Happy new month, everyone! 

Can you believe it’s already September? Honestly, this year has been running fast, but here we are. And today marked back to school — officially day one of the school year.

I have to say, it went surprisingly well. No rush, no stress, no pressure like in previous years. I actually woke up before my alarm this morning, and the first thing I noticed was the rain. Now tell me, why is it that on the very day school starts, the rain decides to fall both in the morning when you’re supposed to drop the kids off and in the afternoon when you’re supposed to pick them up? 😂 For the past weeks, it’s been mostly just dull weather with little to no rain, but as soon as school resumes, here comes the heavy showers. Only God knows why it happens this way every year.

Looking back at last month, it was all about preparation and anticipation for school. And I have to admit, this time around I felt different. Rested. Ready. Even excited. Last September, I wasn’t prepared at all for the early mornings and daily back-and-forths. But this year, I feel more balanced, with a little more energy to handle it all.

So today was a good start. The school runs went smoothly, and I got to enjoy some quiet time in the morning. That silence felt new again — the house without the kids has its own kind of peace. I actually sat there and thought, yes, I’m going to like this.

Of course, it wouldn’t be me without a little kitchen story. I decided this morning to cook Khoki before I start work for the day. I wanted to at least put it on the fire and work while it cooks since it takes at least two hours to get ready. The last time I made it, I messed up with too much oil. This time, I told myself I’d do better. Well, guess what? I ended up putting too much salt instead. 😂 So now, my Khoki has become my personal little back-to-school disaster. Hopefully, next time I’ll get it right.

All in all, day one went well. The rain was annoying, and the Khoki didn’t come out well, but the peace, the fresh start, and the feeling of being ready this September made me smile.

Happy back-to-school to all the parents reading this. Hope your first day of school went well too. 

Here’s to a smooth school year ahead, early mornings we can handle, and finding little joys (and lessons) in each day.