round up: maudlin

Oliver started preschool this week and Stella's last day of summer vacation is today. My overly nostalgic brain is on overload. I started this blog to document our summer vacation in 2011 before any of this other D.I.Y. and donut stuff came along. The whole time this day felt so far away, and now here we are.

I'm totally maudlin about it. It's hard for me to look over toward the living room while I'm working on something or other and not see Oliver playing right there. He has been standing by patiently since he was born through psuedo-renovations, costume making frenzies and a million baking projects. I think I imposed on him a bit of patience and resourcefulness through boredom and slow days, and if I did I hope it serves him well. I am going to miss our regular coffee dates and crazy-long run-on conversations every morning. I'm going to feel lonely for a while, I imagine.

Out with the kids.

From the cover of Blankets Weaving in the Southwest. We saw an incredible exhibit at the Wheelright Museum
in Santa Fe on Navajo blankets from the mid-to-late 1800s and I had to bring this book home. Amazing.

Stella has a laundry list of New Mexican inspired projects for her dolls.

We made some clay skulls, some "turquoise" beads and chiles for ristras.

I also made this quick doll tent with $12 of materials. We might paint it later.

These two are kid magnets, especially Stella.

A new pursuit for Oliver and Stella, a half a block from us with the most amazing instructor.

High tea to celebrate the start of a new school year. 

As always, we made the most of our summer and we all feel incredibly blessed to have spent so much time together. I've sort of got one foot out the door toward next week and my new life as someone who has a few hours each weekday without a child to care for. Eight years is a long stretch to raise kids without relatives around and very little child care. I've done a lot with the time I've had here with the kids so I'm really curious to see what I can do without them around all the time.

Of course it's a total change for Oliver, too. He is the only English speaker in his Spanish immersion preschool, but he is doing great so far. In fact he hasn't missed me one bit! Good for him.

I hope you have a great weekend and I'll see you next week! xoxo

p.s. Horrible photo quality due to another scratched phone camera lens.