Our next life...

It's true, I haven't blogged for an entire year. It's not because I've had nothing to say - perhaps it's because I have specifically not wanted to share.  Partly selfish, partly feeling private and partly not quite sure I like a public blog - where people from my past are able to observe my family without having to actually interact with me.  I have spent the last few years creating such distinctly private boundaries and while I love writing and communicating with friends and family- I have been hesitant to share my thoughts because disappearing has been so freeing and pleasant.  Recent developments lead me to think I should start communicating again, because we're embarking on a new adventure - and distance will prevent me from speaking face-to-face with so many of you.  So, here we go.

After finally selling our property in Nampa - we settled into a rental home not far from Dave's work, here in Boise.  I can't begin to explain how much peace that move made in our home. That property had felt like quicksand for the last 5 years and we were clawing to get out. It was a much needed and hoped for change, and while renting a home isn't ideal, it was the best decision for that time.

We began to unpack and settle into our new neighborhood and were taking full advantage of finally living in Boise.  About that time Dave's employer announced they were going to be laying off another 5% of their workforce.  We've been through this process a lot of other times, but this time he had already been making connections with another company.  He wrote one single email to a connection in that company and within hours he had a new lead on a job and that company was pursuing hiring him.  At that point I stopped unpacking and we tried to be patient through the application/ recruiting/ interviewing stages.  After a flight to Portland and a face to face interview it was only a couple days until he was offered a job there.  So, after 13 years here - he said his goodbyes and has already moved and started his new job.  The kids and I are finishing up a few things here and waiting for the closing on our new home in Hillsboro.

Sometimes change is hard.  Sometimes change brings hope.  For us, nearly everything will change in a matter of weeks - and it could not be more welcome.  New state, new city, new school, new job, new home.... new life.  We're ready for a new adventure.

School Days

School started last week - and it has been so good to get back to our daily routines.  This year, all three big-kids are at the same school, which eliminates a lot of my driving all over town to fetch and deliver them.  I need a schedule and routine and so do my kids - so the last month of summer really highlighted how eager we all were, to be on our own for a few hours.

Ella started Kindergarten. Her schedule is everyday/halfday - she is a "morning" Kindergartener.  And she is loving every minute of it!  She was so happy to be back at school - and raves about all her work and projects.  She instantly loves her teachers and has 2 friends in her class from her last 2 years at Montessori Preschool.  Ella loves socializing and any kind of work that seems important.  She has been bouncing out of bed at 7am, putting on her uniform, socks and shoes and brushing her hair and teeth - usually she's pacing by the door while her brother and sister get ready to go.  I am not complaining about this - it is awesome that she is so eager and responsible. When we get to school, she runs away from the car waving over her shoulder - so brave.  I pick her up at 11:30, and she is really enjoying her afternoon as "big sister" and Mommy's helper.  We have made  bran muffins each week (for everyone's breakfast), we have made egg rolls for lunches and bread and soup.  It's so fun to be in the kitchen with my kids.  They are very eager to learn and ask the best questions!  Ella likes to crack the eggs and when we're cooking, she uses this very professional big voice, like we're on a cooking show!  When the Kindergarteners are released from school - and they are all walking out the front door in line - it is shocking to me how little they seem, because Ella walks with her chin so high and her personality screams - SHE IS A BIG KID!! Last night as they all sat at the table working on their homework assignments, Ella wrote her name half a dozen times, using a capital E and lower case l - l - a.  Then she sat back and looked at it and said , "I like it!" {She usually writes it all uppercase}  She is growing her hair "like Rapunzel", so it's pretty long, and it's so straight, I have no idea what to do with it.  She lets me make a ponytail somedays.  And she's decided to grow out her bangs, so they hit her right across the eyes right now - but she has cooperated with Mommy's request to use hair clips to keep it out of her eyes.  Such a pretty girl!

