Say it with cookies

Sorry couldn't resist.

School days...

Brixton's going back to school too.

Friends

 

 

As we head into school time (tomorrow!) I have these last few photos of summer fun. What a great time we've had.

The Spring Kids Avengers?

Bubble pit!

Pushing Archer in the doll stroller.

A double dose of swinging Desi.

Graduation!

Well and now it's her turn to cross the stage. Graduation was full of all the fidgets and fancy and forgotten lyrics that you would expect from a group of 5 year olds.

 

 

They cheered for each other and admired each other's flowers. They hugged and chased and stepped on each others toes, while promising to always be friends.

They cleaned out cubbies and checked the lost and found for missing socks and outgrown jackets.

 

Her teacher told me that this year has been one of her favorite classes. "They are so kind to each other, so compassionate." she said.

 

She's grown well here. Been listened to and respected. Been challenged and excited. She's come home with bean plants and paintings, and stories about worms.

 She's grown deep tumultuous friendships, with sincere attachment and sibling-like squabbles.

 

It's been a good place for all of us.

 

 

 

But mostly for her. Which is all I was hoping for when I labored over my piles of applications. I wanted to find a place that would appreciate her, help her grow into herself only more so.
And it has, it did.

Walking across the stage, coming home with a paper certificate and a shiny ribbon metal. Ending one chapter. Turning another page.

Dinner party with the Brooklyn boys

Last night I had some friends over. We were all in the same grad program six years ago. Somehow we've gone from happy hours and writing papers to changing diapers and talking about playgrounds. Our friends Alex and Matias are in town from Brooklyn with their new little one, Leon. ( I can't figure out how to make the accent mark. It's Lay-own, not Lee-on.) It was so great to see everyone, and realize that despite our changes over the past few years, we can still have a fab dinner party together.

 

Monday....

Unity has just three more days of preschool left. Hard to believe. On Friday we went shopping and got her new socks and underwear and headbands...trying to get her excited about school. She's having some anxiety about the uniform. Or at least, the uniform is how the anxiety is manifesting. We've been talking about how, when you are experiencing major life changes, it's ok to have lots of different feelings all at the same time.



No autographs please!

This guy doesn't seem phased by his new changes. He is so ready for preschool, and has the younger sibling advantage. He's been there many times, he knows the teachers and some of the kids, he knows how to get out a work and roll up his mat. Ah, to be a younger child.

This weekend, we tried to clean up the garden a bit. We hung out with Reuben so his parents could go to a movie. I went to a truly pitiful Storm game, but I had good company. And all the while, at the back of my head, I'm thinking one more week, just one more week. I think we've made the most of our summer. And I will still try to squeeze in one more beach date.

Beach days

Some days you just want to spend the afternoon with your friends at the beach.

  
                       This picture is subtitled "What do you mean you don't have any cash?"

Lending a helping hand....

August Appreciations part 5

 17. Watching these kids grow their friendship. They have been friends since they were two weeks old!

18. Watching their little brothers bonding too. (Gracious, Baird is so big now!)

19. So glad that the luck of timing brought our two families together and created this great web of friendships between all of us.

Lingering...

Despite the local newspaper headlines that summer is on it's way out, we are soaking it up still. Having those long lingering August days whilst still preparing for what's coming. It's a balance.

                              
 Brixton got a turn on Unity's keyboard while she was at school. That kid loves his music in all ways, shapes and forms.

            We made the tastiest granola from this book. I'm so excited to try out her other recipies, including cheese crackers and homemade toster pastries.

It was a large amount and I thought it would last for weeks but it's already almost gone. Guess we'd better make more soon.

Also, we've been enjoying popsicles. This one is just plain yogurt and blueberries blended and frozen in the molds. The kids were so excited.

Can't forget to notice the sun, where and when I can.

Who's That Kid?

Who's that kid? He looks sort of familiar. In fact he kind of looks like...

Hold the phone, they must be related!

August Appreciations part 4

12. Blueberry cornbread muffins. So yum, especially with the tons of sweet juicy berries that are at the farmers market right now.

13. Chris's ability to look at our old doors (that he took off the formerly dank basement closet) and envision a work table. Now he can putter with his scooter parts in ergonomic peace. Gotta love living with an engineer.

14. Unity has branched out with the pattern blocks, and decided she doesn't need patterns. She'll make her own. Love that girl's creativity.

15. Brixton reading to Papa. "and den da wabit, he goed to da house."

16. The gorgeous weather we've been having. Hot,sunny, beachy summer weather. Of course the weather report did say that Seattle summer has now peaked. But we have been soaking it up.

August Appreciations part 3

11. Montessori. Ok, disclaimers first. I have not studied the philosophy of Montessori extensively and I do know that we what do is a watered down Americanized version of Montessori. But. Have you ever seen a classroom with 20 kids between the ages of 2 and 5 silent except for the low mumur of concentration as each child focuses on her own work? And the teacher moves around the room, watching and assisting if needed, but basically just letting the kids explore? It's amazing. And it's a typical day in a Montessori school.

I have seen Unity develop so much focus and independence and creativity through Montessori. She is careful with her things, she wants to help fold laundry and cook dinner, she sings me songs about bug anatomy and writes her own stories on her own pictures. Some of that is her own innate abilities sure, but I do think the philosophy has really helped her develop them.

I am so glad that we found a public Montessori school for her for the next six years and I'm excited to see the ways in which Brixton will blossom too.

August Appreciations part 2

Continuing on with August Appreciations.

5. Our down-the-street beach, and all the mornings we've spent soaking up the sun and digging in the sand and occasionally splashing into the ccccold lake water.

6. This amazing biography I'm reading of Lucretia Mott. Quaker, abolitionist, leader of the early women's rights movement, devoted mother wife sister daughter. So inspiring.

7. Picking up my knitting needles again after a few months off. I've been struggling and struggling with sewing, tangling my threads and ripping out my seams, so it feels so good to have something feel comfortable in my hands again.

 8. The fact that, some days at least, my kids can be their own best playmates all day long.

9. Running into friends at the park and remembering how great our preschool community has been for Unity, how much she has learned and changed and grown there.

10. Appreciating that we still have another three years at that same preschool, thanks to this guy and his late birthday.