Ready and waiting...

 Three pair of shiny new shoes.

Three backpacks stuffed with new crayons, pencils, and lined paper ready to be filled with words and stories.

Three little people, ready for new rooms, new teachers, and a new start.

I have a love/hate relationship with the first day of school.  I will miss dropping everything to take them to the pool, on a trip to the library, or a game of ball tag in the backyard.  I always get a sense that the season passed too quickly, before I know it they're on their way again, a shoe size bigger, an inch or two taller, a grade higher.

But I'll admit, there's also a sense of relief as well.  Summer is a juggling act.  Juggling my work load while adding in 3 busy bodies wanting to soak up every inch of summer.  And I won't deny them that.  I can't and won't resist my 4 year old batting her eyes at me, asking if I'd pretty please take her to the pool.  The days are few, I won't say no.  So, I pay for it later, after their sun kissed faces are tucked in bed and I turn to face the pile of work that sat largely untouched except for a few stolen moments throughout the day.  Like I said, it's a juggling act.  And sometimes I drop a ball or two.  That's the way life is.  Even the best juggler can't keep all the balls going forever.  You just pick them up and start over again.

So I'm looking forward to the settling in of fall.  The dark calling the kids inside instead of me.  I'm even looking forward to a few hours of quiet in the afternoon starting next week when my littlest heads off to preschool.  Peace and quiet, alone in the house.  Something I haven't had for eleven years.  More mixed feelings.  She's feeling it too...she's been randomly hugging my leg all day.  Tight squeezes, lots of kisses.  

I'm sorry for my rambles today.  I don't usually like to burden you all with reading about my boring life.  Once in a while I need to spill it...I guess today's that day.  I've had a lump in my throat for most of the day...like I said, I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year.  

But I bet you came here to see something paper crafty and not read my rambles, correct?  In honor of the coming of fall...the settling in season, I have a card for you using Papertrey's new Autumn Acorn.

Nut'n better than a friend like you...yes, that's YOU if you managed to make it through my rambling to see today's proejct.  :-)  I backed the acorns with Modern Wood Mats and that pretty bracket image embossed with gold.  

Thank you for stopping by today and putting up with my crazy rambling.  I'd better be off...it's almost time to see a couple of hot sweaty kids bounding off the school bus after their first day of school.