The spring has flown past--so many good things have happened, are happening. I barely have time to sit and have a morning cup of coffee. These days are so different than the days when my children were little! What a blessing to have such a full life--I always remind myself of that. Life is full of seasons and this is a *full* season.....
Here are a few fun details from this spring:
*In early May, Annie challenged me to wear skirts or dresses with her every day for a month. We are having so much fun!! We take a photo of ourselves every day. We are both allowed three "cheat" days just in case (I have only used one, the day last weekend when I had to take Mr. Darcy to the emergency vet--I wore jeans and a sweatshirt!). I appreciate that I genuinely look nicer most of the time than I otherwise would, and Annie appreciates that I'm going along with her ideas. The only negative is that we were hoping to wear more long skirts (aesthetically, Annie likes something in the midi-to-ankle range), but they're really hard to find. Most of mine are around knee-length, which works fine. Sewing would fix that problem, but: see the first paragraph on busy-ness. :)
One exception is workout/work clothing for gardening or exercise. I've been wearing my Duluth Trading Company gardening bibs (in candy pink, it's true) off and on for days. These are the best! In fact, as soon as my coffee is done this morning, I'll be wearing them....and for ballet, Annie always wears her usual leotard and tights. Otherwise, we've been skirt-clad and it has been fun!
*Annie is done with school, with what we think is sixth grade! We are treating it as such, anyhow. She grew so much this year in responsibility. She and I will continue doing math through the summer, because I don't think three months off would be beneficial for her. But other than math and piano, she has three months of freedom spread out in front of her. What a great feeling. Annie is 100% ready for this: she would rather be doing cartwheels around the yard or reading books in the hammock than diagramming sentences. Wouldn't we all? She is wrapping up her 8th year of ballet, and--the biggest news of all--will be traveling to the Big City 3 hours away next weekend for her first pointe shoe fitting!. Every night since she was about 5 years old, she has asked me when I thought she'd get pointe shoes. We will be carpooling with her good friend Emma. While the girls play Uno and chatter in the back, Emma's mom and I can chatter in the front. It'll be so fun!
*Finn has ONE exam left (Algebra! today!) and then he'll be done with his freshman year of high school. At the start of this year I puzzled over what to call him. A 9th grader? A 10th grader? We took stock of classes, his birthday (June), what he wants to do during high school, and decided to play it safe and class him as a 9th grader this year--he can always graduate early if he likes! Algebra is his only outstanding grade, but he nailed his other classes, including Spanish 3, French 3 (for college credit!!), and Physics. And he did this while having a truly intense year: a ton of travel in the fall (Charleston multiple times, Oregon, North Carolina) as well as my Dad's death, and then three different performances in the spring (he was in two community theatre productions and one ballet--he doesn't dance, but the director needed someone who could act!). He has his very first job interview this morning, at a local retirement community. Oh Finn! My little tow-headed toddler.
*We had a coronation party!! Of course we did! No one who knows me well would be surprised that I got out of bed at 4am, decorated with flags, made a big brunch (the day before, mind you), and borrowed a huge flat-screen TV from a neighbor for this momentous occasion. Another neighbor and her husband arrived at 6am, and we sat down for brunch at 8:30. Life is so fun. The music at the coronation ceremony was beautiful!
*Right before Christmas Mr. P and I bought a new car. (I don't recommend buying a new car 3 days before Christmas, as you'll spend the precious week before the holiday dealing with insurance, bureaucracy, and banks, but lo, we were so thankful to have found a wonderful car in this terrible market!) We'd already booked a week in the mountains of North Carolina as our summer vacation this year--we needed somewhere *not too far* since our old car was, well, old. But with the new car, I realized: we can drive long distances again! The children's passports are on the way.....we are going to Quebec City!! Finn, a very serious lover of the French language, is beside himself. I've never been to Quebec City, but my father, who attended college in Boston, absolutely loved it. It's a long drive from these parts, but we'll break it into a couple of days and make some memories along the way!
*I love my new job. My heaviest week so far was 11.5 hours; a lighter week might be about 3. This is perfect for me. The company could not be nicer, and the work itself is diverse and interesting without being at all stressful. I work from home, with occasional trips into the office for necessary meetings--but that's rare (once a month?). I love, love, love it, and could not be more thankful for the small amount of extra income it provides. This has been a providential gift, as the income has come at a time when we need it, and the work itself is a great fit for me.
*We are throwing a big party for my husband's colleagues a week from tomorrow. The amount of mulching and pea graveling happening here is epic.
*My kitchen backsplash is finally done! We had the countertops replaced a year and a half ago, and I've been eager to get the backsplash finished (we had to focus on the kids' bathroom renovation first). I love it. Photos to come.
There's much more to say: about my parents' birthdays, about the passage of time--perhaps I'll find time to stay it all soon. :)
