I cannot believe that I failed to post pictures from BOTH kids’ birthdays this year. This is really a symptom of a larger issue, which I will address at some point. In any case, Zane turned four at the end of August, and Lillia turned twelve at the end of October. Here are a few pictures from their celebrations (I’m pretty darn proud of the tiger cake I made for Zane):
Then summer fades and passes and October comes.
We’ll smell smoke then, and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness,
swift elation, a sense of sadness and departure.
–Thomas Wolfe
“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”
Lillia: This week you had two days off from school for parent-teacher conferences. For each of your classes you had to do a self-evaluation and talk about your strengths and weaknesses, and your overall performance. In just about each presentation you mentioned that your biggest weaknesses were disorganization and the fact that you hate group work. You have a keen sense of self-awareness for someone your age. I think you were overly critical of yourself, but you have always been like that. The old adage “we’re our own worst critics” certainly applies to you! Still, you are doing very well in all of your classes, and all of your teachers really seem to enjoy having you as a student. I hope you continue on this path.
Zane: This week your school also had parent-teacher conferences. Your teacher, Melissa, said that you are a joy to have in class. She said she doesn’t think she’s ever had a student that loved school as much as you do, and I tend to believe that she’s right. She said you are really right on track in your development, and had no concerns. She said that some things that still challenge you are using scissors properly, and one-to-one counting of objects. You know all of your colors, can recognize in print all of the numbers up to 8, and most of the letters of the alphabet. You can write all the letters in your name, though not in the right order — your “E” has about 8 legs on it which is just adorable. I already knew that you’re a bright little boy, but it was nice to hear it from your teacher, too.
“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”
Lillia: This week was Michaelmas. We had a little celebration at home, but these special days don’t seem to excite or engage you the way they used to. For me, it’s a little sad to see what growing up really takes from us, and I do hope that someday you will get back some of the joy you’ve lost. The melancholic years of young adulthood seem to be worse for you — a person who was born world-weary. You are cynical in the way of an almost-twelve-year-old, and perhaps this level of apathy, distrust, and disdain is normal? I would be very hesitant to jump to any conclusions at this point. I do wish I could remember just a little bit better what it was like to be your age. Perhaps I should have a talk with your grandmother — I’m sure she remembers!
Zane: This week you really enjoyed helping me get ready for the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. Unfortunately, it was raining this year so we couldn’t go out in the woods together to gather flowers and colored leaves for our table. But, you did help me make all of the food! After dinner we read about St. George and the Dragon, and then you wanted to play knights and dragons with some little wooden figures we have. I love how children re-create their experiences in their play, re-living again and again the moments that made an impression on them.