Peter started 1st grade.  He now goes to school full day, and gets to eat lunch in the cafeteria.  The first few days were pretty rough.  There were a lot of tears when he'd get home.  Partly pure exhaustion, but also I think it was all a bit overwhelming for him.  A full day, with ALL the elementary school, plus half his class are 2nd graders, add a new teacher and a disruptive classmate, bells and rules and a new campus - luckily he feels comfortable sharing his feelings with Mommy.  So, I was able to share his concerns with his teacher, who was feeling pretty overwhelmed herself and made a point to connect with Peter right away, once she knew his concerns.  Peter always surprises me in group settings.  Even though he was feeling overwhelmed and emotional - no one at school knew he was.  When I ask him about school, he really loves his dance class, and he loves when his class plays "quiet ball".  Their first assignment was to fill a small paper bag full of items which would really share who they are, with their classmates.  Peter was meticulous and so creative about each item he placed in the bag.  Hobby: drawing aliens {inserted a picture he'd drawn of an alien who lives on Jupiter}, Something I'd like to do better: swimming {inserted a picture of he and Gracie at swimming lessons} Something I dislike: slivers {inserted a dry piece of wood}  The best part of my summer vacation : THE YURT {inserted a picture of the yurt} Someplace I'd like to visit: The Future {inserted an elaborately drawn landscape of his dream of the future}  Something I'm good at: drawing {inserted an elaborate drawing of a dragon a la Ed Emberley}  What I want to be when I grow up: Astrophysicist {inserted a picture of the Milky Way} - he worked on this project all week, he was so thoughtful about each piece he placed in that bag.  But when the day came to share their projects, instead of sharing with the whole class, he shared only with another student.  The other student only had 1 item in his bag - a small book about Star Wars.  My pride soared, when he shared that story with me - Star Wars? That's who that other child is? I hugged Pete tight and beamed with pride - Peter knows who he is, what he likes and what he's good at and even has plans for the future - in 1st Grade.  I will not worry about how he'll handle 1st Grade - I will begin to worry about how 1st Grade will handle him!

 

Gracie started 3rd Grade.  At their school, they have combined classes, so she had her first teacher for the last two years.  The only real change for her has been a new 3-4 Grade teacher.  Fortunately, she got the exact teacher she wanted and has definitely fallen right back into her school routine.  She has been a very gracious big sister - and makes a point to hug and wave at Ella when she sees her at first recess. {Ella is so excited when she sees Gracie at school}.  Gracie is tiny... I mean, really tiny - she is smaller than a lot of 1st graders at her school (I remember those days) - but her personality is huge and she is strong and assertive.  It's a strange time when your children become so independent.  She gets up in the morning and showers and dresses and grooms, etc.  And she doesn't need or want me to help her with anything.  She has her hair just as she wants it - her style.  She is very responsible about her reading and homework and I'm really excited for her year.  It is surreal to see her at school, interacting with other 8-10 year olds - they all hug and laugh and roll their eyes, and play and joke around - and I always feel like I'm stuck in a time-warp of some kind, who is that girl? Embracing each time of their lives is important and  I don't want to miss out on this time, by imagining she's still my 'little girl', before I know it she'll be off to college.  

Iris is my constant companion - and she is a breeze!  In the mornings after I drop the kids off, she plays for a bit and then she takes a morning nap - I mean, at least a 2 hour nap! So, I have time to get a lot of chores done, while she rests.  She is getting brave about walking, but she hasn't really taken more than 4-5 steps.  Crawling is faster, and I am certainly not pushing it - I know how busy toddlers are, and I have enough trouble keeping up with her shenanigans while she's crawling.  Her favorite hobbies include: emptying the lower drawers in the kitchen, emptying the bookcase, emptying the laundry baskets, emptying my purse, emptying her toy bin, pushing all the buttons on Daddy's stereo and looking for crumbs to shove in her mouth.  Her sense of humor, reminds me a lot of her big sister Ella.  She blows kisses, and loves to have a hair clip in her hair, or sunglasses on her face.  She is trying out some words like : BAAA (ball), WAAoo (wow), UUp (up), DUH (down and done), BAY (baby), SSS (cat) - soon, maybe she'll come up with some names for her siblings. She's out of focus because she won't stop moving and she's cracking up at Peter.

This weekend, while Daddy and Peter took a trip to Boise to get some tools and other 'boy' stuff, the girls decided they would like to make their own stuffed animals.  From drawing out the pattern to picking the fabric - they were so focused and on-task.  Here are their finished results:  Meet Cupcake the Bear

And Owly the Owl

Of course, Peter arrived, just as they were finishing up, but he wanted to get in on the fun - unfortunately he chose to create a spider, so his project may take a few more days to complete... that's a lot of legs to stuff!

So far, it hasn't taken much effort to stay motivated while the kids are at school - I have managed to make batches of muffins for breakfasts, bread, soup, batches of egg rolls for lunches, sauces, dough, organize my cupboards, clean out rooms and closets and keep up with laundry, dishes and the likes.  I do well with a schedule, and it is really hard to keep up with this house when everyone is here all day, so, don't tell them, but I love when they go back to school! Not because I wouldn't rather them be here, but because we're all having satisfying moments - on our own.  They come back from school satisfied with lessons learned and I receive them - satisfied that I had a few uninterrupted hours to get things done.

Here's to many more satisfying weeks of school year 12-13!

