Sept 7
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

Just messing about with photos. I am experimenting with this technique for catching the essence of a face. I think the stone dude worked better, but his face is less familiar to me than Aerin’s.

Alice’s comment to Al, as she climbed into the car to go home: "Well, that was different." That is what we were hoping for.

Alice headed off to Montessori School, first day of Fourth Year. The backpack is stuffed with the things they would like her to keep at school (spare clothes, a mug for coffee cocoa, smock for art projects, etc. plus a healthy lunch.

We were ready so early it wasn’t funny. We sat with the other madly-anticipating-school people on a bench until we the kids were allowed in. Parents were stopped at the door, and allowed to peer through a one-way mirror (brilliant but ever-so-slightly creepy) to see how they were settling. They were all settling fine. Alice was first in the door, wearing her new glasses, finding someone to sit next to, ready to roll.

I have always considered the first day of school a triumph if my child was not the one wrapped around my ankles weeping, and I was not the mom in the car with her head on the steering wheel weeping. There was no weeping, ergo, must be a triumph.

one child started:

Aerin on the right, with a neighbor, headed off to the bus stop and eighth grade.

Tomorrow, Alice goes to the Montessori school, and I get a day to start whatever I needed to do with no children around. What was that? oh….you know, secret grownup stuff.

Sep 4
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

The faces look catty-wumpass (slid sideways) to me, which I can only attribute to more beer than usual (well, one instead of none, I really shouldn’t make it sound as though I live larger than I do). Plus I tried to get awfully clever with the shading in the thread.

I realized this afternoon that both girls are heading into school in very different places than we thought at the end of the last school year. Aerin has jumped a year in math through her and her dad’s extremely dedicated efforts. She has spent the last couple of days being resolutely slothful. She reads, she pokes at stuff on the computer, she reads some more, then she goes to bed late and does it again.

Alice is going to the Montessori school to share a multi-age classroom with 7 in her year and 15 all together. We were there today doing recon of the room (it was planned) and meeting the rest of her first-time-in-the-room peers. They look like an interesting bunch of kids. Their parents were an interesting lot as well. Two of the parents work there, two of us are new and three more have been there forever. Alice promptly parked herself with a book in the book corner and had to be lured out repeatedly. But she also hooked up with a trio of girls in the playground and they were trotting and cantering about in a little pack with their heads together. After worrying about knowing no one, she realized she had been in swimming lessons with one girl (3 years ago?), and she was very relieved.

And I did a good thing. My neighbor across the street is starting 1st grade, having done kindergarden for two years at a very different school. I realized one person in her class is the younger sister of a good friend of Alice’s, so I invited the sister to come play too, so my neighbor could meet one person before school started. It helps so much to have one friendly face to sit next to.

Tomorrow is the very last day of summer vacation before school starts. We have no plans. We aim for boredom. It helps make school more exciting.

Sep 2
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

South American, I think, circa 1000 AD. I was pleased with myself for thinking of putting fabric to stitch and embossed metal for sparkle.

I’m glad this is a 3 day weekend.

Alice was accepted to the Montessori School. The reports from the admissions woman were heartwarming – the teachers who interviewed her said she had poise and confidence, used a large vocabulary with grace and style and was very comfortable with the Montessori learning tools. In short, they would be delighted to have her. I could have told them that!

Now Al and I have to come to terms with the idea of paying for school. Paying a lot for school. It isn’t the desperate situation of a couple years ago, but it is a lot. But she also is pretty cross threaded with the public school. A lot. We have a day to let it all percolate. She needs to report Tuesday for a cubby and orientation, and to have a quick run around. School starts for real on Friday when the returning kids welcome the new kids to the classroom and they all settle down to begin. It sounds so cozy it makes me want to cry. In a good way.