First Days

Well here we are, at the end of the first week with both of my big girls in school.  I thought I'd take a moment to reflect and pair some stories to those great photos I got.

Sweet Louise was up first.  Happy as a clam to don her mama made dress and "new" (thrifted stride rites for $3!) party shoes for her first day.  She stood proudly on the front steps holding her first day sign.  I swear she remembered Ainsley doing the same.  Acee payschool tuoo? Not today sweet girl.  It's all you!

We got there a bit early as I'm still figuring out how long it takes us to walk there, but we didn't mind.  Ainsley was such a helper girl (even if she did keep telling Louise Oh Louise, you'll probably cry and cry...she at least countered her pessimism with But mommy always comes back so don't you worry!).  Louise charged right in the double doors when they opened and found her niche with the puzzles and play kitchen.  After a few brief tears at goodbye my big little one began her first school adventure.

And Ainsley and I?  We took the opportunity/excuse to have a little fun.  That first morning we walked hand in hand to the Buzz, just across the bridge for Louise's school.  We ordered fun drinks and breakfasts and chatted and relaxed.  It was such a treat.

Then Thursday was a bit more of the same.  A relatively easy drop off for Louise and another hour and a half alone with my biggest girl.  This time we opted for the Blue Maxx across town.  Delicious coffee for me and fun breakfast for us both.  I already find myself cherishing these brief important times alone with my big girl now that's she's got quite the little activity calendar of her own.

Because next Tuesday it was all Ainsley.  After dropping Louise off we headed to her first shortened day of big girl preschool.  After weeks and weeks of nothing but sheer excitement she was of course a bit reticent the morning of.  After a quick calming talk with daddy on the phone she was ready to go.  Backpack and get to know me card in hand we waited with other anxious newbies.  The drop off couldn't have gone better.  She found her cubby right away, washed her hands in the sink and settled in.  A quick hug and a bye mom! and I was directed out the door.

Ah my big ready girl.  Was it just last year this time that you were clinging to my leg writhing at the mere thought of separation?  Here you are, making your own friends with ease, writing and drawing, storytelling and songwriting?  You are incredible and growing and lovely.  We are so proud.

I can't wait to hear about all of Ainsley's adventures at school.

Next week we jump in full throttle to the 4 day a week schedule.  While I already find myself feeling pangs of missing her and growing up sadness I am excited for my alone time with my second biggest one.  Because oh Louise you are growing so too.  Sometimes, having you pegged as the baby in family I forget how big you really are.  You too are so independent and capable.  You get in the car on your own and insist on buckling your own seatbelt.  You can relay which songs you've sang at playschool and even which books you've read and activities you've done.  After I pick you up I get such happy hugs.  Mama, you back!  Mama came back! Oh I always come back baby girl.  You're going to have to try REAL hard to get rid of me.

I know there will be tough mornings when getting two kiddos out of the house by 8:25 will be tricky.  I know there may be sick days, tired days, cranky sad days.  But today I am so thankful for my big school girls and the promise of all the fun and learning this next year will bring.  Now if only the weather would reflect that back to school fall vibe we're so digging.  I'd LOVE to turn off the ac and pull out those newly finished sweaters!

Here's to a week of great firsts and hoping for a few more next week! (musick garten and Ainsley's first dance class commence!)  Happy Fall!

For My Boy on our Fifth Anniversary

On this quiet late night, rather belatedly, I'm finding myself nostaglic and reminising and very very thankful.  No, not for those good old college days (though there's been some of that too lately), or of those carefree days of my youth (always a bit of that really), or even those first precious months of my girls' lives that seem so far away now.  No.  I'm thinking of my boy.

You see, tonight my boy is working again.  Not working late, working all night, again.  For weeks now he's come home promptly by 5:30, been present and engaging and delightful.  Does the dishes after dinner, helps with bedtime, then kisses his three girls, packs up a yogurt and sandwich for tomorrow and is off to work all night long.  He does this every other night.  I've never heard a complaint or a grumble, just puts his head to the grindstone and goes.  He's amazing.

But I've known this.  Exactly nine years ago, maybe even to the day, we met.  In the flurry of college move in meet your roomate scramble to makes friends, we somehow found each other.  I've never once taken that for granted.  That had I not gone into that weird music major's room that night and suffered through an entire solo voice recital recorded awfulness, I may never have met him.  That had I not seen past the gangly kid climbing up to his bunk with his shoes still on! I may not be where I am.  And I simply cannot imagine a better place to be.

Because here?  I am with my best friend every (ok, most, lately) night.  That gangly polite wise old tie and sweater vest clad boy turned out to be my perfect person.

Oh there were moments of course, for us both I know, when we weren't so sure.  When I didn't know if I could handle ALL that bizarre music listening, film noir watching, and laid back I mean what I say and I assume you mean what you say style.

I'm of course so glad we stuck it out through those tiny rough patches, powered through the uncertainty and difficulties and hardships.  Because goodness, what fun we've had, what a life we've made.

