30 days hath September.....that last 30 seconds each.

The kids love September. They get to see their friends every day. They get to a park almost every day. One missed grocery run and they get to eat BK. School is mostly review, so their homework takes about 30 seconds.

I hate September, and not just because of my birthday. It's the annual schedule and wardrobe shuffle that gets to me.

I now understand why so many large families pick one activity for all their kids, like it or lump it. We don't. We have kids in AWANA, scouts, football, and soccer. They want to add painting, acting, and dance. Between Sept. 1 and Oct. 20ish I see my comfy couch in the evening maybe once a week, if I'm lucky. We eat a lot of microwaved hot dogs and sandwiches in September....in the car. It's okay. We'll probably have time to clean the car in October.

September is also when the weather changes. I don't know about you, but I save clothes in plastic totes. So in September, we pull them out and try to figure out which clothes we'll need for the next few months. The sweatshirts come out and the tank tops go in...but what about shorts and short sleeves? Will it be a cool, wet, fall or an indian summer? It really doesn't matter. Whichever way I guess will be wrong...so the totes are a fashionable fixture in my living room until mid October....when finally everyone is convinced it really is too cold for sandals because their toes are turning blue.

After the tote shuffle we usually have the additional joy of shopping for our two oldest boys, who are opposite builds. They're too old for me just to buy stuff and say wear it. Someday I'll write about shopping w/ a preteen and a one year old....

There are some good things about September though. There's an energy in the air that's like Spring. The massive holiday season is just around the corner. The kids don't balk at homework yet because it's still fun and new to be in a "big kid" grade. Rejoining the communities of women's bible study, sports parents and PTA gives me some much needed adult fellowship. Towards the end of the month, the trees change colors, and driving through the park is like having my own personal art gallery. The chaos has settled into a routine of sorts, and there's peace in my life again...so maybe I don't hate September as much as I thought after all.