Party slideshow

For Halina's 9th, she and three friends went to LoveJoys Tea Shop in the city, then home for some games like who can put on the most socks in 60 seconds, race to unwrap the tiny gift in the big package (with socks on your hands), and limbo, with Hallowe'en candy prizes for all. The birthday slideshow is here. Check it out.

The last day of eight

This sleeping beauty has her last day of being an eight-year-old tomorrow.

Here she is at less than a year. I remember when I took this picture. I was sitting in a kitchen chair, holding her, feet on the table. She'd fallen asleep against me and she looked so lovely. I had the Nikon within reach and took some shots blind, pointing the camera in what I guessed might be the right direction, hoping to capture some of this sweet contentedness. I can almost feel it, the weight of her head on my chest. The soundness of her sleep.

The end of the scarf

Halina began this scarf almost two years ago. Last week she reached the end. I put some fringes on. When it was done, Halina said she wasn't sure she liked it and didn't want to wear it -- the first part is so different from the last part. It was knitted on different gauge needles. Slippery, skinny, too-long needles at first, then thick, smooth bamboo needles after that. I love the way it looks and I'm glad she decided to wear it. The beginning is tight and wobbly, the end is confidently loose and consistent. In the middle there are holes and bunchy parts (hard to notice). It's like strata in rock formations that tell a story of time, materials, and conditions. For almost two years now, when she has been hunting for things to do, she might knit a row or two on her scarf. Row by row, she got to the end.

It's the beginning of so much that she'll be able to do.

Turning

As the crickets in Charlotte's Web say, summer's gone. The crickets are gone, now, too. Very recently, the nights got chilly. It's practically Halloween. I thought I'd post about graduation last year, then about Luke's birthday, or at least more about summer and all our little adventures. Then I thought I'd post about the first day of school, or the first week, or the first month. I thought I'd post throwback Thursday shots and flashback Friday shots and do a collage of Halina and her friend and all the dogs they've posed with. I thought I'd post about Luke's uncertain eyes as he walked into Kindergarten that first day and his relieved smile as he walked out.

I'll post before Halloween. That became my mantra.

So here goes.

And Halina's 9th birthday is right around the corner. I need to get 8 year old Halina in here, in this printed place where I can see, and see again, what's right in front of me.

Here's a mosaic portrait of the first day of school, and the first-first day for Luke. With an ending of friends and frozen yogurt, and one last stop at preschool on the way home to play house and feed the chickens.

Going in

Coming out

  

Summer lessons

The first day of school was Wednesday. That post is coming up. Today I was reflecting on lessons, actual skills learned. In addition to doing multiple dozens of duct tape projects (deserves its own post), Halina learned to sew on a machine.

Here she is at her sewing class. 

She made a pink flannel pillow case for a full-sized bed pillow -- and this for-real skirt!

Then she taught me how to use my machine and we sewed a doll skirt.

(You'll notice this doll also has an awesome duct tape tote.)

Halina also started piano lessons. She's been to two so far. They are small group lessons at the instructor's home. The other girls are 8, too. 

Luke at the lessons. Definitely not a participant.

But he's inspired. Here he is looking a little Schroeder-like and playing a song whose lyrics are "there there, raw blood" sung over and over.

I'm taking guitar lessons. It's nice to have music being made in the house -- even if it's very amateur. Making music has a thrill of joy running through it. So does learning something new.

Super silly siblings

All I wanted was one nice brother-sister photo in nature for the grandparents. One like this first photo, only a wee bit nicer…

So I had to travel down the long road of out-takes, of which this is but a small sampling.

(Okay this one might not be half bad…) 

I think this is where I started saying "Just make your faces look normal."

And they pretty much…did! Phew.