September hit me like a brick wall.

We celebrated the last long summer weekend at my parent’s house.

But during the unpacking and laundry I turned over the calendar and it hit me-It’s September. I got excited, anxious, and overwhelmed at once-wham!

It’s a wonderful time of year.  I love the crisp air, the colorful leaves, and of course lots of coffee and baking. I am most comfortable in a pair of jeans, a cardigan, and you don’t  want to know how many scarves I have.

Even though I am not teaching right now, I think of September as the beginning of a new year . It’s a fresh start.

I am looking forward to launching back into MOPs, this year I am doing registration, a role I am feeling surprisingly happy with (who knew I had admin skills?)

I am anticipating the colder weather and rain; trying to find creative ways to entertain our high energy two year old Z. The weekends are already filling up quickly with birthdays, outings, and visits with family and friends.  I am updating our to-do list, budget and catching up on things neglected over the summer.

But I can get ahead of myself and over plan. My first initial might as well be “A for ambitious”. This week my brain has been ping-ponging; bouncing ideas and plans for the calendar as far ahead as Christmas. Because once the Fall routine kicks in-I blink, it’s January 3^rd and I am exhausted.

For years I thought this anxiety and stress was normal, required even in order to get the most out of the season. But this year I would rather stress-less and find our happy balance.

The truth is when I jam pack our schedule, even if it’s full of good and fun things, I don’t enjoy the events and activities we are going to. I am exhausted and preoccupied; I am not enjoying the moment.

But I am ready for that to change. I want to create memories, be fully present; play with my son, take it all in. I want to have fun; not just collect photos of days I don’t remember.

I don’t completely know what this looks like. I know I am walking along a balance beam.  I can easily fall off; end up with an overworked schedule and exhausted family. But I am hoping to find a balance- a fulfilled life without a full schedule.

This is my new adventure. I’ll let you know how it is going.

How about you? Are you excited for this Fall? Or singing the summer-is-over blues? How do you find a balance for your family with the start of a new school year?