Notes for my Grade Three Girl

It will probably be a long time (if ever) before you read and understand this, but I wanted to give you some words (since I have lots) on this the day before the day before the start of grade three.

Like my birthday just past, the advent of grade three shouldn’t be too traumatic. You managed kindergarten, began to thrive in grade one, and positively owned grade two. You’ve warmed up to this whole ‘organized’ school thing, just like we dared to hope you would. For the first time, this year you want to opt out of lunchtime choir, just to have more playtime with friends! That’s amazing, and we are so proud of you. (but, you’re still going to choir. because it’s a great opportunity. because it will be fun. BECAUSE I SAID SO.)

You probably don’t know it, but you are entering the glory days of girlhood. Humour your ancient mother while she tells you some great things about being a third-grader.
You can read (like a banshee) as much as you like, and there are some awesome books out there, all about girls your age.
It’s a time for exploring everything–following up on ideas, learning random facts about anything that strikes your fancy.
Creativity reigns. Write. Paint. Make collages or lanterns or working models of various farm vehicles.
You’re old enough to have goals, and achieve them. You’ve decided to run the Kids’ Sun Run, and you will. You want to learn new songs on the violin. You will. (insert nagging mother comment about practising here)
There is social space to be friends with everyone.
You can dream big dreams. You want to be an artist/builder? Go for it. You’ve already selected your university? cool. (is it nearby? is it a ‘party’ school?)
The world is full of incredible possibilities, and you are old enough to sense that.

Being in Grade Three is going to be awesome. My independent little soul, may you continue to open your heart to us, and to the world.
We love you.

no, you may NOT quit choir.

On this, the eve of kindergarten

I pause to think of all the things I wish for you, and for you to know, in the coming year. Of course they’ve all been said before, but somehow, they still need saying.
from me. to you.

First, because I’m your mother, I wish for your safety–no big spills or chills. I also hope that you feel safe, too, that you know with certainty that I am always coming back, even if (very occasionally) I’m running a little late.

Next, I hope that you feel known and understood. It’s tricky sometimes; not everybody will ‘get’ your humour, or find you as droll as we do. But you’ve got a lot of great stuff going on, so keep at it. There will be friends.

Try listening. This is difficult work for you, and for me, but we can do it. I know we can. There are times for explaining your great, magical, fantastical, and totally comprehensive ideas to all within earshot, but there are also times for stillness. for hearing the amazing and hilarious things other kids are saying (probably about farts). for absorbing the wonder of a brand new story, or hearing how those ABC’s you’ve been singing for years actually make up all the words that keep pouring out of your face. it’s good times, so listen up.

And that learning stuff. It’s going to blow your mind. there are so many things you can figure out and find out, that an entire cosmos of amazement is opening up, even now. It will be intense, and I’ll be here to hear all about it (and about the fart stuff, too).

Laugh. laugh. laugh. laugh.
just not at your teacher.

Ask big kids for help if you need it. They are less scary than they look (and that includes your sister).

Eat your lunch.
All of it.
Even the vegetables.

Above all, know that your dad and i love you (and that ‘scary’ sister) beyond all things. And our love is just a raindrop in an ocean compared with how much God loves you, too. Carry all that love around with you in your heart, and you are more than ready for kindergarten, more than ready for anything.

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Too Big, and Too Small

Do you ever have that feeling that you can’t reconcile what’s going on ‘out there’, with what’s going on ‘in here’? This morning I was reading this, and its attendant comments. What a mess. Is it any wonder that people my age feel a certain apathy born of frustration? Meanwhile, on the other side, people need help.
All that big, difficult stuff, and no clear answers.

And yet, here, in the process of being me, of being human, I get absorbed in the close-up stuff, all the ins and outs and stresses of my particular circumstances. How to stop my 7 year old from arguing with EVERYTHING I SAY, what work will look like in a few weeks, how we will all adjust to the new (surprise) puppy arriving on sunday, how to care for extended family when they are in a rough place, how long before edmund’s bad haircut grows in …. all of these, contrasted against the magnitude of hunger, disease, poverty, and oppression, seem embarrassing to even have mentioned.
And yet.
And yet, they are all things that need making sense of. they are things that vex and complicate, require action and response, but they also cloud up my brain, making it difficult for me to see those other larger issues, let alone have a sensitive response to them.
So, how do you reconcile the big and small? How do you stay engaged with the backdrop of the larger world, while attending to the small things that make up your particular universe?

