Farewell to Summer

Pristine water - like silk upon my skin

waves crashing - roaring in, retreating

pebbles crunch - shifting under foot

warmth of sun caressing worries away

seagulls call, lazing on the surf

calls of children's delight - heavy pockets laden with summer's finds -

waiting to be taken home and put upon the shelf.

Back to School

School mornings are hectic! It doesn’t help that I am a night owl and mornings come far sooner than I am ready for. Or that my seven year old second grader has an extreme sense of fashion that typically goes against the current day’s weather patterns and school activities. Shorts when it’s 50 degrees? Dress with high heels on phy. ed day? To her, it makes complete sense; to me, it makes for a loooong morning that usually results in yelling (on both sides), pleading (also from both of us), tears, and running a good ten minutes behind schedule without breakfast.

Throw in a stubborn four year old who refuses to leave the house without a proper bowl of cereal and milk, and a newborn baby who needs to be nursed by the frantic mother trying to corral everyone out the door. Thank god my husband has the rest of the month off…. I think I would be crying in the corner without him, and nobody would be going anywhere, and we certainly wouldn’t be on time!

Breathtaking Exhaustion

So Tired….

Deliriously happy; sucking up the moments of sweet tiny baby cuddle time.

Overwhelmed by the frequency of newborn feedings (amazing how you don’t remember things like that even when it’s your third time around) and utter lack of sleep, paired with Madison's new school year and the structured routine that needs to accompany it.

Blissfully watching my big girls lavish their little brother with hugs and kisses, begging to hold him, and so willing to help out. My big girls who grew even bigger in a matter of moments when I first held our tiny little guy in my arms, shocking me with the memory that they too were once this small.

Jasper was born on August 23, weighing in at 6 pounds 13 ounces and measuring 20 ½ inches long.