Cub-isms and Picasso

Jacqueline with Flowers, Picasso

The past few days have disappeared so quickly. Sometimes, I feel as if time is racing ahead of me. Each day is so precious. I just want to savor these days of summer with my daughter for as long as I can. I miss her so much when I'm working. The ache never goes away when I leave her all day in the care of others. I hate it. As working mothers, we are forced to throw an invisible switch to deal with these feelings. Our time together has done us both a world of good. When she saw us a few weeks ago, Grandma said we were both so calm. Yes, in the natural realm, that's what is supposed to happen, a mother and child together. Why can't it be that way for everyone?

I'm still thinking a lot about homeschooling. But unfortunately, I don't think a single mom like me has many options here in NYC. I have strong views about education and what it should be. I'll leave it at that for now.

We had a lovely lunch picnic with a friend and her daughter at our favorite place, The Alice Austen House. We have passed so many lovely hours there this summer. It has become a place we call "ours." It is our yard, because we don't have one. And we just feel good there.

Now, I'll share the "cub-isms" with you. I hope they will make you smile.
When we arrived home late this afternoon, I was playing Pandora radio while doing the dishes, and "Across the Universe" covered by Jim Sturgess was playing. She stopped playing and slowly made her way over to the computer and just stared at the screen. I knew she was listening..."Nothing's gonna change my world....Nothing's gonna change my world."
Pause. Listening. Thinking. Slowly...
"Mama, he's right. (Quietly, pensively.)"Nothing's gonna change..."

I held my breath. Sometimes, she just blows me away. She was thoughtful when she said it. I didn't ask her to elaborate. I didn't need her to. It didn't matter. She went inside the music. She heard the words. It was beautiful.

Later, after dinner, a less philisophical girl cub started the conversation:
"Mama, Sponge Bob is poopie." (The television wasn't on and we don't watch Sponge Bob.)
"No, he's not. He's a sea sponge. He lives in the ocean."
"No he doesn't, Mama! He lives in the sink!!"

As for the Picasso, I love everything about this painting. The style. The colors. The form. The subject. Everything. And I want that dress.

On the crafting front, I've been photographing like crazy. I've also been playing around with a lot of paper. Bookmarks, Albums made out of paper bags, and the latest ATC's (thanks, Jenn!) I tend to work on a small scale, so this has been wonderful for me. After seeing the post on playing card notebooks courtesy of whipup, I'll dabble some more with the cards.
My ATC's are not "scrapbooky" looking. I don't have scrapbooking supplies, so I'm using old magazines and vintage children's books, wrapping paper, ribbon, thread, glitter, whatever I have around the house. So far, they seem to revolve around the themes of childhood and coming-of-age, so I'm going to keep going with that. I'll post some photos soon!