The salamanders,
like tiny birds, locked into formation,
fly down into the endless mysteries
of the transforming water,
and how could anyone believe
that anything in this world
is only what it appears to be —
— from “What Is It?” Mary Oliver
“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”
Lillia: This week you’re back in the dance studio again. You’re taking hip hop and ballet this year, though you’ve expressed some interest in doing some theatre classes at the studio, too. You were a little dismayed because some girls from your class signed up for hip hop for the first time this year, but they ended up in what appeared to be a higher level than you. It turns out that they were placed in the older kids’ class because they were starting out in sixth grade, whereas you are still with slightly younger kids because you’ve been taking lessons for years. In fact, your class is actually more challenging! It’s interesting to watch how you react so strongly to things that never used to bother you. One of life’s hardest lessons is learning not to compare yourself to others. I’m still working on learning that myself.
Zane: This week you haven’t been quite yourself. Of course, as soon as school started you came down with a virus. It wasn’t terrible but it, in combination with your busy new schedule, has left you pretty worn out. Thankfully, my schedule does allow me to have the flexibility to be home with you as needed, and I feel grateful for that. Even though you were under the weather you still had lots of fun at school. Your favorite thing all week was learning how to write your name! Your “E” had a lot more legs than one usually sees, but you seem to have a general idea of how to form the letters that spell ZANE. You’re learning and growing so fast!
First Day of School 2015 – 6th grade and Pre-K
Previous year: 2014
“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”
Note: I admit to being somewhat of a failure this year when it comes to the 52 week portrait project. I haven’t done a portrait post since the third week in July, and I’m not going to try and backtrack through the past five weeks to catch up. But, I’m ready to start over fresh, and what better week to do it than with the first week back at school?
Here’s to new beginnings for all of us.
Lillia: This week you started sixth grade! I can’t believe I have an official “middle-schooler” in my home now. You were really, really stressed out before the first day of school. You were worried that you wouldn’t know where anything was, that you wouldn’t have anyone to talk to, and that you would be a total failure at Student Council. Thankfully, none of those things came to pass. You are definitely tired, but seem to be pretty happy with your teachers and your new schedule. You said your favorite thing so far has been Spanish class.
Zane: This week you started Preschool/Pre-K. You were very excited to be in the “big kid class” as you seem to have suddenly become enamored with all things related to growing up. You’ll be going five days a week, mostly because of my working but also because you really seem to enjoy school. You love to socialize, and you love to be busy. I have a feeling that you’re going to have a great year.
I almost titled this post “garden 2015 // the end” but then I realized that it is not, in fact, anywhere near the end. I still have dozens of green tomatoes hanging in heavy clumps, waiting to ripen; two pepper plants that have just experienced an unseasonal growth spurt and might, actually, produce peppers; and one long, fascinating pumpkin vine with one tiny, pale little pumpkin hatch-ling popping out where there was only a flower just last week. So, no, it is not the end. But, I have been a terrible recorder of things this summer. I haven’t really felt the desire to be in this space, in this little virtual home of mine. And, so, there have been no garden posts, and I apologize — not to you — but to myself, because I won’t have those posts to enjoy later on.
Tonight I had to go outside and I had to dig. I uprooted all of the beets and all of the carrots, and then I pulled up all of the weeds that remained with the garden rake. And, it felt wonderful. Changes have happened around here — big changes. I am working outside of the home for the first time in five years! I am really enjoying this new adventure, but I admit to suffering a little bit from the inertia of the transition. Being with my garden, and experiencing the deep soul satisfaction that comes from holding in my hands a rainbow of delicious, healthy goodness, well, suddenly all of the changes seemed to fit. I seemed to fit. I am still me, just a slightly different me. Just as the carrots grow, so I do, too.
