School Day 1 and Lemon Crown Tutorial

Pearl really is ecstatic to be going to school ;).

Well, I did it.  This very pregnant mama got her 4 oldest monkeys off to the first day of school.  (Gammy is enjoying the youngest monkey.)  No phone calls home yet, so I declare it a success.  We were up early enough to walk, although I think I regret having to carry 3 of the 4 school supply bags.  I must have looked like a mad woman, and really wished I had a photo of me with 3 huge bags, my belly, my camera, and Azure wanting to hold my hand, trying to rush them to school.

But we got there just on time.

Hurry and take the photo, mom, she's thinking, I'm sooo embarrassed.

Divine rushed off without so much as a wave post camera click.  Pearl gave me tight squeezes.

Aren't they cute?  Azure seems too little to be at school, but there she is.

My happy, happy child.  I wanted to say, Just kidding!  You don't have to go to school.  Come back home with me so I can have you all to myself!

As outgoing as Azure is, she was a bit nervous.  Look at those hands and smile tinged with trepidation.  I didn't think I would, but I miss them already.

I had the most enjoyable walk home, just me and my kicking baby.  The skies were blanketed with clouds.

And the ground was bespeckled with toddler stools (too big for toad stools.)

As I reached the house just before ours I spied a forgotten water bottle.  Pearl's.  I almost took it back to her, because it's Pearl, and Pearl is highly sensitive to everything, but I knew as soon as she was in the classroom with her very best friend she might be okay.  That's what we all wish, isn't it, that as we send our little ones out in the world that they'll be okay, despite the preparation or lack of that we've done.

* * *

If you were wanting to make your own lemon crown to celebrate lemonade days, here's an easy tutorial on how I made mine.  The base wire should be pretty sturdy.  I don't know the exact gauge I used, but adding beads to it, it should still be able to hold it's shape.  I found the beaded garland among the wedding supplies at the craft store.  I knew it would add the perfect, whimsical touch.

The antique lucite lemon beads were a treasure I discovered at one of my favorite online bead shops, A Grain of Sand.  (you have to scroll down a bit for the lemons.)  Everything else you can find in the beading section of the craft store.

Make an oval the size of a child's head, overlapping and twisting the wire at the ends.

Cut a length of 12" or so of the decorative wire and make a curly end by wrapping it around something small in diameter or using the needlenose pliers.

Begin adding the charms, wrapping the decorative wire around the base.

Add beads as you go along.

Once all the beads and charms are added, wrap the beaded garland around the whole thing.

That's it!  Enjoy your lemonade.  I'm off to have my iron checked again!