OUR COMMON HOURS

Kelli Ann Wilson August 28, 2014

35 // 52

First Day of School 2014 – 5th grade and Morning Preschool

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Lillia: This week you became a Middle School-er! Hooray! You seem to be be enjoying school so far, with your only major complaints being the heat (why is it always blazingly hot the first week of school?), the awkwardness of having to change into your gym clothes in front of other people, and the stress of not being able to remember much of the multiplication tables. On the other hand, you’ve been thrilled about seeing your friends again. I’ve noticed that you’re mildly preoccupied with others’s perceptions of you this year, which I don’t think bothered you very much in the past. Don’t forget: you are awesome just the way you are.

Zane: This week you started preschool! You weren’t upset at all when I dropped you off and you wanted to hop right into the action. I left you playing Play-Doh with a couple of other little kids who looked about your age. You were really happy to see me when I first came to pick you up, but then you went and hid under a climber. When I bent down to look in, you threw a couple of handfuls of wood chips at me. Even brave little boys have mixed emotions about being without their mama for a few hours. But, you said you really wanted to go back next week so I think it was a big success overall.

Kelli Ann Wilson August 27, 2014

three

A few pictures from our son’s two birthday parties this past weekend. I can’t believe my “baby” is three years old! Happy Birthday, Zane (and Papa, too)!

Zane’s Third Birthday // Part Two from Kelli Wilson on Vimeo.

Kelli Ann Wilson August 22, 2014

34 // 52

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Lillia: This week you’ve been listening to a podcast called “Welcome to Night Vale”. It seems to be a sort of dark comedy. Your dad and I were discussing how you are a person who is highly susceptible to being scared, and I mean really scared, and yet you are also attracted to things that frighten you. You like to walk to the line between being genuinely terrified, and perhaps just a little uneasy. I do not like to be scared at all, so I had to learn where to draw the line (PG and under, thanks). But, it will be more nuanced and subtle for you, and you’ll have to be careful about what you expose yourself to as you get older.

Zane: Today is your very last day as a two year-old. I cannot believe it. I would be in denial, if I wasn’t so aware of it. Although we are still very much a duo, I can feel you pulling away, ever-so-slightly, and it does hurt. But, let me be clear: YOU are not causing me pain; and, it is more sadness than despair. I know we have at least a couple more years before you go away to school, and then after that there will be many years to go before you leave home. Still, I do feel it looming, just a little bit, already.

Kelli Ann Wilson August 16, 2014

33 // 52

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2014.”

Lillia: This week you got your class assignment for the coming school year. You have Mrs. Ronning! You really didn’t care who your teacher was, but you were very concerned about who would be in your class. Thankfully, your best friend is in your class this year. You seem very relieved now, but on the way to see the class lists you said, “I have butterflies in my stomach, and newts, and the newts are devouring the butterflies.” You are a strange kid, but I love you! This year you have a locker, so when we went to buy school supplies you bought some things to put in it, like a wipe off board. I cannot believe my child is old enough to have a locker.

Zane: This week we’ve played outside a lot. The weather is so cool, it really feels more like fall than summer. You’ve been really enjoying riding your little push bike. You can’t go very fast yet, but you look so gosh darn adorable wearing your little helmet. I think you just need an inch or two more of height and it will be a lot easier for you to make your bike go! You’ve also grown very emotionally attached to our vegetables. You helped me pick a zucchini and some cucumbers to make lunch, but then you cried when I tried to prepare them! Poor little Zane! I never meant for our garden adventure to be so traumatizing!