Last carefree days of summer: dos

Yesterday Pollywog and I met up with my sister and her kids and my mom for dinner.

These girls love each other so much. I cannot tell you how it touches my heart to see my sister's daughter and my daughter so close. I remember when me and my sister were little girls we would often talk about someday having babes of our own...and well They are almost the same age difference as my sister and I - and they often remind me of when we were little gals. It is a beautiful thing...this cycle of life. Then there is our matriarch, my mom. I often think about her being my age and thinking of her daughters have children someday. Her grandkids treasure her. Pollywogs favorite game with grandma is when grandma finds strawberries, skittles and ice cream on her cheeks and eats them off After dinner I took the kids to see Toy Story 3 at the outdoor park. Our community has many wonderful activities like this for families and kids. We all snuggled on a blanket under the stars, gorging on candy and making lasting memories... They kept me laughing all the way to the park. Needless to say the drive home was quieter as they all dozed off to sleep. On another note...here is the blanket my sis made for Pollywog. She picked out the material...think she likes it?

Last of the carefree days of summer: uno

My little one is a busy girl. I love for her to get to be home and flow from activity to activity with no rushing around or deadlines to meet.

Next week preschool starts. Although she will only be going part-time this means that their will be schedules to follow, ballet classes to attend, soccer practice and early bedtimes. So as the summer winds up we are enjoying the last of the carefree... there are outdoor films to attend with cousins, a princess tea party planned with grandma and a day at the pool planned.

She is very into her responsibility chart and each morning works hard to add circles of achievements (I think we need a circle for silly faces...it would fill up quick) a game of hide~n~seek found you our many daily games of go fish setting the table so she can get a circle on her chart

then eating yummy pollywog foods: cheese quesadilla, avocados, apricots and almond milk

our nightly bike rides and explorations

and on the rarest of occasions, after a fun-filled day, she falls asleep in my arms and I can pretend she is my little baby still

Finding our Rhythm: Part three "they walk alike, they talk alike""

Ask Pollywog what she wants to do and each time you will hear, "play with my cousins!"

She loves her cousins and boy do they love her! I am so thankful we live in the same town as them so they can all grow up together. Her cousin Brenna is probably her favorite person in the whole wide world. When Pollywog was in Oregon she would often talk to Brenna and both of them couldn't wait to finally be together again...and play, and play, and well...play some more. Today both of her cousins (Brenna and Camden) got to spend the day with us.

Playing doctor (for some reason the patient is listening to her heartbeat...;) )

and our favorite activity: crafts and snacks (the rain this morning brought a sweet breeze onto the sun-porch)

sugar and spice playing school (reminds me of my sister and I when we were little girls)

Finally an activity Camden wanted to do! Most of the day was "no boys allowed" I'm pretty sure he was fine with that. Brenna and I made up cheers on the sidelines!

Finding our rhythm: Part two "Princess Room"

Mommy has worked hard to make a beautiful room for Pollywog. She requested pale blue walls and her aunt is making her a comforter...Pollywog picked out the fabric today! I bring you Pollywog's room:

Finding our rhythm: Part one "Routines of joy"

We are finding our rhythm amidst all the new changes.

Pollywog is finally back home with mommy where she belongs!!! She has been visiting daddy in Oregon and has missed her home, cousins, brother, grandma, aunt and uncle, friends and especially her mommy. She has always had her mommy with her...practicing attachment parenting I have rarely left her side, so being separated as often as we have been lately, has been VERY DIFFICULT for the both of us! Only a mother could understand how painful and unnatural it is to be without your little ones. I made a choice when I found out I was pregnant that I wanted to be with her every day. Teaching her, nurturing her, and watching her grow. So having to be away from her has been traumatic. I can only imagine how much so for her. She has always slept next to me, she breastfed till age 3, and we spent all day, every day together going on nature walks, making crafts, singing, snuggling, and all the many activities I documented on this blog. Then suddenly she is without me...needless to say we are both healing and catching up. We both just stare at each other with love and hug as much as possible. Yesterday morning I was awaken by her announcing she was going to wake me up with 10 hugs and eleven kisses. Best alarm clock ever!!!! When the sun rises, we both open our eyes and smile blissfully that yes, mommy and Pollywog are together. As we move forward we are finding our rhythm again. The rhythm that provides security, growth and love that my little one thrives in.

showing mommy her ballet moves in her new sparkle shoes

how cool is this!?! She gets to help mommy at work. She sat next to me at her own little desk and played pbskid.org and colored (I brought her crafting basket)...then she helped mommy.

the simple pleasure of routines

crafting with mommy to make:

the entrance to her room!!! (all colored and cut by us!)

lots of art being made to decorate my walls mommy's famous green smoothie Popsicles!!! our favorite park to feed the geese and ducks! Its good to be together again!