The days are long, but the years are short.

Life somehow sped up. I'm shocked at how often I'm sprinting to get this or that done. I feel like I'm constantly doing laundry (what changed?), and something is always in need of cleaning. We have a million things to do, including grocery shopping every single week. I miss nap time. A reason to slow down in the middle of the day. Yes, sometimes I felt like a slave to nap time, but honestly, I looked forward to those 2 quiet hours in the day where I had a chance to catch my breath or doze on the couch. Now, there is no nap. And so somehow life has become very busy, I think maybe because we can. I'm managing and sacrificing (much less sewing is happening in these parts) and I'm tired.

Today, I was rushing around getting some things done before our well checks at the doctor's office. Holly invited me a couple of times to play, but I didn't. She invited me again at another time of day, and I politely declined. And finally after dinner, Conor and I were invited to play in the yard with a new ball I had just purchased for my girls. The dishes be damned, I was not putting aside an opportunity to play with my children. And so outside we all went for a little while to throw a ball around and laugh and chase and be a family.

Playing with my children was so much more satisfying than a perfectly folded stack of laundry. I loved listening to Holly boss us around and tell us all the rules. And watching Greta's eyes light up when I chase her is amazing. It was a beautiful little bit of time being with my family. And it was so worth it.

I love making homemade popsicles for my family. They're inexpensive and I know what's going in them. These chocolate popsicles are divine. Recipe---->

Chocolate Popsicles:

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/8 water kefir
• 1/4-1/3 cocoa powder
• 1/4-1/3 maple syrup

Combine the coconut milk and kefir water. Let sit, loosely covered with a towel, on the counter for 12-24 hours. Whisk in the cocoa powder and the maple syrup. Pour into molds.

You can also make ice cream. For ice cream, I double the recipe and then use my ice cream maker to freeze it. It is so good! It's creamy and a little bit tangy because it's cultured. We all really enjoy these. Just one more reason to brew your own water kefir.

Holly is going to Kindergarten in the fall and it's breaking my heart. My coping methods of choice are shopping for school clothes and making school clothes! It's helping!

This is the first of what will probably be too many school dresses. Hoping that the busyness of summer activities keeps me from over-sewing for school. The kid can only wear so much and my girls usually pick favorites! Anyways, I used a peasant dress pattern and this tutorial but I added a bit of extra gathering to the skirt which I have mixed feelings about. I love the big, deep pockets. And this is an excellent color on Holly. Holly was so thrilled to try it on, and very disappointed when it came off. Hopefully that's a good sign. Or maybe that's the trick to ensuring my kids wear what I make for them... a little anticipation.

I'm planning on making Holly one or two knit dresses, one or two woven dresses and a jacket! A skirt or two too... maybe leggings...

Greta wore her last Oliver+S Rollerskate dress to death. She wore it a lot, and I only just retired it even though it was a size 18-24 months. It was showing a little too much leg... and bottom. So I made her a new one. I figured I was playing it safe with purple... but she doesn't like it. I think I need to loosen the elastic and then I hope she'll wear it because I love how it turned out. Simple and classic. And I know that if she just wears it, she'll love it!

Holly graduated from Preschool this week and just about broke my heart. I'm not sure why childhood flies by so quickly, but it's moving like a freight train with no brakes. The start of kindergarten has me reeling. I feel like now she has to grow up. And it's all happening way too fast...

It was fun to celebrate her! She's had a lot of fun in Preschool. She went twice a week for 2.5 hours. Now we're onto summer and hopefully having a lot of fun before we begin what will be the many years of daily school attendance. Lots of growth and learning, but also a lot less time in the home with me. Breaking my heart. But at the same time, let's see how far you can soar Holly Bear.