Pacing

By this time next week, the kids will have started school! For the first time, they're all at the same school.
Ella will be in Kindergarten this year.  Everyday half day.  She's stressing out about it already.  She doesn't like beginnings or endings.  She likes a bit more consistency.  She is excited about seeing her friends from preschool, but just doesn't want school to start. She has worried that she can't read.  She has worried that she won't see Peter and Gracie.  And I totally understand her thinking things through ahead of time.  It's a hard transition from Montessori to public school.  The philosophy and roles are so different.  I know she can handle it, but I certainly wish she didn't have to.  She's gone back and forth whether she would like her bangs to grow or she'd like them short.  Today, she's clipping all her bangs to the side with 5 bobby pins!  And has told me several times, she'll just do this every day, until they're long like Gracie's (yikes).  She has picked out a PURPLE bag for school, we have all her school supplies and her uniforms ready!  Now, she just has to breathe and try not to cry on day 1 (perhaps it would help her to know I will have to remember the same things?).

Peter will start 1st grade this year.  We got his class list and he recognized some names from his Kindergarten class, so he was pretty excited.Their school groups grades together, so he'll be in a class with 2nd graders too.  He can't wait for school to start.  As much as I tried to avoid the boredom of summer... August proved a challenge for that.  He is beyond ready to get back to work! He picked out a BLUE bag for school - he has all his school supplies (all 50 lbs of them), and his uniforms ready to go.  I hope he loves 1st grade - I hope his teacher is ready for him and I hope it quenches his thirst for knowledge!

Gracie will be in 3rd grade this year.  3rd GRADE?! It's crazy how different 3rd grade seems.  2nd grade Gracie started the year with no front teeth! Now she seems like such a big kid, with adult teeth, fancy hair... She's more than ready to get back to work, she likes consistency and she loves learning. She's picked out her HOT PINK bag for school - has all her supplies in order and new uniform skirts!  She got the 3rd-4th grade teacher she hoped for - and some of her best friends in her class - so she's ready to go!

I made everyone try on their shoes from last year and so far, no one grew out of shoes over the summer! Hooray.  And we've been practising all week, getting up early and out the door by the time we need to be at school next week.  Not because they're sleepyheads, they just need to focus on getting out the door by 8:20am.

Each morning Iris and I will be left alone.  Luckily, Irie loves a morning nap - and Mommy needs time restrictions so I can keep the house clean.  One less school to drive to and from this year - will really decrease my "driving around town" and increase my productivity a.k.a. time for cleaning yogurt off the walls and floor and Iris. At least that's the plan.

As a last summer project, the kids spent a couple days designing and stitching their names and ages for our picture wall.  Here are their results. (I had to stitch Iris's because she refused to participate and covered herself in yogurt.)

Around here...

Iris loves Rhubarb Berry jam... see how it clings to her face, forehead, hands, and tray?

Kids are making a LOT of forts this summer.

 The garden is loving the heat! I will take no credit for this - the garden is Mr. Schram's project.

Squash

 Squash

 Eggplant

 Purple Cabbage

 Artichokes

 Currant Tomatoes (slightly out of focus... dang it).

 Sunflowers

 Japanese pear shaped Burgundy Tomatoes

 Kale

 Rainbow Chard

 Hops

 Garlic!

Timelessness

When we were tired, we rested, when we were hungry, we ate - when we were restless, we took a hike, when we were hot, we took a drive down to the river, we spoke when it was needed and were quiet when it wasn't... It felt just like how life is supposed to be.

This is how we roll...

 

Stargaze Yurt - Boise National Forest

 Our home for the week - super deluxe camping.

 

The view.

The characters.

We observed.

We played in the dirt.

 

We told stories and sang songs.

 

We ate s'mores.

 We got high on sugar from s'mores.

 

It stormed.

It was beautiful, full-time.

Also, the stargazing was amazing.  We witnessed several meteors, lots of constellations, and the Milky Way was in full view! The moon wasn't rising until late night, so the night sky was clear and bright.

An afternoon of art

Un-boring Summer continues!  Last week we spent an afternoon with Aunt Lacey. She facilitated a monotype printing session in her home.  For this lesson, the kids were each given a glass plate.  They spread ink over the plate - then created a print, by removing the ink where they wanted their designs. As the name suggests, a monotype only produces one print per design.  They were joined by Cousin Trace and everyone had a lot of fun!

Here's the peanut gallery - the littlest kids observed while trading bottles and telling secrets.

I think the kids enjoyed spreading the ink, more than creating their designs, it was a lot of messy fun. (unless your name is Trace and you got ink on your fingers)  Schramlets helped Mommy make new aprons for the occasion. 

 Gracie creates a design using the end of a pin.

 The boys really loved adding lot of ink.

 Peter's industrial design method included lots of texture and LOTS of ink.

 This is another way to create your design - just paint it directly on the glass plate.

 Gracie creates another design using a q-tip for wider lines (this method worked best for our little artists).

Also, Captain America showed up, near the end.