Our Home Fall Tour

I love the fall. There is so much goodness. The darker days, the sunny days, and for sure the cooler days have my heart. I love how it feels to wear a sweater and jeans. I love all of that yummy pumpkin food. I love cozy weekends and the fireplace lit for the first time. And let's be honest, I probally love it most of all because something wonderful is just around the corner... shhh... Christmas is coming!



My fall home starts to go up at the end of August and is promptly taken down as Abigail is done trick or treating on Halloween night. November 1st through Thanksgiving my house little by little turns into Christmas magic {all while running a family, being mama, and teaching 4th grade} The only part that is not up on Thanksgiving is our living room tree because it's real... well I sure am getting ahead of myself.

Some things new this fall. I had so much fun decorating my baking center. It was 'her' first fall. But really because she's an antique I'm sure she's seen many many many falls. I wish she could talk and tell me that so many have stood there and rolled out pie crusts for apple pie, and pumpkin pie.



I took the video BEFORE I changed it over to fall - oh well - that's okay. So I went back and took a few pictures.





And it was the first fall in our screened in porch. And we loved it! I think she likes fall best too...







So here is our home this fall.  All the yummy. All the pumpkins. All of the goodness that we love so much!




Of all the things I get to do I realize how blessed I am to get to make this old house a home. And there is no place I would rather be in the fall...

Late September Weekending

Friday night puzzling



tea sipping and watching and talking



candle lighting



baking



Saturday morning saving (how she spotted this on the grass in front of our house from the dining room is beyond me - saw that rip in its wing and was panicked, wanted to help)



still in jammies concerning



tidying



and starting (so I kinda need to explain this photo. 1. that wall with the Santa painting? That is where Santa 'lives' when it's not November and December. In November and December it comes down and is up on the fireplace. But he's just too special to 'pack away' all of those other months, so that painting lives upstairs in the hallway. 2. See what I'm holding? Yes, I collect vintage linens - I like to pick them out myself  - won't let Scott or the girls pick any out for me and seasonal ones make my heart ring joy bells. Right now fallish vintage linens are up on top of my baking center and I was seeing what I have for what's next: why Christmas of course)



There was a whole lot of cozy this weekend!

Chasing Rainbows Through Tears

I didn't take my phone out to document the moment. But I'm pretty sure I can remember forever anyway.

Today was no school. It's a Jewish holiday and we have the day off. Perfect for scheduling an appointment that both Scott and I need to take Abigail to.

The endocrinologist. Anna has been teasing her sister {in a sweet way} that it's the "short doctor".

In a way she's right.

Her primary physician and her Gastroenterologist requested that we go.

She's had bone scans for her height and weight - trying to figure out why she just won't grow. It is due to her EoE? Or is there something else.

There's nothing else I'm sure but it sure is hard.

Abigail is brave.

She's been dealing with a chronic disease since she was first diagnosed at 22 months.

She's happy - go - lucky. Teachers love her, doctors love her, nurses leave their shifts to visit her, we adore her.

But today was weird, different.

Another doctor appointment. Nothing new.

But today, out of the blue, she got off the exam table, climbed into Scott's arms and cried.

She was tired of doctors. Tired of having to work at gaining weight. Tired of the ongoing, life ongoing, struggle with a life like this.

This new doctor was brilliant - and she went over things so very carefully with us. Left for a while. Examined the bone density scan. Came back and decided on more tests.

Concerns about bone health, weight, height among other things.

I scribbled down notes as I always do in a medical notebook too full for a twelve year old.

She is quite certain that Abigail's growth is compromised by the medicines she has to take for EoE. Stopping growth is a side effect.

But she can't go off the medicine. The medicine allows her to eat - and that is quite important.

Based on the charts and what they see now she is predicting her at a height much shorter than 5 feet.

So we'll do more tests next week and meet again with all of these specialists.

Feels like chasing a rainbow sometimes - there are no concrete answers. Just a circle of 'these are the concerns' but there's nothing we can do about them because of the meds she needs.

I liked it better when she was little and colored through the appointment. She had no idea what was going on. She listens now and even participates in the conversations.

And cries.

Cries as we chase rainbows through tears.

How We Do Tea

Goodness.. I found this post in 'drafts' which means it was sitting there all ready to go but I never published it. Our little tea table right now is all fall and pumpkin teas but I love still love these pictures.

I think when I took them I was intending to talk about "how" I fix tea.



1. We start with a favorite mug. Scott and I have a lovely little collection of Emma Bridgewater mugs. They are from England. And we just love them. We don't want a lot of them and we only buy one once in a while. I love to pick one out for us and get it only if I really love it.



Each one is like a little story to me.



2. These teas nestled in here with my mugs are my everyday teas. We use loose tea because, well, it tastes better. Although once in a while a tea bag is a must especially in the evening. (gosh it looks so strange to me in the photo since I've changed it around so many times since then... but you get the idea)



On our tea table are a few more mugs from Susan Branch that I adore. (And I can now tell that I took these photos last WINTER because of the little felt house I can see) (and the winter mug on top)







3. On the tea table (at that time) I keep all of our decaf tea. Because Anna love a cup of tea some evenings I want her to not have to search for it and have a lovely experience just finding her tea. I'm pretty sure I had a "tea table" long before pinterest was creating "coffee bars".





For decaf we love Harney and Sons rooibos, and from the Green Teahouse gummy bear herbal.







Here is a photo I found from the way it looked in the summer.



4. Now REALLY important is the water you use for tea. Always start with fresh, cold water. And this too: teas will only brew properly at certain temperatures. For example, green tea is sensitive and you can not use boiling water. 80 degrees. While black teas need to brew at 90 degrees. Herbals at 100. So we use a cute little electric tea kettle that allows you to put in the temperature you want the water to boil.

(found this picture from January to show you -- the white is the electric tea kettle)



And that's it. I think one of the great pleasures of tea is in the making it. There is something relaxing just in scooping a teaspoon into a filter and pouring the water over loose tea.

Tea to me is like a picnic indoors.

Today

Today I had a formal observation. And it was magical. I can't even tell you how many hours upon hours I planned it - every little detail. And of course how would I ever I have pictures? I was too busy teaching my heart out!

 I love teaching {and dislike all of the forms} and I'm more tired than I can explain. But it's worth it. When I'm reading to them and their eyes light up. I read picture books to teach 4th grade concepts. Like I said, it's magical.

 As much as I want these two worlds to mesh (my home-family-me blogging with my teaching my heart out world - I just can't seem to make them work. I feel like if I try to explain my teaching or share parts of it I won't do it justice or it just won't make sense. But it's such a big part of my life. And since this blog documents my life I will try and get a few teaching things in here, bit by bit. 

And so today's lesson. Here's just a few pictures from a slide show that help me to deliver the curriculum:

Good ol Fashioned Fall Fun

Spontaneity is a wonderful thing,
so it's good to plan for it...