What goes around comes around...

Porter illustrates the cover of his collection

organized by color, Porter collected nearly 20 differend leaves from around the neighborhood.

4 years ago we were settling in to a new home. The kids were enjoying their new school. It was Autumn and I was spending my days organizing and unpacking boxes. We were happy and optimistic about the new adventure in Utah.

Brynley was given an assignment in her second grade class to collect a variety of leaves and categorize them. She attacked the task with gusto. Dozens of leaves were carefully gathered, tapped with the packing tape in such ample supply around our home at the time, and then lovingly organized into a binder. Bryn, of course, did a stellar job.

Fast forward to last week. We are happily optimistic about life here at the Spruces. My days are spent settling us in from another move. We are surprised at this (dare I say?) final adventure, back in Utah.

And, low and behold, Porter came home with the same assignment enjoyed by our long ago second grade Bryn. Though handling it much more "like a boy" ('how many leaves do I need to get an A? Do I have to collect them from lots of places or can they all come from the back yard?') he still enjoyed the process and the project.

And we-because we are again newly unpacking and organizing, had plenty of packing tape to secure the organic collection :)

When we left Utah I thought we were leaving for good. Now not only are we back again, but even back to the same projects and people that made this place great the first time 'round.

So, I'll tuck the packing tape away, and save it-not for the next move, but for the next second grade Graham needing to fasten Autumn to her notebook.