Fall is fast approaching and the signs of summer's demise are everywhere. Today I saw the first unmistakable sign--Canada geese flying in V-formation in a general southerly direction. As they flew over a golf course, they suddenly broke formation, dove down and landed in the water hazard. I wonder where they came from.

The morning air is crisp--50 degrees crisp. The evening air is crisp, too. I froze last night at soccer practice. And I was wearing a long sleeved, fine-guage cotton sweater. Next time, a jacket.

Some of the maple trees in my neighborhood are sporting a few almost fuschia-colored leaves. Soon those leaves will be adorning and staining the sidwalks and lawns.

We have to turn the lights on inside the house by about 7:30. It's not totally dark outside but inside, it's too dark to see comfortably without lights by then.

School buses are everywhere.

And speaking of schoolbuses, my amazing daughter walked the 3 blocks from the bus stop to our home all by herself today. She was exceedingly proud of herself and I was flabbergasted. This is the child who, just two weeks ago, wouldn't go into my bedroom if I was in the living room because she didn't want to be alone and was afraid I would be gone when she got back. And now she's walking through the neighborhoon by herself! I can hardly believe the strides she has made in just four days' time.

Added to that, starting last night (at her own suggestion), she is going to sleep with the lights off in her bedroom. Going to bed with assistance (someone in the room, lights on, special blankies and stuffed animals, music) has been a huge issue for a long time and was one of the big reasons I sought therapy for her anxiety. She has had regressions but now she's really making big advances. Sleeping with the lights out--what will she come up with next? Sleeping with the hall lights out, too?

Alex of the Broken Arm is home from the hospital. His fingers are swollen and his arm hurts a lot but he's doing well otherwise. I got home last night around 1am. I was happy to be able to help out. I just read my scrapbooking magazine and then watched M*A*S*H, my favorite TV program of all time. The littlest one, Michael, is 2.5 years old and he really likes me. Wants me to hold him and help him get dressed and play with him and just sit on my lap. He calls me Weesha. I love that.

I shouldn't have, but I did. I made a decadent and incredibly delicious BLT for dinner tonight with thick slices of smoky bacon and thicker slices of my garden tomatoes. And I savored every bite. Every single crumb. Now I wish I had some chocolate. I so love chocolate.

Ed met with his doctor today to discuss his sleeping problem. He wakes up every morning between 4am and 6am and can't get back to sleep. He slept fine on sabbatical but now he's back at work and the stress has him unable to get a restful night's sleep. The doctor prescribed Sonata. We'll see if that helps.

Tomorrow is Joey's first soccer game. It's the big Jamboree. I think it will be lots of fun and the weather is predicted to be 81 degrees so I can pretend it's still the middle of summer. Yay!

--L