shift change

i'm not sure how it started or where it's come from, but i've noticed a slight shift change since last week.  i haven't over-scheduled our days, rather i've left a couple full and half-days completely open for home things, such as not doing much of anything.



i've tried really hard to be unplugged from my computer while the kids are up, which leaves more screen time that i want to partake in at night, but also a more engaged, less distracted and stressed out mommy during the day.  (i mean, c'mon, have you seen all the amazing ideas floating around pinterest??  there is just way too much i want to do- my list is constantly growing!)



maybe it's the realization that we've hit august today, putting us just over halfway through our summer vacation and back to school looming around the corner at the end of this month.



perhaps it's related to today being michael's last class for his mba ever.  two years in the making and we're here at the finish line.  finally.



i'm not sure how it started.  i'm not sure where it came from.  but it's here and i feel it.  i feel drawn to the jeans in my drawer, despite the continued high temperatures and humidity.  i felt the desire to make pumpkin bread at the end of july.  i'm actually looking forward to snowflakes gently falling, for which i know i'll kick myself come mid-february when i'm dying for sunshine and warmth.  i feel the need to sit with the girls and savor these little moments that are so fleeting, to memorize their words and their faces the way they are today.  because tomorrow they will change.




these last 2 weeks...



-crosby is attempting to walk by standing more on her own and asking for a hand to help her cruise around.  her sleep has been disrupted, and i'm hoping the explanation is that she's either teething or on the brink of taking off on her own.

-doctor's appointments for the girls- 4 year for harper and 15 month for crosby

-playing new games, including a fun dr. seuss one

-music in the park and picnic lunch

-splash park

-visiting new babies

-jumping around at the bounce house

-writing out thank you notes for harper's birthday

-organizing and purging toys and stuff around the house, little by little

-trying to keep the house sane while we wait for showings (without offers) and decide what our next steps are

-spending time in the kitchen, making homemade iced coffee, homemade taco seasoning and sour cherry cake

-cleaning out the girls drawers and closets, prepping them for fall clothes and bigger sizes to accommodate some increased height

-moving laundry to nana's house because the dryer broke and we've been without it for over a week, and will be for several days more

-spending a bit more time outside, even with continued high heats, to entertain ourselves with chalk and bubbles and bike riding
-a saturday night picnic and bike ride at a state park (oh, how times have changed, and i wouldn't want it any other way)

we have two vacations on the horizon that i am really looking forward to- one with family back to the beach and another to visit a very special family member and babysitter, sarah, in columbus.  and in between those, we have swimming class, a few private tennis lessons, some play dates, and more lounging around at home.  and so for now, until we're forced to hit the books in 5 weeks, we dance our way through the rest of our summer.

crosby dancing july 2012 from Emily Petrous on Vimeo.