A Year (so far) in Blackberry

Maybe it’s because it’s Father’s Day, or, maybe it’s that summer is just a day or two away (on the calendar, if not in the weather!); but, whatever the reason, I’m feeling a warm fuzzy family glow. I chanced to extract my phone videos and pics tonight, after Edmund wowed us with his Bieber karaoke in the car (more below). More than just hilarious, future blackmail, I found a veritable trove of on-the-ground, in-the-thick-of-it, photos of our life these last months. Say what you will about the quality of my Blackberry’s camera (I know it will never equal the cool of ‘hipstamatic prints’ on your iGod–read: deep envy on my part), but it manages to capture the raw and real quality of things and moments, as lived.
For big moments, we carry a big camera. Or, at least, a powerful one. For things like concerts and big vacays and birthdays, we sense the import of the occasion, and document accordingly. But, in the randomness of bus riding, or spontaneous snacking, or new-haircut-posing, the phone camera crystallizes the best of small–tiny shards of meaning and happiness so often passed over, or forgotten.
too esoteric for you? then just scroll down. i’ve made a gallery, as is obvious, of all these little unsought blessings. i’d love to see your photos, too, if you care to share.

Agatha excited for the ballet (and to see her cousin onstage)

Jaegen rejects a banjo in favour of a PS3

Sportball: Multisport

practising still life

last regular season game

brunch at Provence

surprise waffles at Cafe Medina–where they won’t sramble eggs, apparently. errghh.

impromptu curbside picnic outside our produce store

all the stylist’s idea. really.

post-haircut lollies. again, all the stylist’s idea.

out on a date. white spot drive in. followed by swimming. we don’t wear our wetsuits to just any meal.

agatha makes fruit feel something.

last minute reservation (!) at les faux bourgeois. prawns in butter and garlic. nuff said.

then, as i mentioned before, edmund decided to put on a show tonight on the way to dinner at mamaandpapa’s:

Bouncy Castles, Birthdays, and Baseball Stars

Edmund celebrates his 5th birthday this weekend, and, with help from Emma and Jaegen, I have managed to put together a gallery of photos to chronicle the mayhem and magic. I don’t think I have any witty commentary to go with the photos; though, I will offer a word of explanation. As per usual, Edmund (like his sister) has been refining his cake request for a few months. About a week ago, he announced that he would like a specific inscription on the cake, as you will see below.
(For the cake technical among you: I made the cake in 2 forms, one preschooler-friendly rice krispie square version, and then a more traditional white cake for the extended family.)
The house will hopefully return to its usual slightly less chaotic incarnation over the coming days, as we recover from the fun and excess of two parties and a cousin sleepover in a single weekend.
The Preamble

Agatha makes a helpful sign

The Party

soccer buddies

Thank you Hardys and Kocherinos! This was a BIG hit!

The Food

what green rice krispie squares do to a saucepan. also, i just like food prep photos. i know, i'm odd.

There's nothing quite like a food-laden table.

Um...Edmund, you've never played baseball...

"But I want it to have a baseball and bat."

"...and say, 'Happy Birthday, Edmund, Baseball Star.' That's what I want."

Party #2

Thanks, everyone, who helped (Nicole!) and enjoyed the day with us. Much affection to all of you.

Random bits too big for Twitter, or a status update

Today, after much pressure, I gave in and let my children set up a lemonade stand on the pavement in front of our house. Firmly convinced that they would learn important life lessons–about hard work, about the boredom of sitting still while business is slow–I reluctantly mixed up a pitcher of lemony beverage. I’m not quite sure how, but, 30 minutes later, I had an empty pitcher, and they were dividing up $8.25 (!), having flagged down 2 moving (!) cars, chatted up a couple of ladies, a couple, and a family, all of whom were very generous.

So much for my “life lessons”. Agatha learned that it’s better to have a low asking price, and let people’s generosity do the work. And, Edmund reminded all of us that he is a) socially fearless, and b) loudly effective. He even spent time practising pitches for reluctant customers, like, “Maybe next time?”

What’s next? The kids version of “The Apprentice”?

The Big Update

So…it’s come to my attention that some of you (probably 5 check by my blog semi-regularly, and are really looking for a newsy, photo-full update about the goings on here in Milleyville. With that in mind, (and a bit more time on a long weekend) I sorted through the (few) photos taken in the last few months. The plan is to give a brief written precis of the happenings of a particular month, and follow it with a few photos, or gallery. Provided I can make the sustained effort over the next few days. (Photos were collected and sized this morning; it’s now 8:53 pm that I begin this).

January

Couldn’t resist starting off with some hilarious photos taken by our New Year’s overnight guests, while we weren’t looking. Quite the posers, as you will see below. Looking back at our calendar for January, which is the only way, apart from photos, that I seem to be able to remember what occurred, it was a busy month. There were several Milley birthdays, I began teaching the winter term of sewing, and Edmund and Agatha started ballet and “Sportball: Multisport” (which, if you’re Edmund, you must yell, all the words run together). And, in the last week of January, somewhat on a lark, I applied for a job in the development department at Agatha’s school.