I've learned so much from my boy.  Learned to calm down and take a breath, be spontaneous and adventurous, grow my mind and widen my horizons.  I look back at us these past 9 years and I see two people who have grown up together, gone through so much, and are stronger and closer and more in love than I ever could have imagined.

I look at us now and I hardly recognize us.  A bit because of those tiny wrinkles and tired parent eyes, but mostly because we, together, are better than ever.  We have created this life all our own, on our own.  In a world that tells us that we need date nights and vacations to stay connected and nurture our relationship, we have very little of that.  Yet in spite of it all or perhaps because of it all, we just keep getting better.

So for my boy, to my boy, you are amazing, ridiculous and wonderful.  You make me laugh every single day, pull me up when I'm down, even when you're down too.  You take charge when I need you to and you truly are my rock, our rock.  You are working so hard for us, for you too I know, I hope.  You are brilliant and kind and patient.  I am simply brimming tonight.  Thank you for the best 9 years of my life.  I can't wait for all those to come.

Oh, and happy 5 year anniversary.  Rather belatedly, but oh so heartfeltedly.  (you know it wouldn't be from me if there wasn't a made up word :o)  I love you.

Meal Plan:: 9/3

The joy of cooking has returned!  Oh boy.  I guess all I needed was a trip to the farmer's market and some cooler evenings to get the stove cooking.  I'm excited to be back in the groove and SO excited for fall favorites just around the corner!

Breakfast::
oatmeal with dried strawberries and cream
yogurt
kashi cereal with raspberries

Lunch::
cottage cheese with tomatoes or canned peaches
roasted red pepper hummus and Late July tortilla chips (our new favorites!)
homemade bread with strawberry preserves and cream cheese or peanut butter
ham and cheese tortilla roll ups
creamy tomato soup

Dinner::
bavarian brats and corn for Labor Day
broccoli cheese soup and banana bread
chicken wild rice casserole
TJs birds nests, orange chicken and green beans
spaghetti and meatballs
tacos or heuvos rancheros (or both?)

Snacks::
cinnamon apple sticks from TJs
social crackers and cheese
snap pea crisps
yogurt sticks
babybels
dried strawberries and roasted almonds
red hot blues chips (my new addiction)
HONEYCRISP APPLES!!!!!

Farmer's Market total:: $19
grocery total:: $155

we're still kind of in stock up mode from being away but between costco last week and all those bags of goodies from today I think we're good to go for quite some time!

Life Lately

Hello Friends.  I feel like it's been a while since I've written when really it's been less than a week.  I guess that's an indication of the pace of the end of summer.  How full and quick the days are.  While I love this new end of summer routine we've fallen into, of one last big trip north, then birthday fun and school starting, it sure makes us all a bit tired and takes extra time to settle back in.

But here we are pretty settled.  When I told Ainsley this morning that yes, FINALLY she gets to start preschool tomorrow she LUNGED at me and hugged me Oh mama, thank you thank you, I've been waiting and waiting to start preschool! We are all ready big girl.  It's time.

I've tried to be pretty low key about it all, despite feeling so unsure about it for so long.  The good news about all that worry for so long?  I think I got most of it out.  Louise is transitioning SO well to playschool and the amazing Miss Sheila.  Ainsley is DESPERATE to be in school like the big kids, and after meeting her teacher (I swear she must be handpicked for my strong willed girl) and being welcomed with open arms to an amazing preschool community (I get to man the fry station at the donut stand this weekend!) I am over the moon for it all.  As weird as it will be for me to be without my two wing gals for a bit, it's going to be nice too.  Ok, really really nice.

I spoke with my sister last week.  Just a casual check in to the new school year.  I remarked out loud how nice it will be to have an hour and a half to myself twice a week because I haven't had that in over three and a half years.  Saying it out loud made me realize how crazy that is.  Really.  Unless Ian is watching the girls for a bit on the weekends I am with them ALL the time.  I am on their schedule, at their beckon call.  I am getting excited for a bit of time to myself.  I'm sure at first just to sit and stare off into space, perhaps to run without a timetable or jogging stroller, surely to do nothing relating to the house or "work" or anything truly of import.  Ahh.  It's going to be amazing.

But back to life lately.  In the wake of the wild success of playschool we've been reminded of the beauty of an easily filled morning, taking advantage of it all while we still can.  Both the pool and the splash pads close for the season, well, TODAY, so it was a priority of mine to hit our favorite spots one last time.  We had a picnic date at our favorite splash pad after playschool last Thursday, begged Ian to come home from work early Friday (after two straight all nighters, poor guy) to join us for an afternoon splash, and then again today on the final day I took the girls to the pool.  I feel almost sad to see this season end.  It's felt like a bit of an era, me and my big girls, most days at the pool just us three.  It's been so fun.

finally brought my (old) camera to the pool

goodbye sweet summer haven, see you next year!

so many delightful mornings spend at field splash pad

proof my girl is growing, she willingly takes breaks every now and again!

there she is!

In addition to all this end of summer outdoor fun the fall cleaning bug has hit hard and I've been desperate to get our home organized for the new season.  With the generosity that Louise's birthday brought I've found myself motivated to clean out toys and books that the girls have outgrown.  To simplify and rearrange yet again to make our home a calm, fun, functional place.

