QOTD: 09/02 Routine
 

As we slide into the end of one season, heading into another....

Is there anything that has or will be changing in your routine?

It's still quite warm during mid day but morning and evening are really cooling off now and I really notice the shorter days now. Last week I started taking Taz for his evening walk about 1/2 hour earlier than I have all summer b/c by 6:30-7:00 (my usual summertime schedule) it's getting dark along the river path. It's still light out in the open but the shaded, dense foliaged area is getting dark by that time. I know the time is coming when it'll be dark so early in the day I won't have a choice but to walk in the dark but for now, I'm trying to get out while it's still light out.

I started putting more bird food out this wk as we are getting more birds or maybe the same birds but more often. I guess the food choices for them out in the wild starts getting slimmer now so our feeders are getting even busier. It's so much fun to watch them as I sit at the kitchen counter, sipping my coffee in the morning, reading my book.

I've started pulling out winter clothes and sorting thru them and this wkend I bought a pair of boots. We get a lot of rain in the fall/winter here so I have an assortment of boot styles depending on whether I'm hiking, walking or just out and about. I need to get some more spray protector and get them ready for wear soon.

A big change in my routine is my TV time. Lots of shows will be returning or premiering this month so I'll start watching more TV and reading a bit less. I'm excited about a lot of shows that are coming but that discussion will be another thread topic. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love my TV :)

Another change in routine will be in taking care of the garden. I will need to start pruning and cleaning up the garden this month before the weather gets too wet and chilly to want to do it. I slacked off over the summer and have a lot of cleanup to do out there. Today I will get the electric trimmer out and clean up the bushes at the front porch, they have completely overgrown and need to be reshaped.

Menu planning is another routine that changes in Sept. I start thinking about casseroles, crockpot dishes and heartier meals. In the summer we tend to BBQ a lot and have light meals and salads often. I'm thinking about putting a big pot of chili and spaghetti sauce on the stove this week to freeze for quick dinners. Tonight I'm going to look thru cookbooks and put together a list of recipes for the next few months. I like to print out recipes and put them in a binder I keep in the kitchen, and then swap them out for others, every 2-3 months. I still make other meals not included in the binder but its a fast easy reference when I just can't think of what I want to make.

Things are changing drastically here. Last week our 2 college students went back to school and it's just Matt and I here now. So I won't be cooking as much for just 2 of us (and I'm dieting so not eating what my husband is). We are headed to Greece for our anniversary next week. I am so excited! And then I am going back to work in October. I haven't worked since we had kids 22+ years ago since I was homeschooling my kids. So this should be interesting! I am an architect and will be working for my husband's company (he's also an architect). He wants me to work full time but I'm resisting that. We shall see! :)

Cindi - lots of changes and sure sounds exciting with your upcoming trip!

It's now September so all the extra-currics begin now. Both kids have fall soccer for the next 6 weeks which is a weekly practice and a Saturday morning game (different nights & different start times on Saturday because of their age gap). Camp Fire also begins this month (which they can be in together) which is a monthly meeting with the kids and a monthly family activity. After soccer, they will take swim lessons (again) into the winter.

I've recently become Social Media Lead for my local Moms Demand Action group and have been President of a local youth ministry organization since April (which starts to get much busier now that the school year has started) + am shepherding a major reno project where I work for the youth ministry program that's finally actually beginning after months of talking & deciding so yeah, summer and free time is definitely over now and I need to make sure I get all of those meetings and practices and games on the calendar before I forget something!

Oh yes... lots of changes...
First my two big girls are away at college again... one is a senior and one a sophomore, so instead of meals for 6, meals for 4 now.

And school has started for my younger two, one a senior in High school and one a sophomore. That changes my wake up time from 6:30 to 5:30... ugh

We have colleges to visit for the HS senior in the next two months, she is also on the tennis team.

I work from home Monday-Thursday, doing home childcare/preschool. I have some new siblings starting this year and one left me for kindergarten. I just rearranged our little room, aka what was our formal living room.

September means we will be closing the pool very soon, and boy do I miss swimming over the winter.

Yup...... I need to wake up in the morning, kids going back to school means the end for sleeping in season. LOL

This summer my life got all discombobulated. One son was at his grandma's cabin all summer. The other is a social butterfly that I saw in passing. I traveled for work. My boyfriend traveled.
I'm looking forward to getting BACK to a routine!
Work. Exercise. Cook dinners. Write. Go on dates.

My kids start school tomorrow. My daughter is in 10th grade, my oldest son in 7th, and my youngest son in 4th. It's the first time all three kids will be in different schools...elementary, middle, high school. Is it weird that I feel a bit nervous for them?? My oldest son is just like my husband...doesn't really worry much and is more of a 'go with the flow' kind of guy and he isn't nervous at all. My daughter's first year of high school last year was rough...first year playing high school sports, plus she took a lot of honor courses, not to mention the normal teenage girl hormones...there was a lot of crying and driving her to school cus she missed the bus...it was rough. I'm praying this year will be better for her. ANd then my youngest who really had a rough time last year. He HATED his teacher, his classmates, just everything about school. I tried reaching out to his teacher, the guidance counselor numerous times and nothing really helped...so I'm praying for a smoother year this year for him, too. With the kids in school, it will be very quiet during the day...which will be a nice change to the arguing of kids and the "I'm bored!".

So, yes, lots changing this time of year! I'm looking forward to sweater & boot season and YES>>>pumpkin spice everything!! This summer was kind of crappy weather. Either it was raining or it was so darn hot & humid you couldn't stand to be outside. I'm looking forward to a break in the heat. I'm not looking forward to there being less daylight hours, though.

New tv seasons starting, too will be nice. There is nothing on over the summer. I also can't wait for hockey season, soo. I'm a Pittsburgh Pens fan!

My summer garden didn't turn out too well. It was all dug up because of putting a new septic tank in and then our landlord (who is a dairy farmer) instead of getting topsoil like he told me he was going to, he just used a special manure mixture that he sells to other farmers. So next year, either its raised beds, or no veggie garden, because after all that work, my veggies look terrible this year. Can't wait for the mums to start blooming. Most of our pumpkin/gourd plants were eaten by squash bugs so we wont have as many this year.

You have a lot of changes going on, Cindi! Happy anniversary! Have a wonderful trip!

Just as I was getting comfortable with our empty nest routine, our older son and his 2 roommates moved in with us temporarily. It has thrown off any routine I had.
I've been a stay at home, homeschool mom for 16 years. I haven't decided if I'm going back to work, or will continue to stay home and take on other projects. I probably won't make any decisions until our "boarders" have moved out again :D

My routine changed a few weeks back when we went back to school. During the summer I'm a SAHM but during I work for the school district during the year. So now I'm back to waking up early and working all day. :) Fun stuff! ;)

The biggest change in my routine this year is that my daughter drives now and she tends to take her and her younger brother to school so I am driving in by myself instead of driving in with the kids.

I have less classes this semester (only 1) so I am a lot less stressed with college.

As it gets cooler I am going to add walking to my routine but it is too hot right now to go walking. It has been hotter lately than it was during the summer. Today was sweltering!