Back to School - Fall Priorities

It's officially back to school.

The town pool has closed, Labor Day celebrated, the bus picked up the kids this morning. While technically it's not Autumn for another 2 weeks (and I'm hoping to keep our pool up until the equinox thanks to the solar cover!), my priorities are shifting. The garden is winding down, the leaves are getting their first blush of color, there are pumpkins at the grocery store (and I wanted to buy one!). 

I miss the kids already. The free feeling that summer brings. The possibilities. The long days and sunshine. Catching fire flies. Letting everyone stay up late. 

We had a great summer. We camped. We boated. We traveled. We hiked in forests. We swam in lakes, pools and oceans. Oliver learned to do flips off the high dive. Matt went off the low dive, water slide and high dive for the first time. We went to the beach. We went to the city. We went to outdoor movies, looked at the stars, got caught in thunderstorms, admired rainbows, shopped at farmer's markets. We collected rocks and shells, bouquets of flowers. We harvested fruit, read books, rode bikes, dined alfresco. 

And now... I have the whole school day to myself again. I can get things done much easier - work, exercise, errands, chores. Our evenings are once again devoted to driving to one sport or another, and for better or worse the schedule is just as crazy as the spring... but there is a comfortable rhythm to be found in the routine, knowing what each day will bring before it comes. This week we are easing back into it. We know all the parts well, but they don't fit quite right yet. 

I have more time. I have less time. I have to prioritize, because no matter how I look at it it's always limited. What do I want to do? What do we need to do? 

This fall I have a specific to-do list: 

- Seal the driveway (Top Priority, but this requires the right weather and a day off)

- Photograph the dining room, living room and upstairs hallway with the new paint colors

- Photograph Oliver's bedroom with the new desk

- Update Matt's bedroom with some new art and photos in the gallery wall

- Photograph Matt's updated bedroom 

- Reorganize my closet (it's time to face the abundance of dusty work clothes from the office days) 

Seasonal stuff to get done:

- Take down the pool and set up the fire pit area for fall

- Mike will reseed the lawn 

- Start yard cleanup as the plants begin to die (already started, this goes until late November)

- Get plants into the greenhouse in October 

- Decorate for Halloween 

Nice to get done if we can:

- Paint our bedroom that perfect shade of aqua (hazy blue)

- Mike to fix kitchen wiring

- Mike to build blueberry boxes for next season (spring is too busy for such endeavors) 

- Start organizing the basement, attempt #168 to get it organized