More Summer?

September was the hottest month this year in Regina. You're not going to catch me complaining about that, because I don't know if I'm going to actually get to the stage where I crave hot chocolate and sweaters and such this year--last winter was too brutal. But I will confess a teensy bit of annoyance that the big kids were already back in school and couldn't fully enjoy all the sunshine this month (except at recess, I guess).

We did our best to drop everything and go to the park as often as was reasonable, but there's a lot going on in September! I learned my lesson last year and signed the kids up for all kinds of stuff this fall. Yes, we're probably a little overloaded for the next couple of months, but driving all over the place between November and March is not at all fun, besides being dangerous, so we're squeezing in as much as we can now. Which means I am officially a mini-van mama. There are craft classes, cubs, ballet classes and swimming lessons (I managed to get ALL FOUR KIDS signed up at THE SAME TIME, and yes I think I deserve some kind of award for this). Toss in a little family home evening and some movie nights, and I'm awed by how fast the time disappears.

Of course, one of the best things that happens in September is the celebration of Addy's birthday. I can hardly believe it has been six years since I first held her, a tiny little angel, in my arms. I remember her birth the most vividly, I think, of all my kids. She was born with the most beautiful golden halo of hair, and I remember just thinking over and over what a peaceful spirit she had. I'm sure that her ability to sleep through the night from early on undoubtedly contributed to my retaining a few extra memories! That peaceful spirit has stayed with her over the last six years. She's the first to jump in and help when anyone is sad or needs help, and she's amazing with babies.

On her birthday we celebrated with a trip to A&W for hamburgers, and frosty mugs of root beer. Her party (the following weekend) was so much fun too! She decided on a Fairy Tale Adventure, so her friends all dressed up as fairy tale characters and joined us for the Victorian Tea that's put on once a month at the Saskatchewan Government House. The kids made crowns and played in the "Once Upon a Time . . ." room before a fancy tea party, complete with cucumber sandwiches, mint tea with sugar cubes and cream from a tiny pitcher, and perfect little cupcakes in little jam jars. The treat bags were my favorite so far, with Jack's magic (jelly) beans, Rumpelstiltskin's (chocolate) gold coins, Rapunzel's hair band, and Cinderella's (candy) necklace. We had so much fun that we decided to go back again with some friends for a girls' afternoon soon.

So yes, aside from the innundation of fruit flies in our kitchen (the dark side of cutting up and freezing a bazillion crab-apples from our tree), and the craziness of Aaron starting a new semester (a new FANTASTIC semester--his audition slots completely filled up and now his choirs are well-stocked with good voices), September was completely delightful. We still need to get our family pictures done before it freezes over, and one of these days I'll be able to get our storage room organized again, but there really is a little more time in each day, so I'm optimistic!