Picture Perfect Memory

 

I recently read that the average human only remembers a very small percentage of their lives and that many of those memories are actually images or pieces of photographs from their childhood. I have a few specific memories of my childhood that I am sure are based on photographs and embellished with my vivid imagination and pure romantic view of life (one particular moment where I was playing in a child's pool with my nana, who died just six months after the photo was taken. I was not quite two at that time and too young to actually remember that event.)

As I photograph my boys and their childhoods, I do think about documenting events, every day and extraordinary, in a way that will help them remember, not just people, places and things, but the emotions associated with those times. Because I am usually the one photographing, I am rarely in the photos, and I hope that my boys will one day want to see images of me with them...

...that is why this photograph, taken by my friend Molly, is so dear to me, and will one day be dear to them.

I love this photograph because:

:: it honestly depicts a summer afternoon without make up, fancy clothes or posed bodies::

::Arlo has his shoes on the wrong feet and that is an everyday occurrence::

::Otis is curling his tongue like does when he is saying his "s" sound::

::Sam is looking very calm and grown up and relaxed and freckled and happy::

::we are relaxing in the hammock which is common in the late summer afternoons while we wait for Matt to come home from work::

::there is nature surrounding us which is how we live our lives here on our little farm::

::the chicken tractor is in the background (though I don't think most people would recognize that, we do, and we love it) which is also how we live our lives here on our little farm::

::Arlo's shins are bruised, also very common, no matter the season::

::Otis is sitting on my lap and as the baby of the family he is frequently found sitting on my "wap"::

::you can see just the corner of the book, "To Kill A Mockingbird", which Molly was reading to us as we sat in the hammock::

::I am in a kid sandwich and so happy there::

::the sun is shining and you can almost feel the summer heat as we snuggle in the shade of our grove of cedar trees::

To me this is the epitome of a picture perfect memory. Sam is very likely to remember this day, Arlo might remember, and Otis likely will not, but they will have this image to help and so will I as the years pass and my boys grow too big to sit on my lap and sandwich me in a hammock on a hot summer day.

Arlo's Big Day and My Baby Isn't a Baby Anymore!

Today was Arlo's first day of Montessori PPK (Pre-Primary/ Kindergarten). I am not quite sure how we made it to this day, because the last few weeks have been filled with so much anxiety manifested in multiple potty accidents everyday, tantrums and general foul behavior...stemming from a nasty bullying experience he had last fall at the part-time pre-school he was attending...but, I am so thankful we did! We talked about the new school, we met the new teacher, we read books, we met kids on the playground, we talked some more, we watched "new school" videos...and I knew it was going to take just going to make everything okay. We picked out a special outfit for today, he slept with his "S" scarf, appropriately named Sam and, this afternoon with his sweaty hand tightly clenched around mine, we went head-first into the winds of life together.

Arlo was beaming when I picked him up after school. He told me all about everything and from that moment on I had my sweet little Arlo back. No accidents, no tantrums, no anxiety. Just a happy 4 and 3/4 year old boy. Mama will sleep soundly tonight.

All three boys had hair cuts on Saturday...and it was Otis' first! He is 2 1/2 and was begging me in the salon to get his hair cut. I was a bit reluctant...he still had his birth hair after all...but he also had three dread locks that I couldn't get to go away and yesterday's breakfast dried in his hair. He gave me some of these looks and I agreed that perhaps it was time to have a hair cut. I still don't recognize him when I catch a glimpse of him running from one place to the next...but damn, is he cute!

I love this child so much.

End of Summer...Beginning of Second Grade

Once again, my son is better dressed than either his father or I ever was on our first days of second grade. He loves the formalities involved with wearing a suit and tie and, this year, we found the matching hankie. All hand-me-downs or thrift store buys...and this boy is stylin'

He was nervous when I dropped him off...quickly running into his classroom. It was obvious that he noticed he was the only kid dressed like this, but he was proud. And so was I.

You can take the boy out of the farm, but you just can't take the farm out of the boy. 

Man, do I love this kid.

Been cannin' a little...

I have been waiting for our black raspberries to get ripe for about two weeks now. Last year they were ready a bit earlier, but with more rain and cooler temps for longer this spring, I wasn't too surprised we had to wait until after the 4th of July.

The boys and I wandered to the "back 40" yesterday afternoon while Otis napped. We started slowly, enjoying the cool breeze and sun (and lack of mosquitoes) and ended up picking nearly three quarts...which translated into 10 half-pint jars of black raspberry jam!

My friends Melissa and Heather and I and all our kids (nine total) picked strawberries a few weeks ago at a local farm. I froze my 23 pounds of berries hoping to make jam later....

...and this morning I found myself with only one child (Sam and Arlo were at a friend's house after a sleep-over) and with mid-morning temps around 60 degrees, I knew it was the perfect morning to continue my canning binge. I added 10 more half-pints of strawberry jam to my pantry shelf.

After gifting 2 half-pints to family and friends and losing one jar in the hot water bath, I canned a total of 18 half-pints of jam for our family...and it feels so good.

July 4th

Once again we celebrated the 4th of July with many of our friends and family here at the homestead. With over 60 people mingling, the food, stories, laughter, sparklers and sweet goodbyes were amazing (our friends leaving the state stopped by for a solid hug and fair well). There was a bluegrass band this year and late night music around the campfire. 

Although I had an amazing time at the party, the morning after was simply beautiful.

A small group of overnight friends gathered for a delightful potluck breakfast on the patio and after we dined....we relaxed in the shade of our generous sycamore tree.

I cuddled on a blanket with one of my most favorite little girls, Ada. She fell asleep in my lap and it was the highlight of my weekend.

Ruby Red

This is my latest drawing completed this afternoon. It was commissioned for a fundraiser in Washington State...inspired by a photo taken of my dear friend Pam and her new baby, Ruby.
Pam, Luke, Mateo and Ruby left today for Arizona...for good.
It was so hard to say goodbye to them...

This is a little settling in treat for them...once they arrive and have access to the online world.
Welcome to your new home Plonsky family!

Sam became 7

On May 18th, my sweet first born became seven years old! I still can't believe how grown up he really is...

Sam requested a 4 tier cake, "like the wedding cakes" and so I dutifully did my best with cake and frosting and added a lot of fruit...his favorite. He was quite happy.


"Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems has been Sam's favorite book all spring. He was amazingly surprised when one of his friends gave him the pigeon as a birthday gift.

Sam is SO creative, always wanting to "make something". Sometime his ideas are beyond what we can handle here (like welding a catapult), but sometimes we can indulge his creative quests.
For spirit day at his Montessori school he was asked to dress up like his favorite book character. He chose pigeon and we made a pigeon costume.

There are days when I don't know what I would do without Sam's help. He is an amazing oldest brother; always helping his little brothers with chores, reading, making Lego constructions...you name it and he helps with it. He's been doing regular chores including putting away his laundry, loading the washer and moving wet laundry to the dryer, taking the recycling and trash to the curb on trash day, feeding the pets, loading the dishwasher and clearing the tables after meals, undressing his brothers, starting a bath, sweeping the kitchen floor, vacuuming!!!! I know there must be more as well...he is amazing.


Sam's reading is really taking off and everyday I hear him reading words he couldn't just days before. Now nearly six months into piano lessons, Sam is learning to read music and he continues to attend Sanchin-Ryu karate classes through the parks and recreation department. He is close to being able to ride his bike all over and to my great happiness, he still LOVES and needs to cuddle everyday. Sam just aims to please and is so rarely in any sort of trouble, though lately he has been testing out his "talking back" skills.

It is a real joy to have him home for the summer.