Yep, those are Mason Jars. I knew I’d been collecting them for something other than ironic glassware, I just didn’t know what that was until I saw one of these Mason Jar Chandeliers on Etsy for a few hundred dollars. I made mine for about $35. It only took a 3 or 4 hours to make, and then about an hour to install it with Jeff’s help. That light switch already had a dimmer on it, and it looks SO awesome in a dark room on a super dim setting. I’ve been waiting and waiting to change the fan out in the dining room, but it had to be for just the right thing. So glad I could do it with my own two hands.

Then she put on her princess dress, too!

“I dreamed about my children.”

“How many did you have?”

“One-two-three-four-five-six. Six children. They love me.”

(Just to clarify:) “Are the mommy and daddy’s children or Eleanor’s children?”

“Eleanor’s children! I the mommy!”

“And they love you!”

“Yes yes. It’d be so wonderful.”

This morning on the marsh:

This is a special week. It’s Jeff’s last week at his office job. Next week, he comes home to work for himself again. Over the last year, he has worked hard to transform his business (our studio, We Are Charette) from a hobbling fledgeling to a sure-footed adolescent — not without growing pains but certainly on its way to maturity. It only took a few weeks for him to realize he didn’t want to work for someone else. It took about 6 months to figure out what to do about it. And it took about 3 months of working double-time (his 40-hour workweek plus nights and weekends developing our business) to get We Are Charette up and running while still getting consistent checks from work. It’s been exhilarating, it’s been exhausting. I know the road ahead of us will not be easy, but I also know it will be made much easier by having a spouse that is not completely consumed by work. I got so used to handling 98% of the childcare that yesterday — when he came home early and took June for a couple hours — it was a revelation, I was shocked and elated to experience the real help of another parent. When he came home, I threw my arms around him and thanked him, and I think he was just as shocked to experience real appreciation. Not that I haven’t appreciated his work over the last months. Well, correction: I have NOT appreciated it. I’ve resented it, I’ve begrudged it, I’ve rolled my eyes and sighed on many nights when our dinners got cold, when I held a crying June while trying to get Eleanor to bed, when I got up for the umpteenth time to put Eleanor back in bed, etc etc etc. But the entire time, I’ve definitely admired him. That’s made it all pretty effortless. When I would look up from my grindstone, there he’d be, with his nose placed firmly against his own. His commitment to a future that he’d be closer and more present made the tough time getting there worthwhile. And that future starts this Friday at quittin’ time.

(The first few seconds are the tail end of a song I tried to catch, it went “OH the first day of school, the first day of school, on the first day of school!”)

(After watching the video of herself, she proclaimed, “Mom, I want to go another day!” and I said, “You want to go back to school on another day?” and she said “YES!”)

More photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefriscokid/sets/72157628800312855/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefriscokid/sets/72157628745372109/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefriscokid/sets/72157628259201127/

HOORAY! We finally installed the mantle that's been leaning against the wall for 6 months. I painted chalkboard paint inside so we can have a real fire and the stockings are recently made, too. Capital E and J for me and Jeff, lowercase for El and Junie.