Back into the swing of things

Getting back on routine after nearly two weeks of vacation is no picnic. While it’s comforting to return to our home and sleep in our own beds, it’s also a reminder that summer is quickly coming to a close and we are about to get thrown into earlier bedtime which means earlier dinner and bath times. It means that I have to get back into a more organized grocery list and a less lackadaisical approach to meal planning. It also means that adult time starts earlier in the evening, which we all know is one of the perks of kids going to bed early. And although this might seem like it’s more tedious to try to get everything to flow in harmony, it actually works out better for us as a whole.
Looking back, this summer has been pretty awesome. We moved out of our condo and into the first house we bought as a family. We started living in said house while renovations were still being completed (… and there’s still work to be done) and we even took a vacation out of the country! It’s been a summer of firsts for us, and as we ease our way into the fall season, I know that life will become even richer and more exciting.
Anaïs starts pre-K this week at our local public school, and I can hardly believe it. I went back-to-school shopping for her and picked up her uniforms, too. It’s such a cliche to even say this, but time really does fly by. I still remember the day she was born and how small she was. I remember when she was still completely immobile and would smirk at our attempts to make her giggle. I remember the first time she said “mama” and how much she loved to snuggle up with me at the end of the night. Now she’s a little girl, a 4-and-a-1/2 year-old girl with ideas and conversations, a sense of humor and style and the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. I always get little bursts of nostalgia with her, but this year in particular feels a little heavier because she’s actually starting school.
Then I remind myself that this is all part of it, and it brings me back to the present. And the present is that I’m actually reliving all of these huge and important milestones with Akira, too. He’s still my littlest one. He’s only now relatively mobile. He laughs and giggles at his sister, our dog and us. He really wants to talk and tries so hard! The amazing thing is, he communicates so well. He knows how to say, “Night night,” when he’s really tired. He says, “Go go go,” when I ask if everyone’s ready to leave. While he can’t quite say, “Hi,” he does wave and squawk at people passing by and at friends and family he meets. Jesse usually is in charge of bathtime with both kids, and as he gets them ready, he and Anaïs exclaim, “Bathtime!” to which Akira chimes in with the funniest, “BAH-DAHHHH!” and proudest smile because he thinks he’s also said what they’ve said. When he sees food, he immediately says, “Mmmmm,” when he’s hungry, and he gives the sweetest kisses when I ask for them.
I’m still breastfeeding at 11-and-a-1/2 months, which is a personal goal that I’m meeting. Anaïs weaned herself at 10 months, so this is huge for me to be able to keep at it. And in less than two weeks, Akira will be turning 1. One! I’m not sure what we’re doing yet to celebrate his first year, but I do know that my mother-in-law is flying in for that weekend! We’ve had so much to celebrate—not just in the last few months, but also the past year. It’s been an incredible time in our lives, and things are about to get even more amazing. I can’t wait.