Also, in this post, since I have been remiss in the photo department, you’ll notice different watermarks on some of the images, denoting the photographer. Like this one by Agatha, with her new camera:

February

For such a short month, February was hugely zany for us. I got the job at VCS (Vancouver Christian School), we hosted Wafflemania, I signed up for the Sun Run (largely due to the awesome team name my friend Smita came up with: “The Peoples Drug Runners”), I attended a fabu 40th birthday celebration (and dabbled in handbag construction for the first time), we bought seeds for our summer garden (nothing chases away the winter doldrums like dreaming of fresh fruit and veg in the sunshine), and Agatha sent away Flat Stanley to the Cariboo and to Greece (thx, parents and Dina!). Edmund also had fun with Arts Umbrella, reps from whom come to his class once a week. The piece below apparently took 45 minutes of sustained effort (those people must be magic!)

March

March was a rather ‘photo rich’ month, as Spring Break (mercifully!) filled up the last half of it. Before the holidays, it was as busy as ever: I designed a 6 page newsletter from scratch, Edmund attended a pre-kindergarten event, we ate dim sum (thanks, Steven and Rachel) for the first time (shocking! I know), Agatha celebrated with her class as they hatched salmon in a classroom tank, and Jaegen organized the acquisition of Keats Island Activities (mainly puzzles). He and Agatha are like puzzle-completing robots–heads down, arms telescoping in and out, finishing puzzles in disturbingly short amounts of time.
We spent the first week of the break at the cabin, and saw an amazing amount of spring wildlife, including: sea lions, orcas, cormorants, snow geese, mergansers, scoters, barrow’s goldeneye….(how do you tell we have a birder in our family???) Every day, it was a spectacular display, a la David Attenborough.

April…so far

So, it’s April. The seedlings in the house are getting ginormous (i’m pretty sure the pumpkin vines are about to wage a plant vs. machine battle against the computer monitor), I’ve been attempting flash photography for work (thx, emma, for the loan of a flash), the kids seem about 50 ft. taller, i ran the sun run, jaegen and i got to watch a canucks game while they were still good, and today, we have Agatha’s “dance presentation”. I’ve added in a few ‘work’ photos below, as well as some shots of a lovely new babe (congrats, Kocherinos). All in all, crazy, but good. i’ve started several posts since January, all about adjusting to working outside the home, how to slow down for vacations, how to fight the winter blahs, but have honestly been so busy, that it’s been impossible. i will say that i would like to take more photos in the coming months, as we spend more time outside, and i rediscover how much i love taking up close photos (as you’ll be able to tell from the easter tree pics, as well as the mini edmund gallery). in any case, i hope the spring is treating you well (keep taking those antihistamines!) and i will write again as soon as i am able. thanks, as ever, for your loyalty and patience. i can feel it, even through the intertoobz.

Question o’ the season: What is your favourite thing to do on a sunny, Spring day?

Yarnicity

so, i believe i mentioned in my last post that i received an open-toe embroidery, or stippling, foot for my sewing machine. i finally got around to trying it out yesterday, and i here display the results:
First, i applied a spray adhesive to a special dissolving mesh, and proceeded to arrange the yarn on it. then, using the foot, i embroidered the yarn onto the skirt of the jumper i was making.


Then, I washed the mesh away with hot water, and sewed the rest of the jumper.

the effect is cool, but the process is a bit labour intensive.

Question o’ Today: More sleep, or more fun? choose.

Rain is a Good Thing?

Certainly, in forcing me to abide within the 4 walls of my tiny house, it pushes me towards several important interests and tasks. not the least of which is FINALLY posting our “Merry Christmas” timelapse, which we were so diligent in making, and so remiss in sharing. If Edmund was the star of the last one, then Agatha shines in this year’s film. Count the number of times she clasps her ‘Santa’ present in her arms. Likewise, my lovely sisters feature predominantly, and in pay back for a particularly unflattering photo they have of me, i have added a few extra frames.

I have also been doing my usual January baking thing. This year’s obsession? Cupcakes. I realize that these tiny, frosting-laden goodies are almost passe, but I just had to try my hand at a few. Pumpkin Spice with spiced cream cheese icing, gingerbread with lemon cream cheese frosting, a true vanilla filled with jam and topped with the same lemon, vanilla and butter frosting, chocolate with butter frosting or ganache….i had such fun mixing and matching.
I would have taken pictures of the rest, but I was too busy making and icing and eating.

On the horizon, hopefully: painting, and more design stuff. I received an open toe embroidery foot for my sewing machine from Santa (thanks!). tune in for some hilarious and wobbly embroidery.

i will leave you with a small gallery of wintery goodness from the time at my parents’. I need to give credit to my sister, C, for the snowboarding photos, and the one of Agatha with the dogs. She is an exceptional photographer, and was much better than me at capturing the spirit of our visit.

Question o’ today: What better be on your Christmas dinner plate, or else?

no apologies, just fun.

skipping past banalities about how difficult it is to find time to sit down @ a computer, i give you a gallery of birthday awesomeness, as we celebrate 7 years avec Agatha, and enjoy the company of friends and fam.

Question o’ the month (!): If you were a cookie, what kind of cookie would you be?