Greta drew her first recognizable person - a happy face is what she called it. It's lovely how the little things make me beam with pride. I love my Greta. She's pretty great.
My darling Greta was able to do a Joy School with a couple of friends for the last 5 months. It was a real blessing and a treat to be able to do this. Greta had so much fun and her friendships really deepened. This week she had her last class. She was so excited for it! But now she's sad and had a little pout about no more joy school (until September, but does that really mean anything to an eager 3 year old?). Her big, enthusiastic grin in the photos says it all.
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...
