Change in Season

After a very mild summer, we are getting a resurgence of heat as August turns to September. It is a nice change - hard to complain about hot and humid weather when you know it will soon turn to cool and then COLD. And while every year I dread the snow, I dare say that the hermit in me can't wait for it - when all of us, urban and minimally outdoorsy Minnesotans, brave the outdoors for little more than a trip to the office and a short walk around the neighborhood. Or to dig our cars out of the snow when a snow emergency hits...ug. But this is what I love about Minnesota - even though it is undoubtedly a result of living here all my life - I'm always ready for the next season when it arrives.

My fond thoughts of cold evenings cuddled up and cooking with SB are a result of the changing seasons and of our perpetually busy evenings and weekends this summer. I had previously thought to myself, once this wedding has passed we'll finally be able to relax and go back to life as usual... and actually, that has largely happened. However, I didn't expect every single weekend to fill up with activities through August and September! We scheduled a camping trip for just the two of us, and the first weekend that we had free was in October! Holy moly. But I'm thrilled that we got that trip on the books, and I'm so looking forward to it. We'll be on the St. Croix river, and I'm hoping that colors will be at their peak for the season. Woohoo!

And with the change in season also comes a big change to the dynamic in our home. SB will be back to school next week, with kids starting the following week. This means that he will be shifting out of his summer homemaker role and into teacher mode. Not only does he teach three sections of kids this year, he's also coaching flag football, which is a huge commitment. And when flag football is over, he will start facilitating after school classes two days per week. Not to mention prepping time and other school activities in the evenings. It is inspiring to watch that kind of dedication and to see him be part of the important community environment that school provides to students, particularly in such a diverse urban environment. Now I'll be stepping up and taking back more of the cooking and cleaning around the house. Fortunately for me, though, SB enjoys dishwashing (it is meditative for him) and will undoubtedly continue to be our dishwasher. :)