Exhale and an update

Deep breath out.

I won't go into to all the reasons why I haven't shown up in this space lately, because there is only one: full-time school sealed my fate as a woman too busy to blog. If I had a spare moment after family obligations and school, I was usually to be found snoring on the couch next to Matty or asleep in Shira's bed. I would sometimes come home after a long night of studying and sneak into her bed, pretending to check in on her, but really just looking to snuggle up with her under the covers. I missed the girls so much over the course of this chaotic year, and it was healing to slide into Shira's bed. She wouldn't wake up, but she would know enough to roll into me and stick a hand down my shirt and maybe cup my face with her other hand. I would breathe her in, try to forget about the deadline I was probably unprepared for, and feel better. Sometimes I would even change into my pajamas first.

So without any giant promises or declarations, I'm back for the summer. I have the next four months free from school, I'll be working part-time from home, and I'll be doing all the daytime parenting until school starts up again in September. A week ago we took Shira out of daycare for the rest of the summer to hang out with me at home, both for reasons of saving some money and of me needing to spend some time with the girlies. For the time being it will be just me and Shira, and then at the very end of June Alyce will join us. It will feel like old times and will hopefully spark some oversharing right here on the blog.  Summer adventures await!

Now for the updates.

Alyce

• She is six, and enjoying the homestretch of grade one. She calls herself a "Grade Oner" and that makes me laugh every time I hear it. She dreams of the day she'll be a "Grade Twoer." 
• She loves telling me what she learned at school. A few weeks ago she explained kinetic energy with more clarity and passion than I could have mustered. 
• She writes book reports when she's bored. 
• Bouncing, skipping, and leaping are still her favourite modes of transportation.
• New freckles appear on her cheekbones every week.
• She received four dollars from the Tooth Fairy for her first lost tooth in December.
• She's the most generous person I know.
• Hanging from the monkey bars is her favourite after school activity. 
• She seems to be inheriting my perfectionism. I'm trying to model imperfection, which isn't too hard because I make a lot of mistakes.
• She actually sparkles.

 

Shira

• Yesterday she turned four. 
• Today she tried the big kid swing at the park from the first time.
• She's not all that interested in sharing, and still frequently yells at strangers when they look at her the wrong way.
• She has taken over the position of sous-chef in our kitchen and she is a delightful assistant. In the week she's been home from daycare we've made two batches of muffins, rice krispy squaures, tomato sauce, roast chicken, grilled salmon, and, of course, cookies. She takes her kitchen responsibilities very seriously. She steals pinches of brown sugar the second my back is turned.
• Still very loud.
• She's afraid of ants.
• She spontaneously declares her love for me at fifteen minute intervals.
• She's all mine. 

Matty

• He is leaving on a ten-day, all-fun trip to France "for work." His job? To tour around Paris, Nice, and Cannes with university students. I'm too green with jealously to say anymore about this. 

Me

• I've finished year one of a four-year midwifery degree. 
• I am exhausted.
• I can't wait to start year two in September.
• I have grown out my short hair cut. My secret? Don't get a hair cut for fifteen months.
• Red lipstick has become my new favourite accessory. 
• I have jumped into a summer reading season, beginning with Game of Thrones.
• I am searching for a gluten-free challah recipe for Shabbat dinners. Know of any?
• I cultured my lab partner's vaginal flora in lab this semester. And my own urine. It was awesome.
• I was super sick between February and April. Strep throat that required a visit to the ER for morphine and steroids, another trip to the ER for an inflamed gall bladder that will be removed sometime this summer, and a stomach flu straight from Hell. 
• I totally called Connecticut's victory in April. #marchmadness
• I'm pretty excited to have a whole summer with the girlies.