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!
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