Into the Grove

I'm very excited to share with you some news of what's happening with The Project School, but as of yet it's not ready for a public unveiling. Suffice it to say that The Man can't keep us down. Oh yeah.

We are attempting a return to normalcy. Lily moved on Sunday; started Greenfield yesterday. (Here's the skinny on the semicolon. I read somewhere a couple days ago that using a semicolon is really quite smug doing nothing more than proving you know how to use one. EXCEPT, like the rest of the world, I've always been confused by them. Reading Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's, I've noticed that old Truman loves himself a semicolon...I'm not shocked if the smug comment is accurate. Seeing it over and over in print, I think I might just have figured it out....maybe. If that's NOT correct please leave a comment so that I can be reassured that I still, in fact, have no concept of the dreaded semicolon.)

Saturday afternoon, Belle was riding around with me and happen to express that even though we still have some TPS options open she liked Beech Grove and was ready to start school. She said and I quote: "I like change sometimes. I'd like to try out Beech Grove and make some new friends." How do you argue with that? She's EIGHT. Going into the third grade. Stating that she likes change....sometimes. What other choice was there but to send her. I was heavy of heart to send her away from the school I love so much. From the diversity and the village of parents and teachers that surround and encourage her in her education. I've always told my kids that if they can give me a clear, well thought out argument I'd not only listen, but I would genuinely consider their proposition. Did I mention she's eight? So yesterday morning off to Beech Grove we sent the littlest one. Aaaannnd she loved it. Loved her teacher. Made a couple of friends. Was a bit irked about no homework policy and confused by the lack of cultural differences in her classroom. The last point made me sad. That's part of what made her last school so great. The continuous exposure to the reality that not every family looks like yours, not every person has your same experiences, and how do we love and accept each other when we're all so different. I'm going to mourn that loss for a while still.

Emma is in her last week of summer vacation. Or what little she had. She spent most of her summer in summer classes or at camp. This evening she bounces off to her grandma's for some R&R til Sunday. Summer is winding down and even though she's been in summer classes I will "officially" have an incoming freshman. Life moves quickly. I was watching Belle and her bestie Trinity run ahead and leap to touch the leaves on tall branches on yesterday's evening walk. Deep in  my heart I longed for them to stay this age. I look at Emma and at Lily and yearn to move backwards until they are small again. This is why women pester their grown-up babies for grandchildren. It's like getting them back for a moment. This growing up business SUCKS!

In the meantime, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my portable shampoo bowl. I'm disassembling the chair I bought as it doesn't work and looking for something else. Ideas are being hashed around and calls are coming in. Back to doing hair out of my kitchen. Salons are interesting places, but I think I was always meant to do it in my kitchen. Coffee and girl talk and folding laundry in between. It's taking it's sweet time right now, but sure enough normal is slipping back into our lives.

Soon it'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming with a post about the miracles of baking soda...

No seriously. I've had a bazillion questions lately about natural cleaning and how I do it. Baking soda is godsend. But I'll lead with this: If you should decide to use baking soda to clean and deodorize your mattress (which is nasty by the way) use a shop vac to suck it back up. Dirt Devil is NOT baking soda compatible.

Later Days, Babies~

Rach