Loving the weather change...

My life has been so busy the past few weeks.  I have been running my kids here, there, and yonder as we commonly say around here.  These kids are keeping me on my toes for sure, plus I have my responsibilities at church and with friends and family.  I'm enjoying all the activity, but I must admit, it is really tiring.  Add in a child that wakes you in the middle of the night to tell you they have to go to the bathroom, or the one that has a stomachache in which you go sit with them in the bathroom waiting for vomit for 45 minutes, they they prance back off to bed because they suddenly feel better. Then there's the fact that I then lay in my bed waiting to fall asleep for 30 more minutes while my husband snores away, all this adds up to one tired momma.

I love the spring and summer.  The warm temps and the new life that each bring, but honestly, fall brings a peace and quiet that I find myself longing for when it rolls around.  Temps turn cooler, activity outside of my house slows down, my blankets and throws feel warmer/softer.  I love being able to know that the yard work is dwindling for the season, the fall flowers are blooming in their darker, richer colors.  I love the fact that as a stay at home mom, I have the perk of being able to go back to bed after my husband and oldest 2 daughters leave for school to catch up on the sleep that I lost getting up in the middle of the night.  It makes me a better mom/wife when everyone comes home in the afternoon/evening.  What other job out there provides this benefit?  I haven't seen one yet.

With the cooler temps my youngest daughter is more willing to work on learning to write her alphabet and numbers as well.  She calls it her "homework" when her older sisters are doing theirs.  In the fall and winter, life outside my family slows down.  I get a chance to catch my breath and relax a bit.  I get the opportunity to spend more time with my kids, collectively and one on one as well.  I get to teach them life lessons even after school is over for the day or while they are home with me on a break from school.  Lessons in cooking/baking. We get to snuggle up on the couch under our blankets and watch movies while we munch on popcorn and make hot chocolate.  We get to spend time with each other since we aren't running around as much.

I love this time in my life.  I am looking forward to it as the weather has turned cooler today and I have beef stew simmering in my crockpot filling my house with deliciousness.  I love being able to make hearty/warm/comfort food for my family and the smells that fill my house from doing so.  The smells of banana bread baking in the oven, pumpkin bars cooling on the counter, cakes and cookies being enjoyed with a glass of milk after a day at school.  It's the times around the table for supper at night that I get to hear about the best and worst parts of their school days and about my husbands highlights to his day which usually include "coming home to his girls".  These days it almost seems as if I can shut out the outside world and the influences it wants to impose on my family and we can just "be us".

Now, if only I could figure out a way to magically snap my fingers and all the spring/summer clothes in the drawers of my house would be switched out with the fall/winter clothes, this season of life would be almost perfect.  Guess I'd better get back to work.  I am thankful that we at least have the clothes to switch out, right?  God is so good to us!