Life around here

It’s been a big summer, but we’re slowly settling into the idea that school starts again next week.

And by settling into the idea, I mean I am semi-frantically searching for the large box labelled “uniform – keep available” that I tidied up and then stored somewhere seemingly impenetrable in the house.

And, simultaneously, wishing we were back in Utah.

Looking grey and tired for good reason (please see below)

This year Mim (4) will also start a half day junior kindergarten program – theoretically, in any case – like all of our children, she is pretty strong-willed, so this whole project is dependent on whether Mim feels like the class is worthy of her mornings. I will report back.

Anyway, it will be pretty quiet around here in the mornings, with only Wilf to keep me on my toes:

Pensive in long socks.

And with that in mind we thought it might be about time to increase the numbers and volume levels around here.

So, the summer has been 5500km of road-tripping, all to the tune of first-trimester-pregnant exhaustion – which worked fine apart from the brief moments where mr tMatM had to rely on his navigational instinct rather than his actual navigator (me), because I was comatose in the passenger seat, lolling my head attractively and sleeping in a way that only a pregnant person can.

The related good news is that I have a legitimate reason to start wearing dungarees again, especially as I look about 15months pregnant already. But with hindsight, perhaps best not while carrying my daughter’s red child-sized rucksack.

We had a final summer hurrah – a four day trip to Whistler, leaving the trailer behind this time and staying in an apartment.

This meant more hot baths and time spent watching old episodes of ER, but we missed our cosy 16 foot tiny house on wheels.

Whistler was lovely – only a few hours from home, plus the brief ferry ride over to Vancouver. Some gentle lakeside walks.

Pretty streams to throw pebbles in.

A stomach churning gondola ride.

Three bear sightings, from said gondola and at a distance that didn’t make me panic – the dream.

And plenty of food not made by me, so that I feel both rested and also ready to start a new healthy autumn.

So, like any good cliche, I bought a blender to whip up some healthy, protein/iron/vitamin-packed smoothies for the children.

The first attempt this morning wasn’t a huge success, in the eyes of 50% of my children – coincidentally the 50% banana haters. Do you have any failsafe banana free smoothie recipes to share? I’m hemp-chia-cacao-nutbutter-almond milk prepared and grateful for any tips you’d like to throw my way.

More soon, reminiscing about Utah-Colorado-Yellowstone-Montana-Idaho and also some of the things that worked well to keep four small children happy during hours of driving with a tv-tablet-screen-free holiday. I know: what were we thinking!?

Still can’t quite believe that next summer the four will be five.

tMatM x