest. Everyone's remembering where the pencils go. Grant is learning 3d modeling which is exciting.

I really like the rhythm. It's not easy with eight kids at eight different levels. But it feels good to have a plan for the day again, even when the plan falls apart by lunch.

Out on the land

Fall means worrying about the grass turning brown and making sure everything is inside because if it doesn't rain there still the threat of frost. There's always a list. It never gets all the way done before the cold comes, and I've made peace with that. Mostly.

The evenings are my favorite part. The sun goes down earlier and the string lights on the porch come on before dinner now. We've been eating outside as long as the weather lets us.

The Church year

Fall is a full season in the Church too. We just had Michaelmas at the end of September. October is the month of the Rosary, and we're trying to pray it together more often as a family. Some nights that goes better than others. The little ones wiggle. The big ones are tired. But we keep showing up.

Then All Saints and All Souls are right around the corner.

So that's fall

Shorter days, fuller schedules, and a lot more time together inside. I know winter is coming and it'll get harder in some ways. But right now, this week, it feels about right.