How are we almost into October? The time is moving at a rate that I can no longer explain, although it seems to be a cliche everywhere I look: time flies. The end of summer was a busy one, with both Audrey and Violet attending band camp to learn the new marching routines. They have been consumed by the marching season, and I am so proud of them for their commitment and passion for their art and craft. It is a different thing to be on the sideline watching them grow and flourish. Kim is volunteering and spending each evening with them, right there on the sidelines taking pictures, selling cookies, providing snacks...she is having the time of her life and reliving her glory days in band in South Bend! Seriously, it is a special feeling I get when I see Kim and the girls talking at night about the performance or sipping the latest band tea.
Audrey has now turned 18, and it is still an unreal event to me. How is she 18? An adult? An independent, amazing, smart, witty, passionate, hilarious, sarcastic, fiery, sweet, and complex woman? Words really will never do her justice, but lately I have spent my mental time recalling her childhood, and searching for the images of her that most appear in my mind. She has always been ahead of her development trends, and began speaking and walking at such an early age. She was talking in complete sentences like an adult by two. Now she drives into the city because she loves the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (I imagine Uncle Stuart would love this so much and would probably take the bus and meet her there every time. He would probably sneak her in for free in some random back entrance and also have a bag of random fruit, figs, and breads to snack on). Now Audrey is focused on grinding through her Senior year of high school....which will be a challenge. She is taking private flute lessons and performances, marching band, wind ensemble, plus AP classes and also working through the College Application process, as well as taking lessons to study and take all of the standardized college entrance assessments. She is so busy, and under so much pressure all of the time. I remember going through this process in Juneau in 1997, and was not doing NEARLY as much with my life...and still felt immense pressure to write quality essays about life that really didn't feel honest, as I didn't think I had a life that was exceptional and worth highlighting to others. So all of this to say, Audrey is simply amazing. I cannot believe that she is my daughter at times, as she is so brilliant and ready to fly into this world and find her own way. It is a deep break in my heart to know that Audrey's path will eventually take her away from me, and she will truly begin her own life. Her path will take her so many places, and on so many adventures...it is just hard sometimes as a parent to know that it is a path that I will not be able to travel with her.
Sam has entered his 4th grade Era. He is such a good boy, and works hard to do everything right. He loves his teachers, and tries his best each day. We work on homework each night, and continue to enjoy bike rides and swimming each week. He is almost old enough to be independent, but needs a little help around making meals, and we are working on folding laundry and I am doing my best to try and teach him the things I can remember needing to know at his age. It is strange, thinking back now in life, as I can now remember all of the details and my life in Juneau since being Sam's age (9yr). So I can recall that I was delivering newspapers for the Juneau Empire, and riding my bike around town with my friends, and walking in the mountains by myself....so there are some differences and levels of independence.....but it is also nice to be able to teach basic skills (dishes, vacuum, basic organization, managing emotions) and connect on that level. I find myself often wishing I could talk to my own parents about this time in life, and it makes me sad to think about how much they would enjoy being here and interacting with their grandchildren. They would be so proud, and really enjoy being silly and laughing with them and asking them about their lives and interests and what makes them happy. I try every day to hear their advice from my own life, and pass it along. I also find myself realizing quite often how frustrating of a child I must have been growing up! Ha! I will have conversations daily and just laugh at the end of the day because I have no recourse sometimes but to respond with a "Good Lord" (Ted), "Lord Love a Duck" (mom), "Oye" (dad), "the time is now" (Uncle Michael), "Only in Good Times" (Uncle Stuart)....
Violet is taking her high school career by storm. She has her morning routine down, and drives to school with Audrey. She will not enjoy the downgrade in transportation next year when I have to drive her and Audrey is in college. Violet is starting to speak German (from her class in school), and connect more with her friend from Germany. I anticipate a trip to Germany at some point for her. Being in band this summer has been a fantastic decision for Violet, in that she has made social connections and it is her personality type to also take-in all of the social structures and behaviors of the other people. She seems to really understand the high school landscape and is excelling in her classes. Violet is an old sole and seems to be biding her time more than anything, until she is allowed to take flight or set off on her own path. I really see my role as one of helping Violet set-up the structures and supports she will need as an adult in the future, rather than helping her discover her interests and passions. Violet will benefit more from having a bank account and me setting-up travel adventures and experiences between now and when she turns 18 (in only 3 years?!?!) so she can have as many life experiences as possible before setting out on her own to make those decisions for herself. I am so proud of her, and I also see the most of myself and my father in her. She will have the depth of the Orelove name in her soul her entire life.
And now we are here, at the end of September. The temperatures are finally cool enough to leave the windows open at night and enjoy a crisp air that was once provided only by the air conditioner! The school year has us exhausted most days, and we return home each afternoon amidst the home renovation and construction projects. We are finally having hardwood floors added through the main level, finishing the basement floors with luminant rather than the old carpet, and have completely filtered and emptied the basement from all of the piles and boxes of belongings that have accumulated over the years since we moved in. We are having the front "gallery" room completely repainted and adding a built-in, full-wall bookshelf. The stairs have been ripped up, new banister installed, flooring and carpet to be added, and upstairs we are in the middle of a complete master bathroom gutting and installation, and we have also floored-off the upstairs space where the chandelier used to hang, so we now have an upstairs loft space between the bedrooms! Hopefully this will be a good space for the kids to hang out and just another space that we now have. I am very proud of what we are doing to this house, especially since I thought it was literally perfect when we found it. We have transformed it into our perfect family house, and once these renovations are finished, there will be only a few more things (girls bathroom again, some landscaping) to address, but we have truly rebuilt most of this house since we bought it. We have replaced the roof, siding, rebuilt the interior to include a family pantry and new kitchen, driveway, landscaping, added a basketball hoop, fence (the dogs are loving their enclosed back yard), HVAC, air conditioning, flooring, paint, septic pumps, internet wiring...I know I am just listing things...but it really is amazing what owning a home over the years requires, and what we have been able to accomplish.
And now it is time to bump the laundry, let the dogs out, and refill my coffee on this Sunday morning. The family is still asleep, and these are my favorite moments each week, with the quiet of the morning, the smell of the candles, the birds chirping in the crisp morning air, and the promise of a day yet to arrive. How lucky I am.
-a
