Painful and new

I've been a lazy and belated blog poster these days, so I was just going to bullet point the exciting changes going on over here, and then the metaphor I was inarticulately imagining became a REAL thing literally right on my front step...

Those of you who have been to my house know there are steps leading up to a little walkway in front of my door. Well, we have been keeping an eye on some cocoons we saw dangling from the top step. The other day we saw the new butterflies sunning themselves as their wings dried... the old chrysalis was already dried up like paper and the bright red blood from the birth was drying in a pool under the new lives. Vivid, violent and very potent.

What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly (a paraphrase of something attributed to Lao Tzu).

We've been wrapped in a cocoon ourselves here recently, but some exciting new events are signals of our growing and changing. Right now we see potential and excitement on the horizon, but next fall every single one of us in this household will be adjusting to a new schedule. I'm preparing for an adjustment period that may be a little rocky by keeping our summer very low-key.

First, Elliot "graduated" pre-school Co-op and he'll start a Montessori preschool next fall. He is so excited to follow in Owen's footsteps and to be going to class every day. He (and I) are ready for it...

This means that I taught my last Co-op too! Although I'm glad not to be burdened with the logistics of keeping the schedule and lesson plans and organizing the moms -- I was a little sad on that last day realizing when I turned over the key to the next Mom in charge that I've been teaching my rotations of the co-op for 5 years, and have been organizing it for the past 2. It's simultaneously a big burden lifted and a sad realization that toddler-hood is officially past us.

Owen completed 2nd grade at his local school with a lot of praise and accolades from his teacher. He had such a great year and is truly one of those kids that loves school. Which is good, because after much heart searching and discussion, Paul and I enrolled Owen in a different school for next fall that we feel will really allow his education to take flight. It was a huge decision to take him out of our local school and enroll him elsewhere.... but we are all excited about the possibilities of his new program and class. Owen toured the new school and met his new teacher for 3rd grade and is already excited about learning the multiplication tables over the summer so he can be ready. That kid.......

Here he is before school on his last day...

Next fall we will be trying to adjust to a new start time for school (7:40AM, goodness!) and for a new carpool regime ( both boys off to school and neither of them within walking distance).

This summer, though, is open for play.