“A portrait of my children every week in 2016.”

Lillia: Summer vacation has officially come to an end, and I know you’re not thrilled about going back to school. You really enjoyed being home—drawing, reading, watching your favorite shows, Skype-ing with your friend Jessica who lives in England. The last month of summer seemed to fly by with total disregard for your attempts to lengthen it. But, it’s not a total loss. A new school year brings new opportunities and, despite your protests, I think you really do enjoy school and the challenges it brings. There will be interesting projects, and school plays, and dance lessons, and all manner of things filling up your days. It will not be summer vacation, but it will still be fun.

Zane: Where do I begin? Today is your very last day at home with me before starting kindergarten. You’ve been in preschool the last two years, but there is such a different impulse behind the word “school” that leaves me feeling a bit breathless—how exactly DID all that time pass? Part of me wants to look away and have it all be over quickly, so that I don’t have to feel anything. Another part of me wants to savor these last few hours, since we will never have them again. I am not very good at living in the present—I daydream, and plan, and reflect—and miss a lot of little moments as they happen. It is only when we must cross a threshold together that I realize those moments are now forever irretrievable.

“A portrait of my children every week in 2016.”

Lillia: You’re now in your fourth week of school vacation, and you certainly seem to be enjoying the slower pace of summer, which mostly entails lounging, walking to the pool with friends, and watching your favorite TV shows on Hulu and Netflix. You’ve also been doing a lot of watercolor painting, which is great! You reluctantly accompanied us on our family vacation to Lubec, Maine the week before last. As is to be expected of kids your age, family stuff isn’t your highest priority. One aspect of our trip that you did seem to enjoy was our sea-kayaking excursion off the coast of New Brunswick—you had to go in a tandem kayak with the instructor named Bruce which, despite your initial hesitation, turned out to be the best possible scenario. The two of you chatted like old friends which, in a certain sense, you were: Seven years ago we took the very same excursion and Bruce let you borrow his special wool hat because it was so cold. Neither of you remember this, but I do, and we have pictures to prove it! We’ve also signed you up for an acting class this summer, which will be your first foray into formal acting instruction. I think you’ll really enjoy it. [Lillia will be a guest-poster on my blog later this month, so stay tuned!]

Zane: As soon as school was over, we started doing the Zane childcare shuffle. Because I only work part-time, we were able to cobble together a mixture of grandmother-care and summer camp at your preschool, which will carry us through the summer. While you were with Meme you got to visit the library, swim at the lake, and play at the children’s museum. The biggest highlight of your summer so far was our family vacation to Lubec. You’re always up for whatever we have planned, and you really enjoyed all of the outdoor time we had in Maine. Before we left we bought some Golden Guides to help us identify all the birds, plants, and sea shells we might encounter, and you used them quite a few times during our trip. You were particularly interested in the different kinds of shells we found—we came home with quite the collection of bits and bobs. You were particularly enamored with empty crab shells and crab appendages. I have to be honest and tell you that I did not bring the crab legs home with us: I have to draw the line somewhere! For the next month you’ll be at day camp and I’m sure you’ll have a blast.

“A portrait of my children every week in 2016.”

Lillia: You made it through your sixth grade year! While it was certainly a big adjustment from fifth to sixth grade, you were determined to step it up and work to your ability. I appreciate so much that you basically did this on your own, with very minimal pressure from us. And, you had a GREAT year. You got all A’s in your second AND third term, and your final grades for the year were all A’s as well—this qualified you for the high honor roll! This year you also ran for student council and were elected Member at Large, you starred in your school play, and you aced your spring dance performance. Words can’t describe how proud I am of all you’ve accomplished, and how wonderful it is to have you as a daughter. I love you so much, Lillia!

Zane: You have officially “graduated” from preschool, which puts you on track for kindergarten in the fall. This year you learned all of your letters and numbers, and how to write your name. You developed a real enjoyment for doodling, and you’re still enamored with babies and birds. You made lots of friends, and had your first real playdate this month. While it seems incomprehensible that you’ll be going to “real school” in the fall, I know that your kindergarten teachers are going to love having you in their class—your cheerful personality and natural curiosity will take you far. I love you, Zane-a-roo!

[Note: It’s been very hard to get photos of Lillia this year—she’s been very busy and I just haven’t been taking as many pictures lately, which makes me sad. Regardless, the picture of Lillia backstage at her dance performance was taken by Sarah Manning.]