...random experiences, observations and thoughts of my daily life as mommy...past journeys and dreams of journeys yet to be taken creating my life story as i go...


Saturday, September 24, 2011

my boyfriend robert

yesterday when i picked up sea from class she said "MOM! i have a boyfriend!" and then proudly presented me with robert. she said "you kiss me on the forehead and i'll kiss you on the hand" which they are doing here simultaneously...i asked her later how she knows about boyfriends or who told her about this idea (or did they read a book about it?) and she said "no, just because he is nice and my special friend"...still processing the idea of my little daughter having her first boyfriend...


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

simplicity parenting and social inclusion

 these photos are the most recent example of simplicity parenting...attended a workshop by kim john payne, author of book by the same title...getting sea off to school and attending an art corps meeting this morning so more later...








Tuesday, September 20, 2011

school struggles

 these photos were taken last year...2nd week of kindergarten...here we are on the 3rd or so week of 1st grade and sea is having a really hard time "i HATE school mommy!" "why do i have to go?" "why can't i stay home like story?" "he gets to be with you all day and all night long..." "why can't i homeschool?" i didn't have great responses to these inquiries...i wanted to just hug her extra tightly and cover her in kisses but of course we were running late and again i made smothering her with zinc sunscreen all over her pale face more important...she was pleading with me..."mom please pinky promise you'll come at snack time...or recess...or lunch..."
 i tried to tell her we are sharing a car and i can't walk "you can be late...or just come for a few minutes..." she was negotiating, analyzing, trying to figure out a way to make it work...i wanted it to be simple like "i can't come the first month because it is too hard on you" but i believe her teacher is alright with parents coming in so i have to come up with something better...this morning sea was up at 5 ready for "lots of mommy and sea time"...of course much of that time was spent watching richard scarry and clifford videos while i was trying to wake up...it was cloudy, gray, foggy, gloomy...to match both of our moods...
 i'm getting ready to go pick her up from school now...walking over there with story in the double stroller and then headed together to the store where we will inevitably get snacky treats for them to munch on coming home...i wish i had some resolution...answers...direction...this breaks my heart...

Monday, September 19, 2011

dog beach in the fall

 every sunday we are in town we go to dog beach in coronado. yesterday i could definitely tell the weather had turned...cooler, a little windy...less people and just a "locals only" energy...





 this will probably be story's last time in this stretched out and faded body suit...sea's swimsuit was from last season and also doesn't fit her correctly...
 i love my vintage puerta vallarta towel...


 this is probably my favorite shot...
 though the random one of us moving and being together is nice, too...


Sunday, September 18, 2011

catching up and losing teeth

 this first photo is of sea wiggling her super loose top tooth with her tongue...it will most likely come out today...i woke up earlier than i wanted to...cleaned up the dinner dishes mess we left last night when we went to bed earlier than we planned, made chamomile tea to focus on being calm and prepared myself for a few minutes of time alone to blog before anyone woke up...sea beat me to all that...she came out for mommy and sea time though now she is talking about watching her favorite show martha speaks (she wants to feed her doggy alphabet soup to see if she's talk)...right now sea is rolling around with kyra on her dog bed...pablo (shown below with story) is about to (finally) go to sleep next to my keyboard while i type after a long night of crying and scampering around...off to start our day and get ready for the beach!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

sea's first day of first grade

 standing outside her classroom...

 shouting to her friend ruhi while running in the rain...
 getting ready to go inside...
 finding her name tag...
 listening to her teacher...

 backpacks hung up outside the class...
 meet and greet with the three first grade classes and pops...
 sea sharing one with her brother...



 hugging ruhi after school...

 our attempt at a family shot...
 hugging her teacher too tightly...

Friday, September 2, 2011

swirling in a pool

we are going to spend all day today at the pool...my thoughts have been swirling...i love the translucent nature of these photos as sea swirls in the pool...taken the end of last summer when sea was only 5 and about to enter kindergarten...i'm trying to write one more quick post with music that is too upbeat for my mood or energy, dog still in and out of the room, cat trying to escape outside to certain peril...kids transfixed by monkey george...my thoughts lost somewhere...i really want to find them because i feel compelled to "capture" these last moments before school starts...it is late thursday night and i'm going to schedule this to post 12:01 friday morning...i could probably do nablopomo if i could write several posts and schedule when they would post but somehow that seems to take away from the spirit of a-post-a-day...so i don't feel badly i'm not committing to nablopomo...

i also am going to decline jog-a-thon coordinator at sea's school. my friend is in charge of coordinating all the volunteers/coordinators and i feel like i might let her down but not as much as i would let down myself, my family and ultimately the school if i took the position...so instead i'm shooting for room mom. i met all three first grade teachers yesterday. the first one was sea's favorite...i'm not sure why...she was kind to sea, but so were the others...sea hid behind my legs and said loud enough for her to hear "mommy, can i tell you a secret?" and i said, sure, and turned her way to which she said "i want HER to be my teacher!"...the other two teachers were nice to sea as well. i've decided they each have their strengths and i can't try to control too much. i did ask each of them if i could be room mom if they were in sea's room... i think they said yes? i got caught up in trying to assess them/have sea meet them...

sea told one teacher she is a little bit scared about first grade because they don't give second chances (i still don't know what that means exactly) to which the teacher said "I will give you second chances"...i keep trying to get sea to tell me about kindergarten before those memories get lost in the experience of first grade. or tell me her first grade expectations...or what she enjoyed about the summer...i am trying to hold on to too much...i really am off to bed now...