Laboring Through Monday

The Labor Day weekend is the calendar's reminder that the lazy days of summer have given way to schedules and schooling. Tired of always schooling at the kitchen table, I picked up a couple desks for the boys Monday morning. When I arrived home, I sent Jubal and Nolan out to the van to each bring in their respective desks and set them to the task of putting them together. Watching each of them unpack and assemble the furniture was quite interesting. These kinds of projects tend to accentuate the differences in personality. Jubal wasted no time, ripping open the box, and pulling pieces out without any organizational thought at all, the directions floating in a sea of cardboard and plastic. Nolan carefully sliced through the packing tape on the upright box with a plan, gently laying down the box and looking at the directions before attempting assembly. Jubal initially jumped ahead in the race to completion. His progress stalled however, when he failed to follow the instructions close enough, and was forced to redo a section. Both boys finished at about the same time and now have separate areas in which to work. Once Jim arrived home and the work portion of the day was complete, we joined the Fisher's at the Morrill's house for lunch and a leisurely afternoon cookout. To finish the day, Mom and Dad arrived at our house in the evening for a game of Settlers of Catan, which Nolan finally won at 10:45. I think I woke up more tired this morning, after our supposed restful holiday, than I have all summer. Now it's full steam through September.