I'm Susan — devout Francophile, mother of twins, writer, creative director, and aspiring author. I've been sharing my life here since 2010...thanks for reading!
This is what our Sundays look like…cuddles, crafts, the occasional aggressive hug, and pajamas all day. Henry and Marie have been wearing Burt’s Bees Baby since they were nine months old (see the cuteness overload here). Our favorites are their basics, especially the pajamas – they’re 100% organic cotton and oh so cozy. I’ve already got my eye on their new holiday designs – we might even venture into family pj’s this year. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure the internet is ready!
Our love for Pennsylvania is most palpable in the fall. We live for the rolling countryside, rich autumnal hues, crisp temperatures, cider donuts, pumpkin patches, and yes…apple picking. It’s a tradition for us, and the kids have loved it since before they could walk. Thankfully, even though we moved, we’re still in the same county and our favorite orchard is within a reasonable distance. We spent a glorious afternoon there and enjoyed a private hayride during golden hour. We returned home with a bushel of red delicious apples, a few pumpkins, and hay-filled boots. Click through for more!
We journeyed into the city today specifically to see this incredible exhibit by artist Ann Hamilton. I first learned of her work back in 2012, when she exhibited the event of a thread at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC. While we had the best intentions of getting there to see it for ourselves, we never made it, and I regret that intensely. This latest work, entitled habitus, refers to a condition or custom of dress but also to social patterns. It’s an immersive, engaging installation, and we were all delighted by it. The kids found so much joy in pulling and turning the curtains, which billowed to gigantic proportions. I found it to be simultaneously intimate and vast, and as with most of Ann’s work, mesmerizing.
I’m forever grateful for the blogging community, and the friends I’ve made along the way. Erin Austen Abbott is one of those friends, and while we’ve never met, our connection as mothers and small business owners is tangible. She recently launched a lifestyle blog focused on travel with kids in tow, and invited me to share our experience traveling with kids to Paris. It was the ultimate field trip for us of course, and I could wax poetic for days on this topic. Don’t worry, I narrowed it down to our favorites, including where to play, dine, shop and stay. Follow the link below…merci encore Erin!
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”
John Dewey
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If you’re a parent, it’s the time of year when your social feeds are flooded with school buses, shiny new backpacks, and carefully curated wardrobes and lunch boxes. We’re inundated with emotional posts – from bittersweet tears and separation anxiety, to more relaxed and joyful (?) send-offs as the years pass. We have yet to join these ranks. This will be our fourth year watching from the sidelines, and we’re still feeling uneasy about getting in the game. We don’t have all the answers yet, and most likely never will. What we do know is that we’re in a season of life that goes by all too quickly, and we’re holding onto it with all our might. I’ve avoided discussing this topic here for so long, because it’s a highly charged and personal one. Every family has different needs and goals…I’m sharing our journey, with respect for your choices.
The gravity of parenthood has never been more evident to me than when making decisions about our children’s education. Those decisions and questions began years ago, when Henry and Marie were still in utero. What educational path would we choose? Public, private, homeschool, charter? Where are the best school districts? What type of learners will they be? Which environment will suit them best? The questions are endless – it’s dizzying and overwhelming. Add the societal pressures, and it’s enough to make me want to crawl under a rock. We’ve received advice (both solicited and not) from family and friends, and have toured a myriad of schools. The cost of a (secular) preschool education has left us in a state of shock, and we haven’t felt right about any of the options we’ve explored. We’re waiting for something to feel right.
Until that happens, we’ve decided that we’re not going to decide (yet). We are giving ourselves (and the kids) another year to get our bearings, find a more permanent home, and choose an educational path. Of course, we’ll continue our quest and research in the meantime. If we choose the traditional route, we wouldn’t enroll them in kindergarten until they are six (two years from now). So, while the kids will remain “in the nest” for a bit longer, we’ve already started providing a bit more structure to their learning (more on that soon). I’m so thankful to have the luxury (and choice) of being at home with my children, and letting them learn at their own pace, for now. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. What path did you choose, and what has worked best for your child? Would you change anything, if you could? Please share!