Change, Change, Change...

Not at all related to the following post, but an awesome rainbow over the bay this

morning.It was so close. Ollie loved it.

This is my mantra right now. Sung to the tune of Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools." Change, Change, Change... Of course, I only sing it to myself, in my head. As the title suggests, there has been a lot of change for our family this month. It is been a little challenging. Juggling schedules, kids, and lots of transitions. This whole working (part-time) mother of multiple children gig takes some mad organizational and time management skills.

Mylo started his school year in August. He is at a brand new school this year, so he had a lot of work to do in his new classroom to be ready for the school year. Then the teacher's union had a strike, which fortunately only lasted one day, but was stressful nonetheless. It has definitely been an adjustment having Mylo gone all day, everyday. It was so nice being (mostly) home together all summer. But adjusting we are and it has been working out pretty well.

I have also started transitioning back to work this month, to be back to my usual schedule of three days a week by the beginning of October. It feels good to use my "legal brain" again, but it is also overwhelming to see all the work I need to get done pile up on my desk. Really, I should be grateful (and I am) that I don't have a shortage of work. Job security is a good thing right now.

With my return to work, comes Ollie and Henry's going to daycare. They are continuing to go to daycare at Mylo's cousin Megan's house and it is beyond perfect. They both love it, I completely trust her, and she is family. It is so reassuring and I feel very lucky to have such an amazing child care provider. I also love that they get to be together. Ollie is going to two full days a week and Henry has been gradually increasing his time there, from three hours, to four hours, and so on. Mylo's mom is continuing to watch Ollie and Henry on Fridays, which is also amazing. I love that Ollie and Henry get to have close relationships with so many of their grandparents.

First Day of School

Ollie also started preschool this fall at Loving Space school (more to come later). He is going two days a week for 3 hours. His transition has been pretty smooth, but it is still a transition. He seems to love it, so that is good. I think it is all still a little overwhelming for him, but I am sure he will settle in. He tends to need some time to adjust to new things. It has also been a little hard for me to let go. Neither of my kids have really spent much time being watched by anyone who wasn't family. A few friends here and there, but mostly family. The teachers at his school are awesome, but I miss that little bugger while he is gone.

With all these changes, we have had to figure out how to get our entire family bathed on a regular basis, dressed daily, fed, and dropped off/picked up from their various locations. It seems trivial, but it is hard. I am mourning the loss of our unscheduled summer. We now have a vigorous nightly routine to lay out clothes, pack bags, and make lunches/snacks, so we can mobilize in the morning. I also had a meal swap with some friends - we all made nine freezer meals and all went home with nine different freezer meals. Now my freezer is stocked with nine ready made meals. Not having to worry about dinner on work nights is a huge relief. I also bought the Fix, Freeze, Feast cookbook. I have yet to try it (since my freezer is currently stocked), but I am looking forward to trying the bulk freezer meal method.

The Freezer Meal Swap and the herd of coolers to transport the meals.

All in all, change is good, but it takes some time to adjust. Fortunately, we are an adjustable bunch.

Also, unrelated, but Ollie is really into puzzles these days. Thanks, Liliana!