September definitely felt like the month when everything kicked into high gear! Between school, work, sports, races, and plenty of fun mixed in, Life Lately September 2026 has been busy in the best (and occasionally exhausting) way. We’re settling into the school-year routine, and thankfully it feels a little more manageable than last year.
Claire has been juggling cross country and swim along with her accelerated classes. Last year was a big lesson in time management, and we intentionally pulled back on a few things academically this year. So far, it seems to have made a huge difference. She’s handling everything really well—although apparently those time-management skills do not extend to finding time to clean her room. Insert eye roll. Avie, meanwhile, is loving a little more independence and biking over to friends’ houses to play. Hopefully she isn’t becoming that kid who is always knocking on the door, but the girl requires approximately 24/7 social stimulation! She’s also already counting down to Halloween and her golden birthday in November because no one loves a celebration quite like Avie.
Work and the girls’ activities are keeping me running in every direction, but one thing I’m especially thankful for lately is the friendships I’ve made with some of the other moms. We all get the craziness, and we’ve still managed to squeeze in craft nights, close out the pool together, and make more fun plans for October. I’m also looking forward to several upcoming races. After dealing with IT band issues, I was worried they might derail my plans, but thankfully it hasn’t been bothering me lately. Fingers crossed it stays that way!
Books I’ve Read
- Archmage’s Ire by pirateaba– Ryoka Griffin and Fierre undertake a dangerous Courier mission that leads them to the mysterious Archmage of Izril, while Erin deals with unrest in Liscor, Klbkch and Anand return to the Antinium Hivelands, and powerful mages awaken across the world. This is a 48 hour audio book so it’s the only one I read this month. I am halfway through the next in the series and then that’s it until another audio book is released. 4/5
Recipes I’ve Made
- Chicken parmesan sliders– I had these at a school potluck and immediately needed to make them for my family. As predicted they were a hit! I think all 12 were gone in about 3 days.
- S’more cups– These were another recipe I made as a result of the school potluck. I don’t have a mini muffin tin so I used my large one and doubled the recipe. Claire deemed them perfect.
- Slow Cooker Enchilada Meatballs– Matt was in love with these! I served them over cilantro lime rice and he raved about them all week. And they are a super easy dump-and-go recipe. Definitely a win!
- Creamy Pesto Beans– We love the Cheesy White Bean-Tomato Bake and this looked like a good alternative. I added sausage for some extra flavor and protein, and it turned out so well. I loved it and took the leftovers for lunch all week. The pesto adds so much flavor and makes it different enough from our usual white bean recipe.
- Caramelized Zucchini and Sausage Pasta– I had some cooked chicken leftover that I used instead of sausage, but it was still good. The toasted breadcrumbs added some nice texture on top.
- Mint Chip Sheet Cake– This was delicious! The frosting makes the cake. The girls could not believe how close it tasted to mint chocolate chip ice cream.
- Taco Casserole– We had so many leftovers from a nacho bar we had, I found this recipe and whipped it up. I was able to use a lot of the food, half bags of chips, and queso. It was really tasty, too!
Currently
- Falling for- Craft nights! Apparently all I need for a good time these days is a group of friends, some snacks, and a seasonal craft. We’ve made fall wreaths and clay ghosts so far, and I’m already looking forward to our next one. We are thinking focaccia bread art.
- Scaring – We have so many wolf spiders on the exterior and around our home. Their webs are fascinating- they build a tunnel. Creepy, but fascinating.
- Working on- I have quite a few student evaluations in progress that I am working on. Although they are every three years, they always seem to occur all at the same time.
- Loving- It has taken a few months, but we officially have solar panels installed. We are loving the electricity savings.
- Entertaining – In addition to the wreath making party I hosted, we have some other fun things planned. A group of us decorated a pumpkin wreath form and made clay ghosts. We have a bonfire set for October with some fun games, too.
- Family update
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- Avie- Avie finally got a haircut and donated 9 inches! She has been loving swim so far. We have some of her friends we carpool with which saves a lot of time. We watched the Labor Day parade with one of them and some other friends.
- Claire- Claire has been rocking her cross country season. She took almost 2 minutes off her time and finished her last races with about a 7:05 pace. This weekend we have a 5K together which I think will end with a best time as well!
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- Me- I’m entering my busy work season. That includes formal teaching evaluations, loads of student evaluations, and IEP meetings while still providing the required speech and language minutes.
- Matt- Matt had to act as head coach this past weekend for Avie’s soccer team and led them to victory! He is far more interested in the other type of ‘football’ though and has been happily watching Notre Dame and Bears games. We had a date while the girls were at their grandparents and saw the Mean Girls musical. Hilarious!
September Goals Recap
- Girl Scout dates- Done! I set the dates and planned a few meetings.
- Hang shelf in bathroom- Done! I love the result, too.
- Plan craft night- Done!
- Treat spruces for disease– Done! Hopefully it helps. We plan on treating them in the spring again.
October Goals
- Finalize plans for Avie’s birthday party- Avie is so excited for her golden birthday in November. We are planning a Golden Ticket (Wonka/candy) themed party at our home. I want to finalize my ideas for food, games, and a craft.
- Hand my new painting– I scored a $5 oil painting with a stunning ornate frame. This month I need to find a spot for it.
- Reseal my marble counters- We have marble counters that have etching. I have a repair kit I started and need to finish up.
- Figure out a spring break plans– This is self-explanatory.
Favorite September Posts
Wrap-Up
And that’s Life Lately September 2026! September was definitely full, but there was a lot to be thankful for—from the girls finding their groove with school and activities to Hiccup fitting into our family like he’s always belonged here. The girls are still completely obsessed with him, and I love how sweet and patient he is with them.
October doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down much with races, work, activities, a bonfire, Halloween, and Avie’s birthday planning on the horizon, but there are plenty of things I’m looking forward to. Now I just need to figure out those spring break plans, finish a few house projects, and perhaps perform a small miracle in Claire’s bedroom. Wish me luck!
LINKING UP WITH WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY, Currently
