First day of school. Since most of his classmates are the same as last year and he knows his teacher really well, David didn’t have any problem adjusting to school today. It was fun watching him go right in and play.
The tears came much later when I went to pick him up and he realized he wasn’t having lunch at school anymore. He was angry and crying. I tried to explain to him that he’d be home with me and Nathaniel but he didn’t like it one bit.
Nathaniel watched him in awe as he played with all the toys and hugged all of his classmates.
I feel so lucky that he loves school so much. I hope that wherever he ends up going next year for kindergarten, he makes good, solid friends and loves his teachers just as much.
Exactly one week from today, I start work. After five and a half months of maternity it will be interesting going back to work. I am anxious yet excited.
I made this layout as part of a member lift at A Million Memories. You can see the original layout and the other design team lifts in the blog
Journaling Reads:
Dear little boy. In three days you will be four months old. The last few months have been wonderful, exhilarating, and tiring. In the last few weeks you’ve been more demanding than usual and you are really unhappy if we’re not holding you all the time. You’ve also gotten used to falling asleep when nursing and refuse to sleep any other way. This has started to take its toll on me and I am feeling more and more worn out.
When I found out that I would start working in four weeks, I decided it was time for us to work on our sleep behavior.
For the last two days, I’ve been spending every waking moment with you. I’ve been watching the clock and the signs to see when you start fussing so that I can put you down immediately. I have been leaning into the crib to give you kisses, hugs, and love. I have been rocking you. Whispering to you. I have been talking, praying, crying.
I love you so much, Nathaniel. I know that you can do this and I know that this is the right next step for both of us. For all of us. David’s been patiently watching both of us as we struggle through this and he’s been playing on his own, being quiet when asked to, and hugging you every moment you’re awake. It’s wonderful to be so loved especially as we strive to find our peace.
Even though you’re not alone for a moment, this process is really rough on me. It hurts me physically with my aching back and splitting headaches. It hurts me psychologically to have to separate this bond between us a little bit. And it hurts me emotionally to see you shed even the tiniest of tears.
But I know that this is the right next step for us. We both need sleep. When we’re rested, we both feel happier and we can bond much more deeply. I have faith in us, my boy, I know we can do this. I love you with all my heart. – August 2009
Here are my words:
My first instinct was to do this about my book. I want to write a book. I want to get it published. I’ve had this dream/goal forever. But I’ve done art around this so I decided this time I’d do it about another dream. I want to go to Antarctica. I want to pet a penguin. This is something I really want to do before I die.
To put this together, I cut out a bunch of penguins, painted my paper and added some texture with fabric. I then added some glossy accents and some pearl to make it look like ice/water.
Today we went to our friends Jess and Chris’s for their son Beckett’s third birthday. That meant Nathaniel took his nap in the car and it was super-short and then the rest of today looked like this:
Yes, that’s why we tend to try to stick to our schedule as much as possible.
Ok, I thought we should start with the very basics. It’s important to know how to hold your camera so you can decrease potential camera-shake and get clearer photos.
I know I need a lot more practice doing these recordings and remember that English is not my first language so if I sound funny or say funny things that’s why. Feel free to leave honest feedback.
Back when I was filling college applications, a common question I had was, “What’s your favorite movie?”
Dead Poet’s Society.
That was, and still is, and likely will forever be my favorite movie. I have seen many other movies that I loved. But none has come near this one. This movie touches my soul and reminds me of so many important things:
Make your days count. Your time on this earth is limited. Sooner than you think, it will all be over and you’ll be food for worms. How are you going to make your days count? Make your life extraordinary.
Change your perspective. Look at things from a different point of view. Things don’t look the same everywhere. Don’t think about what they are thinking. What are you thinking?
Don’t let your poems be ordinary. They can be about simple things. Yet they can still be deep. Just don’t let them be ordinary. What will your verse be?
Find your own way of walking. Don’t imitate others. Make up your own way. Find your walk. Learn to think for yourself.
And now that I am a mother, I see deep, poignant points for parenthood.
Sometimes your kids think everything inside them is worthless and embarrassing. Sometimes it’s not just when you’re kids. But during those early teenage years, this fear can be paralyzing. It is so strong and it should not be ignored or not taken seriously. It is real.
Listen to your kids. Let them show you who they are. Don’t chalk it up to passing whim. Look for the passion. Believe it. Let them see your faith in them. They might be young but they are not stupid. They deserve your respect.
Your kids are not here to live the life you imagined. Don’t put pressure on them. The sacrifices you made were your choices, not theirs. They are here to live their own life. Make their own choices. Walk their own path. Let them. Even better, hold their hand. Support them.
I think in so many ways, teenagers are more fragile than babies. And yet we don’t remember that. We take care of babies so diligently. But we are often infuriated with our teens. I truly hope that I can remember this when my kids are teenagers.
A teacher can make a permanent different in your kid’s life. Choose your kid’s teachers carefully. And be thankful for the good ones. They are rare. Very rare.
All from a two-hour movie. How could it not be my favorite?
All I needed to hear was in the first fifteen minutes: seize the day.
A little leaf being born. I love how the young leaves have that light, strong green compared to the older deep, dark ones.
And here’s Nathaniel. He is sitting up unassisted for longer periods now. Maybe 2-3 minutes.
And those feet. Those wonderful feet.
A relaxing uneventful day here. I don’t think I accomplished one thing and I feel ok about it. I’m going back to work soon, gotta enjoy these last few days. Here’s to a great weekend.
I’ve done the book a week thing before. Twice. And both times I loved it. So I want to do it again. I miss reading. A lot.
I am not sure it will work with the baby, David, work, art, and everything else I am trying to do but I’m going to try. So here is my list for the rest of this year. There are more books here than weeks left but I wanted my list a bit bigger in case my mood changes and I want more choices.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Devil in the White City
The Black Swan
The Road
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Knitting Circle
Julie and Julia
The Book Thief
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Good in Bed
Twenties Girl
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Shack
Home Repair?
Love Walked In
The Girl with No Shadow
What I wish I knew when I was 20
The Last Time They Met
The Wonder Spot
The Poisonwood Bible
The Unaccustomed Earth
In the Woods
The wishing year
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Personal Development for Smart People
Handle with Care
If you have other books to recommend, please tell me. Especially if they are great reads and hard to put down!!
