A Liturgy in our Home

With Autumn and the school year our rhythms have drastically shifted.  There is simply more to do and more places to be.  I treasured this past summer in our new home; so little that had to be done, but there was so much that we wanted to do.  It was fun to pick projects and explore our new city.  But, by the beginning of September I felt myself longing for Autumn and the rhythm it always brings to our lives (we have been in school our whole lives and I do believe always will be - though now in a teaching role).

And now Autumn has arrived and a few weeks into school it is rather busy, but there is a liturgy that is developing for us and I'm finding myself resting into this liturgy in a way that hasn't been possible in a very long while.

The little boys and I walk Jonah to school most mornings and I love starting our days with a crisp little walk and seeing what tree is starting to turn to color and where the acorns are dropping.  The older boys ride their bikes and I so often find myself saying a pray of gratitude for the healthy sturdy little bodies they have and for the day beginning.

After drop-off our mornings each hold something different.  There is the morning when we have preschool co-op at our house, which is fun and low key with two other four-year-old boys.  There is a morning for story time at the library and a morning for art class at the art museum.  And then there are two 'off mornings'.  I try to use one for an outdoor adventure and one for our 'home morning.'  I do believe home morning is becoming my favorite (though I do LOVE the art museum); we get out puzzles, pattern blocks, workbooks and stacks of books to read.  Mom does a little extra cleaning and baking that morning too.

Then we eat lunch and have naps.  I love nap time.  Quiet descends on the house (or almost quiet as some days Rowan plays quietly instead of sleeps).  Some days I rest or read, many others I wash and tidy.

And then it is back to school to get Jonah.  We are all so very glad to see each other!  We do miss Jonah during the day.  And almost always, after Jonah has had some time to read and regroup the three of them play... oh, and they play so hard in a way that they never did when they always had each other.

Then dinner comes around and our candle has solidly returned as an important dinnertime ritual.  It is fun to all come together with our own adventures to share, something that is a new normal for us.  Rowan chats about the slimy monster pet he made at art class after looking at Early American Art of children and their pets at the VMFA.  Jonah tells us about P.E. and Recess (apparently the most important parts of the day) and then I try to pry out more about the kids at school, math, art...  And before long the boys are asking to be excused back to their games or books and Jim and I chat.  I love hearing about his students and classes (OT and Medieval Humanities this term).  Then it is on to dishes, homework and bedtimes.  Bedtimes are full of books, bible and prayers/blessings.

Post bedtime is often work time for Mom and Dad these days, though we try to carve out a bit of time to just be at the end of each day.

The weekend is full of being together, soccer games for wee lads (such fun!) and trying new churches (I do hope this part of the rhythm changes to something more permanent soon.)  And I've been thinking and working toward Sabbath a lot lately, but that conversation if for another post.

It seems very mundane to write it here, but somehow this simple rhythm is soothing and I'm very aware of the season and that we are in ordinary time together as a family.  I made the green table runner for out table (pictured above) one night as I thought about our new little liturgy and cut a strip from every green fabric on my fabric shelves.  The candle if from our candle making on Candlemas.