One BIG thorn in my side has been our living space.  One of the things that we loved the most about this house was the partially finished basement, but we've never used it as much as we'd hoped.  Our main living space had become cluttered once again with kids toys and I was struggling with the arrangement of the furniture to make it work best for our needs.  After an afternoon of rearranging and space planning the girls and I finally figured it out and we've been loving all the space to play and dance a enjoy.

why it took me three years to discover that our couch fits perfectly in our sunroom will always be a mystery to me

Ainsley was inspired to take some photos of the new digs too...

art "station"

dining area, art wall and big comfy chair

wide open rug space which has really just become a big train depot, those girls love building tracks and towns with their daddy

a quiet morning with Louise in the refreshed playroom

And the best part of all?  I now have my very own sewing nook.  Ian and I hauled that huge thrifted desk into the basement and I've stocked the top with new fabrics and patterns for fall projects.  Louise and I spent all morning yesterday down there cutting out the fabric for her new fall dress which I sewed while she napped and she wore (and appropriately soiled) all evening.  I see many a happy afternoon spent in this cozy spot, sprawling out, a space all my own.

Perhaps the best part about the rearrange and purge has been the new direction it's pointed us in.  Our living space is not centered around the TV or computer anymore, but around each other and precious things that let us play and live happily.  While I've loved this summer, the excess heat and by extension long amounts of time indoors let us slip into some bad habits that I think we're all itching to get rid of.  Ian's PhD is mere weeks away from completion, my girls' days are happy and full with friends and school and cherished activities, and me?  for the first time in three and a half years I get to claim a bit of my own time back.  We're all loving life lately, and surely even more in the weeks to come.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Birthday Craft

As per usual I didn't end up making as much for Louise as I'd planned.  At the last minute I simply couldn't find that dang zipper for the sleeping bag and the roving never got purchased for the felted elephants...there's always Christmas though, right?

Still I got the most important things done and just in time.  First on the list was a backpack for Louise for playschool.  while not entirely necessary at this stage I think it makes her feel like a big kid to wear one to school and a bit secure knowing that a lovie, a drink and a snack are always close at hand.

I used the same pattern I used for Ainsley's backpack and loved making it just as much as hers.  I skipped all of the interfacing mainly because I've found that with two layers of thick fabric it's sturdy enough without it and much easier to sew.  For her bag I used another pair of Ian's old corduroys.  I love the texture and sturdiness they lend to the construction.  For the front and lining I used an old shirt of mine that's soft as can be.  I just sewed the button band right up adding a cute little chevron pattern with the machine for detail.  For the front pocket and back I cut up and old crazy pillowcase I found last winter at the economy shop.  I knew I'd find a good use for that cooky print some day!  I love how it turned out and Louise seems pretty please too.

Next up, clothes!  Being the second girl in our house Louise has precious few "new" duds all her own.  While I don't mind, in fact LOVE, that we need to buy very little for her, it's still fun to get something new, albeit mama made every once in a while.

I made her a new fall sweater with lucious superwash merino by Madeline Tosh and the tiny tea leaves cardigan by the same designer.  I LOVE this sweater, good thing too as I'm currently half done with one for Ainsley and even have yarn for myself for this very pattern waiting upstairs.  It knitted up so quick and cute with just enough detail to look a bit fancy when need be, yet sturdy enough for everyday wear and washing.  I can't wait for cooler weather so it can be worn and loved!

And then of course another pair of quick change trousers.  Most of my free time is spent finding fabric combinations for new pairs of these pants.  They're addicting to make and so cute to wear (even if a few of them that I've gifted have been misinterpreted as jammie pants...these pants were meant to be seen people!).

This pair is flannel lined with an old plaid shirt of Ian's and a remnant of a lusciously soft flannel I found at the economy shop last season.  The front is some leftover cotton from some curtains I have yet to hang for Ainsley's room and the yoke it one of my FAVORITE prints from a scrap pile I ordered from Alewives (my favorite economical way to acquire beautiful designer fabric for a steal).

I love these pants!!!

And last but not least, Ainsley's gift.

I sat down with Ainsley about a month back and we went through all of my sewing books, talking about what she would like to make for Louise.  She immediately honed in on Henny Penny for Handmade Beginnings and thus, this adorably soft mama hen and six tiny chicks were hatched.

Ainsley had a bast helping me pick out the fabric from our basement stash and even trace a cut a few pieces out.  She is desperate to sew all on her own, but for now is content enough to sit on my lap or next to me while I execute her plan.  Someday soon big girl!

The tiny chicks nestle neatly under their mamas wings on a hidden velcro strip.  Louise has been sleeping with Henny Penny ever since and every morning I've found all the chick next to her in bed.  What a sweet clever toy!

Ah, as much as I love making gifts I'm thankful for a bit of a break now.  That was one busy summer of sewing and crafting!  You're worth it Louise :o) and you too all you end of summer/early fall birthdays!