Books and Apples 2014

 And the Brooksby Farms Apple picking tradition continues.  We went today, and it was a glorious 59 degrees with bright fall sun soaking through the crisp air.   It felt heavenly. Everything about it.  We’ve been doing this for years and the pictures always look like everything was seamless….but, toting around those 20 pound bags of apples and corralling crazy free kids while trying to take pictures isn’t always a walk in the park, especially those years I did it while wearing a baby.  Some of those years I just had to survive it, lots of joy, but not lots of fun.  Lots of living in anticipation of the memories….of looking back on the pictures.  But this year was different.  My kids acted mostly put together, Hazel was big enough to be Peter’s little care taker, Charlie and Em ran free without needing me.  I felt freer than I have in a long time.  And I felt the present glory of the moment.  And that felt good.  Finally. I’ve gone for years with a smattering of these kids and these moms ^^^.   My running friends.  Oh, I’ve ran through a lot with these girls: babies, pregnancies, crises, joys, troubles, challenges.  I love them.  And I loved being there with them today, watching all these little lives run through the orchards.  It made me realize how much we really have run through.   For the past few years I’ve tried to bring books into the orchard.  A favorite book of the year.  I started here.  Check out Charlie’s hair!  Wow.  That was really long.  I wanted to somehow mark the new school year and books and apples seem to commemorate what’s happening in September pretty well.  I love remembering what they were into year to year.  Charlie forgot his book in his backpack in the car…..so he just has this adorable bookless portrait.  And of course, I couldn’t help myself but capture some of these golden faces.  Apples are just so picturesque! I love these two girls who were thrilled to be together all day long today (they’re in the same kindergarten class). And these two friends?  Whenever I get a camera out to capture them they say “mug shot” and proceed to pose in these four poses….naturally, without any instruction.  Love these boys. Charlie says they have a “bromance”.  And this is also a traditional shot ^^^ I’ve taken this same shot of these same boys every year at different places.  Same order, same pose.  I love it when boys get excited about pictures!   

Life is good.  It’s not always pretty.  But it was today.

the clock starts ticking

Even though it may look like we’re still living in England from the posts I’ve been putting up, we are in fact in Boston.  And life is going on in the present.  Boy, is it ever going on in the present. 

The kids started school.  I had mixed feelings after having so little structure for the better part of 8 months.  I was psyched to get some kind of schedule in place, to have a little more time without everyone around to get some stuff on my list tackled.  But I was nervous about that big clock that starts ticking in September and just wont stop until June.  Suddenly it feels like we’re rushing through morning routines of getting up, dressed, ready, out the door. Then rushing through afternoon routines of homework, chores, practicing, putting dinner on the table.  And then it’s a race to beat that darn clock to bed so that we can do it all over again the next day.  Everything feels so “packed” (as Hazel puts it). 

Now that we’re a few months in I think we’ve ironed out the wrinkles, but it really has taken that long to start to feel normal with that tick tock in the background of our lives. 

And I was nervous that I’d miss being covered in these kids all the time.  I do miss it.  I like having my kids around (mostly).  But it feels good to breath a little.

Here the big kids are on their first day of school.  They were pretty stoked.  And a little nervous (can you see all that nervous excitement in their faces?) Charlie was a little bit of a wreck when I left him.  He was hoping that some of his kindergarten friends would be in his class, but he didn’t know a soul.  Thankfully they had their friends close by (not in the same classes, or even the same grades, but it feels good to know they are somewhere in the building).They came home all smiles.  Full of that confidence of doing something hard and scary. 

Emmeline spent the first week of school at home, vying for the day she could start.  She did lots of art work (turning into quite the artist).  Emmeline started school the next week. She is going to a Montessori preschool three afternoons a week.  She loves it.  And I love it.  Peter naps and I actually get some uninterrupted time (though of course not nearly enough).   

Emmeline is happy and something about this new change and this clock ticking structure into our lives is really making her blossom.  A few weeks after starting she was playing family with some of her stuffed animals and she sang to herself, “I love School.  I love school.  I don’t want to have any birthdays.  I want to stay this old – every year and every day.” 

Oh, dear Em, I want you to stay this old too, every year and every day. 

That’s the problem of the ticking clock.  It just keeps going.  There’s no stopping it.   Morning routines turn into evening routines which turn into days and then weeks and then months and then before you know it another long summer is stretched out before you. 

This year I want to figure out a way to slow down the constant ticking and motion.  I want, every once in a while, to just be still together.  Still with the way we are right now before it goes and changes.

kindergarten boys

Wowzers, time flies.  .  It seems like it was just a blink and these boys went from little babies to kindergarten buddies. 

 

I love it that Charlie has a friend that he ‘knew’ in utero. I love it that these boys are like brothers.  I love it that they’re in the same kindergarten class (not sure if their teacher loves it….but I think they behave most of the time). Here they are just as they were headed down those stairs and into kindergarten on that rainy first day of school.  There’s just nothing like having a buddy to do scary things with.  And here they are as they came out.  All grown up after just one day. there’s still a long road of adventures ahead for these two. 

Dirt

Charlie is in love with dirt. He loves to dig it up, to throw it, to eat it, to explore it. He LOVES dirt. These photos document his last hurrah (hopefully) before we got the garden ready and banished him from the dirt till we harvest the garden in the fall.

He and Saul really made the most of it.

I love these boys.