Yesterday my children took the mostly unheard of Simultaneous Extended Nap Time.  You'll notice the letters, S.E.N.T.  Yes, that's right, because it was heaven sent.  I'm sure for anyone at home with their kids, they feel pretty darn lucky to get a S.E.N.T. day now and again.  For me, I'm fairly sure the sensation is akin to winning the lottery.

No lie.

We attended the wedding (which was so lovely) of old friends on Sunday night, so my kids were with my mom, who is a true baby whisperer.  I'm not sure what she does or how she does it, but our 4 year old was long asleep in her bed and our toddler was happy as a clam when we returned around 9:30.  So I chalk up the rare S.E.N.T. to my mom wearing them out.  Or the other way around.  Hard to say.  No matter the reason, I am never one to look a gift horse in the mouth.  So yesterday afternoon turned into an unscheduled photography event.  Did I mention the nap lasted 3 hours?  Yep, both kids, passed out, three hours.  I didn't take a count but I know I have enough items photographed to keep me busy most of the week (longer if I'm honest).  Yay for small triumphs!

So I didn't sweat it when my son woke around 5 this morning- instead I went into his room to attempt to rock him back to sleep when I realized- he's freezing.  All this going on about how fall is coming to the beautiful state of PA and I forget that nights this week will be around 45* or so.  So I wrap the poor thing in a blanket and I wasn't rocking him for more than a moment and he was out again.  Mommy fail.

But it's not my fault.  I blame my seasonal confusion on these guys.  We are so fortunate that our garden is still producing, although the end is near.  I was out yesterday afternoon picking tomatoes and peppers and I guess I should bring in the rest this week since frost will come before we know it.  And I'm thinking I should put away the thin cotton summer jammies so the kids don't freeze.  Doh.

My Autumnal Love(s)

Second to Christmas, autumn is my favorite time of year.  October is the month that my husband and I fell in love, 11 years ago.  Aw.  And for that it holds a fondness for us both.  I feel the thrumming of fall in my veins- I know that plants die and the trees lose their leaves, but I seem to feel more alive.  Some of my happiest autumn memories are of pumpkin patch trips, apple cider from the orchard nearby, sweaters and cold hands. 

And of course rummage sales.  Ah yes I love you, Rummage Sale, more than you could ever know.  For a few precious weekends in September and October, it's rummage sale and flea market season, of which there are several nearby that I go to each year.  It is definitely possible that I get more excited about these shopping trips than I ever was as a child opening gifts on Christmas Day.  

This weekend marked the first of the series that I go to.  The weather was dreary, slightly wet and and windy.  Not the cheeriest of days.  But without the immediate threat of rain, I drank my coffee quietly in the kitchen and headed off, excited to find something fun.  I managed to slip out without waking the husband or either of the kids (yay me!) and had a couple hours to myself to shop.  At this point in my life, a couple hours to myself feels odd.  The sensation of losing your keys, over and over- checking for little children and then remembering they are safe at home with Daddy.  Phew.

Today's finds were strictly jewelry.  Some great autumn colored costume jewelry necklaces, a couple sweater clips, a butterfly necklace and three enamel flower pins.  I'm torn about the pins, as I have a massive collection of my own that is busting at its seams.  There's a good chance that they will end up in the shop, ready to go be a part of someone else's collection.  We'll see.

A Deep Breath & A New Blog

Beginning a blog has been something lurking on my mental To Do list for a long time, stuffed in the back of my mind where a nagging voice hangs out, constantly reminding me of all the things I've meant to do each day- and pointing out how little was actually accomplished.  After I had both my kids, the voice grew louder and I find I'm hard on myself rather than looking at all the little things I achieve in a day.

Today, for instance, I should probably view the fact that my children were fed a real breakfast and didn't wear their PJs all day as a check off that list.  Instead, I spent most of the afternoon downing on myself about the small number of photos taken, and fretting that my son decided to take a half hour nap, leaving me no time to list anything new in the shop. 

But then Jonas, who just turned a year last month, walks up to me with a goofy grin and hugs my arm with toddler strength and I remember it's worth it.

And so here I am, a budding new blogger, ready to share all the (hopefully) interesting tid bits about my shop, my life and most likely, quite a bit about my kids.  Fingers crossed, I will actually learn a bit about this blogging business and make it more my own.