Finding Peace

Well. my sweet girl, you are nearly finished your third week of Kindergarten (your second FULL week) and you are rocking it, or so I think! You got ready for kindergarten by going for a big back to school shopping day with Mommy, where we also went and got your EARS PIERCED! Whaaaat?! At FOUR years old?! You were so brave about it, but was shocked by the pinch, and cried for just a few seconds. You have made sure to remind everyone in your family, and many strangers you have come across, that you have just gotten your ears pierced. I love how proud you are. You did your first week of half days and were picked up by Gramma or Grampa at lunchtime and you got to hang out with them in the afternoons. You have made an instant friend in Eavyn, who you went to daycare in Harrison with just briefly last year. Your few months at the Harrison daycare were very hard for you, mostly, so you didn't really connect with any of the kids. But when you found out Eavyn, a familiar face was not ...

Dear Kindergarten Teacher, this is our Ava - she will be coming to join you in kindergarten this year and there are a few things we think you should know about her before she gets there.  Ava loves it most in the great outdoors. If you are able to find an outdoor learning space Ava will thrive here. She loves books and art but if you expect her to color the horse brown and stay in the lines you are going to have a challenge on your hands. We hope you are able to admire th e unique way in which she sees the world and that you continue to encourage her to dance to her own beat.  She has great empathy and will be a friend to all, just like she is with her little brother. Ava is kind and wild and thoughtful and spontaneous and active and pensive, and loves to figure things out from afar . Most importantly, we want you to love her for all she is, just the way she is and that you help her to love school just the way she loves life.

We spent a perfect 4 days up at the Cabin last weekend. It is always perfect. Last year we had a day and a half of blustery, stormy weather there, which we had never had before, and it too was perfect. There is nothing in this world that could ruin this place for me.  But as I turned back in the truck, and had another look back at the cabin as we drove out around the first bend, this year it felt different. We had a bad (I call it "good") winter this last year, and it took its toll on the cabin's exterior. The structure of "the cabin" itself has never been beautiful. I don't remember ever adoring the building itself, although I do remember adoring its simplicity. As much as I do not enjoy using the outhouse, I do enjoy that it is all we have to use. As nice as it would be to have a shower sometime in the middle of 4 days there - is a quick shampoo and shave at the waters edge really the worst thing in life? As convenient as it would be to flick the light...

Riley man, you sure keep us on our toes. As I think of the other blogs I have written for you, I may have had the same first line several times before. Our darling Riley, you love a reaction; any kind of reaction. You like to get a laugh and will do anything to get one. You are all about funny faces, silly walks, pretending to be sweet and offering us your food before quickly taking it away. You like to fake like you are coming in for a sweet kiss before sticking out your tongue at the last second and planting a wet and slimy one on our cheeks. You LOVE water sweet boy. You like to play in the water table on the back porch, and think it's funny to say 'HI MOMMY!" the second that I look away, only to find you sitting or standing on your table. Mumford and Bailey are always thirsty when you are around because you like to splash in their water, dump it out, and then wear the water dish on your head. You like to run through the hose water, but not the sprinkler and y...

My sweet baby girl, you are back! You had a VERY difficult 6 weeks or so after we lost our wonnnnderful daycare and your world as you knew it changed. You were moved to the first daycare centre you had ever been too, separated from your brother, thrust into a place with new adults, new children, new routines, and it was very hard on you. My sweet baby girl, your Mommy and Daddy are so proud of how you bounced back after all of the change. You graduated from the Christian School preschool a week before we all went on holidays, and you were sad about potentially not getting to see your preschool friends again. You graduated from your new daycare preschool, and without hesitation, stood infront of your new teachers, new classmates, and new set of parents - singing songs, doing dance, and getting your certificate. Your bravery astounds me, sweet girl. When you got pulled from Sara's daycare suddenly, it wasn't just a shift in childcare, it was a shift in your personality, ...

 Sweet boy, you are one of a kind! You are the epitome of "little boy," and we love you for it, but man are we going to be in for it. You are such a mix of things...a mix of perfect things. You LOVE cuddles, and we are never surprised when you lay your head down on our chests and take a break from the world; or when you are  the middle of playing and come by, lay your head down on our legs for a quick check in, and then head off again. We love that that is you, and we are spoiled by you. But we can also not take our eyes off of you or there is going to be a mess in this house. You love water, and if there is a cup of water, or Sawyer and Mumfords' water bowl, you will find it. You will play in it, you will dump it all over the ground, you will dump it all over yourself. And then you will sit in it and splash around. You don't discriminate when it comes to water. You are not afraid to toss things into the toilet or the bathtub, and you are not even afraid (much to ...

Sweet Darling girl, you are our everything. It has been a crazy week for you; for all of us, but I've been wanting to write to you for awhile. Ava Irene, I hate uncertainty. I hate that you have started your fourth daycare in four years and I hate that you need to begin again. You are such an outgoing, fun, and energetic little girl, and we are so proud that that is who you are. Last week you were shy, nervous, and emotional, and we love that side of you too, but you are not very comfortable with that side of yourself, nor should you be, because you are only four. One of my favourite things about you is that you like to dress yourself in what makes you feel good. You wear lots of colours, lots of patterns, jewellery, dresses, skirts over pants, and mismatched socks, and you love it, and so do I. Last week you got yourself dressed, on your second new daycare day and you put on your toe socks that you got for Christmas, that you LOOOOOOOVE. When we got to your new daycare, w...