Transitions and Shifts

We are in a season of transitions and shifts here at home…

School has started up for my oldest and full day kindergarten is feeling like a long time to be apart everyday for all of us. We relished our time together through summer break and sending her off for seven hours a day has felt jarring. Neither the kids nor myself were prepared for that shift. The number of just because hugs, kisses and I love you’s has quadrupled, and time spent snuggling and reading books has probably doubled at this point. We’ve started reading the InvestiGator series of books by John Patrick Green and really enjoying it, there’s a fair bit that goes over my kids heads right now but there’s plenty they cackle at and remember to use while they play together.

Starting school back up also put us feet first into the germ pool and a stomach virus was the first thing to be brought home. Thankfully recovery was pretty swift and happened just in time for allergies to come raging in for both of my kids and myself. Fun right? hahaha

For now my work is in limbo until September comes and my youngest ventures out for a few hours a day to school too. I’m okay sending him off as it only comes to a whopping 12 hours a week. The benefits for him proved to be well worth it last year going only 8 hours a week.

When Gus began school last year his classmates made an effort to talk to him or try and play together. As it turns out Gus only ever responded with “I don’t talk to people”. Subtle right? That was the first half of the year.

By Spring, his teacher told me he was yapping so much during lunch he failed to eat very much of it and he may still be hungry. He’s gone from ignoring other kids at the playground to walking right up to them and trying to play and given the amount of time he spends making faces in front of the mirror I’m guessing he’s preparing to try and make his classmates laugh from the time he walks in his classroom this year until the day is done. He is the definition of a ham. He’s really excited to go back in a few weeks and I’m excited to see what this year brings for him.

Current work in progress featuring Blue Mistflowers

As far as my work goes…

Sometimes I forget how integral creating is to who I am. When time feels precious and things come up, my work is the first thing to get pushed to the backburner. I’m okay with that initially and I know it makes sense to sacrifice that time for whatever life has thrown our way.

That feeling lasts for about a week.

It’s not so much that I mind sacrificing my work time as it is the impact of not creating has on me. The first thing that hits is a feeling of general jitteriness. One that I can’t shake and then the lack of being able to shake the jitteriness turns into feeling unsettled. My brain will race but in a thousand directions without a single decisive thing to be found and it will stay that way- until I make the time to get back to work. Finding my flow state almost instantly brings order back to my mind. It’s a part of who I am and fueling it, even for just a few hours a week, significantly alters how I go through my days.

I’m hoping to be around more in the coming weeks, I have a whole host of other flowers I want to share with you and here’s hoping some substantial progress with my work.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a laugh, I suggest reading either of these posts from Thig.

I really enjoyed listening to Antonia Malchik from On the Commons read through True Believers and Mass Movements and how creativity plays a role.

and this deep dive into Beatrix Potter by Jillian Hess.

Until I can find the time to write again, have a nice week

xoxo
Bec

p.s. here’s a quick snap of my Dad and I from the weekend too, just because it makes me happy, he’s kind of a ham like my son…