Fall!

Fall arrived on schedule Thursday and I was absolutely delighted. We dropped twenty-five steamy degrees and I comfortably wore a light sweater. My new schedule allows for thirty unstructured minutes each day and I spent them in the sunshine inhaling my lunch. I'm grateful for the picnic table outside my classroom and the peace it offers my rushed breaks. Slipping out there with reading groups is a highlight and the kids know it. They sweetly suggest it most every day and if there is any way I can pull off an effective lesson outside, we all win. 

Our local ice cream stand is closing for the season in a few weeks and they advertised my favorite sherbet. So I served spinach salad for dinner and slipped out for dessert. Black raspberry has only been offered a few times this year so I worried it wouldn't be back again before next spring. It was absolutely worth the indulgence. My driver was pretty cute too. 

The best memory from this week was our video call from Austin offering a Crumbl Cookie review. "This chocolate cookie? When I saw it, I knew I was going to eat all the crumbles. It was so good. It was bust'in." He was so animated and expressive, we all melted and offered a review of our own. These cookies are dangerous. Very dangerous.

Diesel has been pretty reactive when we touch his paws. He needs his nails trimmed again so we are trying to prepare him for the process. Hopefully a little less drama will surround his next pedicure. So every time we cuddle, we discreetly play with his feet. He has stopped noticing. We hope to tackle the trimming soon. 

Kate's braces were removed this week. She has retainers until December and will then wear Invisalign to shift the tooth that was originally lodged in the roof of her mouth. Her orthodontist is very particular and expects perfection. However, he also respected that her anticipated eighteen months in braces rolled beyond two and a half years. She was over it. They compromised. That one tooth will eventually meet his expectations. We are delighted by her beautiful smile , even if he closed the front gap I happened to adore. 

The weekend holds promises of cooler weather and good books around necessary errands. It's precisely what is needed. 

Sweater weather has arrived. Amen.