The school work is ramping up (even if it seems like they’ve yet to have a full week) and so is the homework. This often leads to some mild paralysis and procrastinating. Which in turn leads to some frayed parental nerves. Even if I can recognize what is happening. It’s the same thing that often plagues me when I need to get my own writing or exercising done.

Too much focus on the outcome makes the gap between now and being done seem much larger than it might be.

So we’ve talked to the girls about changing their focus from the outcome (being done and that yawning gap to get there) to what they can do right now. When you shrink it down to the next five minutes, doing what you know you need to do becomes much easier.

Don’t focus on writing a thousand words. Focus on writing the first five sentences.

Don’t focus on the entire packet of math problems, focus on the first one. When they focus on doing the first exercise, getting started is easier and action becomes inevitable.

Yesterday morning was a little drizzly and a little raw. Perfect running weather. And the route went down one of my favorite roads in town. Unfortunately, it’s also the site of a recent tragedy where one of our group was struck and killed. Drive slowly, people. Share the road. Runners, be careful and aware, too.

The girls and I made a quick trip down to the Cape to help put all the summer toys away.

The Cape is underrated in the fall. No bridge traffic. Fewer sharks.

If you think you’re kid are confused and amused by an old rotary phone in their grandparents house, try showing them a working pay phone.

Meanwhile, back at home, Michelle was slowly getting the house back together. Including taking delivery of a new oven after the contractors managed to break the old one.

Just some back ordered crown molding (end of the month) and some painting left to do. It’s going to drag out a few more weeks but we have a functional kitchen again.

Gotta appreciate Transfer Station humor.

For the first time, someone stopped one of us and asked exactly what we were taking a picture of.

Dash met up with a friend at the State Hospital.

If you’re local, you should check out the Bellforge’s fall calendar of events, including Oktoberfest each weekend through the end of the month.

This is happening now on a daily basis. Dueling brass.

No spa day this weekend but there was some home salon time.

I snuck out and actually saw a movie in the theater. Not sure they need to show the calories at the snack bar. Movies are about fantasy typically, can we not extend that to the concessions?

We saw Barbarian which was… almost impossible to describe. It was memorable and original but I’m not sure it was actually good.

The girls finished up Saturday with some cul-de-sac kids by checking out the very bright and visible Jupiter.

Have a great Sunday!