It finally feels like fall in New England. The air’s crisp, the coffee’s getting stronger, and the kids are wearing hoodies to school again — usually inside out or backwards, but we’ll take the win.
This time of year always sneaks up on me. One minute it’s August and we’re still rinsing sand out of the car, and the next, our weekends are packed with soccer games, birthday parties, and playdates that somehow require as much coordination as a small military operation.
Jenna and I have officially entered that season of life where our calendar looks like a game of Tetris — but truthfully, we love it. We’re slowly (and a little reluctantly) leaving the baby phase behind, which is bittersweet. The house is still loud and messy, but we’re graduating from diapers in multiple sizes to shin guards and orange slices.
Our oldest, Ellie, is playing U8 soccer this year — and in her “spare time,” she’s taken up horseback riding, which she absolutely loves. And then there’s our kindergartener, who’s living his best life in the “chase-the-ball-and-hope-for-the-best” league. Kindergarten soccer is pure entertainment. Picture a field full of five-year-olds in jerseys down to their knees, half of them chasing the ball, half chasing butterflies, and one or two just lying down in the grass because “they’re tired.”
The best part? He gets to play against his cousin, who’s the same age and lives right in Norwell. The two of them are best buddies, and seeing how excited they get to face off each week might be my favorite part of the season.
Jenna and I tag-team the weekend soccer circuit — one of us takes the early game while the other wrangles the rest of the crew. The season runs through November 1st, so by the time it wraps, we’ll have earned our spot in the parental endurance hall of fame. There’s a lot of mud, a few tears (usually theirs, occasionally mine), and endless snack negotiations, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Somewhere between the birthday parties, the late-night uniform washes, and the endless sideline coffee runs, we still sneak in a little adult time. We’ve got a couple weddings coming up this fall — which, let’s be honest, basically qualifies as a weekend getaway.
Life’s busy right now. Really busy. On weekends it’s kindergarten soccer, and on weekdays it’s investor calls — either way, the theme lately is “plenty of action.” Things with GenWel are continuing to grow in some exciting ways, and I’m grateful for everyone who’s been part of it so far. Please shoot me a line if you’d like an update! Always glad to share the latest on funds (or soccer fields)…
