Lilian will be coming home today after being at William’s since last friday
this is the second time she has been away for a full week since we moved into our casa azul and if i can say so myself, i handled things much better this time around
the first time around, it was too soon into our move
i felt betrayed, hurt, alone and cried for the first three days
this second time around, i chose to fill my time with house chores, walks, the making of rainbow makers, updating my etsy shop and dates with girlfriends
having her gone is not easy and i miss her like crazy but i think with time it will get easier
it has to right?
happy friday friends
i started a learning pod at our home every other week. these three girls were all in Lilian’s fourth grade class last year. some of them have been together since first grade. now, although not all of them are with the same teacher, they get to remote learn together every other week. it’s working out great!
the house is also coming along and feeling like home
haven’t come here in a while to share what we have been up to lately
there have been creeks, swimming holes, pools, neighborhood quarantine hangs but most importantly, mine and Lily’s move into our new west asheville home
the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one is always bitter sweet and i am just trying to not get overwhelmed and just take everything one day at a time
Lily is being super helpful during this move/transition and although she seems on the upside of things, i know it has to be hard for her
both William and i have reached out to recommended child therapist in order to provide her with a neutral space to share her feelings and thoughts but have had no luck booking one because none of them are taking new patients at this covid time
in the meanwhile all we can do is move forward and keep an eye on her and talk about all that we are feeling/thinking
it feels like the most non-summer summer ever but, one day at a time right?
happy friday and happy weekend friends
portugal childhood beach memories
santa fe memories from last year
monument valley memories from last year
a day at a time… with coffee
all the pretty flowers
i now have three of these
post dinner family walks
helping with dinner prepping
she has painted some pretty awesome things
found out this week that school for her this year will start with 100% remote learning from home
midnight hole
homni creek with her bestie
homni creek with the neighborhood girls
i still prefer and miss the ocean but i am just trying to hang in there you guys…
four weeks of ballet intensive went by way too fast
i’ve been trying to not think about all the canceled summer travels we had planned for this summer as well as trying to not be too nostalgic about previous summer travels
instead, i’ve been trying to be present in the silver linings of the situation we are all in
this will be our longest asheville summer yet and we are trying to find our way through it
some days are easier
some days are harder…
happy friday friends
i started going on morning walks again and i can honestly say that flowers are my biggest motivation and inspiration to keep doing so
neighborhood hangs
what lunch looks like sometimes
what dinner looks like sometimes
i have re-potted all of my orchids
as well as re-corded and beaded some of my hanging planters
summer reading buddies
miami memories from ten years ago
miami memories from five years ago
portugal memories from four years ago
california memories from three years ago
west virginia memories from last year
inverness memories from three weeks ago
an afternoon spent downtown asheville
an afternoon spent at the arboretum to check out the lego exhibit
an afternoon swimming with friends. this will be most of what our summer will look like since we bought a swimming membership at a local pool
two weeks in portugal with my family in early june was also canceled
so before summer is over and school starts again, Lily and i drove down to inverness florida where we quarantined at a house with a pool with our K
why crystal river area?
well, i have been curious about that area and wanting to visit three sisters springs for quite some time
i also didn’t want a drive longer than 9-10 hours
our airbnb in inverness was exactly what we had hoped it would be
maybe even better
a great house in a super quiet neighborhood with a screened in pool and big lanai
we spent most of our time at home in the pool however, we did get to venture out to three sisters (beautiful), went out to eat a few times and checked out a local produce market
it was the perfect quiet and relaxing getaway
happy friday friends
ps- i love this post so much because it’s filled with all the miami pool blue and it’s been a long time since it has had any of that color/feeling and it’s still the best and the one i love the most
waking up in inverness was the total opposite of waking up in asheville. it was quiet
at 10am she will be having a zoom toast party with her class
in a non covid19 world, she would be having an in the classroom celebration with her classmates and teacher
it’s all bittersweet isn’t it?
school is over and that’s always a happy kid feeling however, she is sad because next year she will have a new teacher and classmates and she won’t have a chance to physically be together as a classroom again with her fourth grade crew
there are tears at the end of every school year for Lily
today will probably be no different despite how different distance learning has been
it’s a strange world we are living in and i don’t want to give into this new normal
because it sucks
regardless of how well we are trying to make it work
anyway, we officially have a rising fifth grader
amazing how time flies….
happy friday friends
our garden has given us the most magnificent peony season. thankful for that
morning coffee with peonies is a new favorite
and so is coffee with banana bread. banana bread all day, every day
i had not caught a sunrise since Lily began homeschooling in march
there are quiet days when i get to enjoy this space. and some when i don’t
have made some new rainbow makers
i miss stitching faces but have not been inspired to paint any new ones
hi
she’s really wonderful about always keeping herself busy. and creative
three mile walks
a distance playdate with her bestie. it’s hard being apart
we’re good over here but i have certainly had my share of unmotivated and uninspired days
which is ok i think
and once i come to peace with it, i allow myself to be what i am feeling and wanting/needing
there is always the next day right?
i’m just trying to breathe and take it one day at a time
i think that’s what we are all trying to do right?
wishing you a peace filled weekend
i spent some days in the basement going through and organizing my storage boxes. found the nineties
i also found this frida kahlo paper doll book i bought for Lily when i think she was still in my belly. had looked for it years ago and couldn’t find it. we both decided it should stay as is and in our frida collection
and speaking of collections, been going through all my nature treasures trying to somehow feel closer to the ocean
there have been lots of delicious meals
tuna nicoise
grilled octopus
a loaded hotdog with chips and radishes. i never liked radishes before
three ingredient banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder muffins
banana bread
strawberry clafoutis
plenty of time being spent in the kitchen these days
mother’s day
on nice days we take lots of walks around the neighborhood
cinco de mayo
it’s been really loud here all day every day with the hotel construction still happening below our backyard. they start jackhammering at 7:30 every morning and don’t stop until the end of the afternoon. despite all the noise that makes me want to crawl out of my skin (and leave this house), i try to create and focus on the quiet corners
flowers still getting me through the day. especially pink ones
our first peony this year
late night shenanigans with Lily when she asks me to brush my hair out
still trying to keep busy through my hands. ordered some self drying terracotta and made my own beads
a distancing visit to her bestie and her chickens to drop off some books
and a visit to her teacher to drop off some flowers for teacher appreciation day
i guess for the sake of having a spring break post like in the previous years, i should do one although, it was very much the opposite of all the previous years due to covid19
it was the same for everyone else
i am aware
a stay at home spring break
not worth much talking about but worth documenting and sharing i guess