We have finally reached the end of Lily's first week comprising of full days at school and thankfully all is still going well.
Following some employment changes over the Summer months, as a family we have now settled into a new pattern which works for us and I am slowly realising that dealing with school paperwork, requests for my time and sudden changes to term dates etc. amounts to a full time job! It is never ending.
Lily appears to be keeping the teaching staff busy (there was a running rogue on to the school field incident!) and although she is thoroughly enjoying her days at school I can tell she misses the freedom of being outdoors, so I am keen to make up for this at the weekends to enable her to burn off some of her endless energy.
We've been out for some shorter, although lovely walks recently. The light is beautiful in the woods at this time of the year, the trees are beginning to shed their leaves now and it won't be long before we will be walking on a carpet of red and gold.
The Autumn Equinox (over a week ago now) brought with it some wetter weather, yet it is still fairly mild here. I have some gardening jobs which need completing once the weather decides to co-operate and the grass might need cutting back one last time.
I'm finding that I'm spending more time in the kitchen, which Autumn lends itself to so very well, filling the stores in anticipation of the Winter months. I finally got around to making my blackberry jam - five jars and enough blackberries left in the freezer for five more. I've made various soups and the daily packed lunch box always contains some delicious homemade flapjack or ginger biscuit.
I have started running again. Hurray! After several months of inactivity I decided (once I knew Lily was settled at school) to make a huge effort and went out for a short run every morning last week to give myself a kick start. It gave me such a boost and my plan is to go out running on only three days this week but to increase the distance slightly. I'm enjoying it so much and I didn't realise how much I had missed that time spent just for myself. So important, but easily overlooked.
As much as I am always so very ready for the Summer months to arrive, along with the freedom and unpredictability they seem to bring, I do find I'm now craving the routine and steadiness of these Autumn months.
J.X
