Manic Monday: September is in full swing

First full week of school. Not sure how the big kids are going to continue carrying backpacks filled to overflowing with notebooks of every shape and size. Back when I was a kid, you had one binder with dividers for each subject. Now they need big binders for every single subject.

Olivia needed eight dividers for her French notebook alone. Noah needed seven in his science notebook. What, exactly, are they going to be dividing into so many sections? Stay tuned...We'll probably need the name of a good chiropractor within a month or so.

So here's what's happening on this Manic Monday...

Soundtrack: Still listening to religious music, a remnant of my retreat drive. I had used my eight hours of driving (total) to extend my retreat, so I listened to religious music and a Henri Nouwen talk on the "Spirituality of Waiting" on the way out and more religious music on the way back. Nothing else. I'm still in that mindset, so the van radio is set to a Christian station, believe it or not.

Bookshelf: Still working my way through The Genesee Diary by Henri Nouwen, which has taken on such special meaning since my retreat at the Abbey of the Genesee and my meeting with Brother Christian, who is mentioned in this book.

Just took The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis out of the library. I've never read this classic. Not sure when I'm going to find time to fit it in, but I'm going to give it a shot.

Viewfinder:

Noah's first day of high school/Lab School. That easel has been our first-day photo spot since he was in preschool. It's a little worse for wear, thanks to Chiara, but we're keeping the tradition as long as we can (much to Noah's chagrin).

Olivia's first day of middle school. Lots of firsts around here this year.

Chiara's first day of first grade.

Every morning Fred the Cat comes into the kitchen and hops up to this window to see what's going on outside. He prefers when the window is open. He thinks he's a person.

Appointment Book: Another crazy week ahead. Chiara starts ballet/tap/jazz dance class; Olivia starts hip hop. Noah goes on a three-day "retreat" with Lab School. Open houses, doctor and dentist appointments, dessert nights and more. Somehow, in the midst of all that, I'm going to try to maintain at least a little daily silence for prayer and spiritual reading. And sanity.

Thought for the day:

"There is no time with God. A thousand years, a single day: it is all one." 2Peter 3:8