The Start of Spring

 'Tis the night before a road trip, and all through the house.....

I need to pack our suitcases!

The children and I head to Charleston tomorrow for Annie's spring break.  Finn will still have 3 classes to juggle, but after 2022, he's at expert status on homeschooling away from home! I will still have to work remotely (a bit), but my primary goal is to go through every book in our house in Charleston and decide what to keep, what to donate, what to give to family, and what to bring back home. Along with that, I'll be scrubbing the bookcases. It will be fun to undertake this minor "spring cleaning" project!

Otherwise, I'm hoping to just spend some quality time with my stepmom, see some azaleas in bloom, take nice walks, and maybe (maybe?) get some rest.  I have been too busy recently, and I am, in a word, tired. 

We're also going to tackle a college visit (photos to follow!).  I can't believe Finn is a junior. 

We are so ready for spring in these parts.  Why did winter feel so long, so intense, this year? It was cold, for sure; we also had a lot more sickness than usual. But there was something else, something unidentifiable, that made it feel long. I'm reading a lot of federal regulations--maybe that's it? Or maybe it's because Annie goes to school, so it's an every single weekday thing of hitting the ground running each morning. All I know is, I am excited that we have only 2 months left of school and that warm weather is around the corner. :)

Fun tidbits of recent life:

*Annie finished her 3rd quarter of school with straight As (she also made straight As in the first two quarters of school).  Mothers of tiny humans, don't ever let anyone tell you that letting your elementary schoolers play in mud, put on long theatrical productions, build with Legos, spend all day constructing forts or drawing picture or writing poems, or create imaginary civilizations in the backyard is somehow inferior to sending them to elementary school, and that they'll suffer as a result. They'll be just fine.....

*Track also started for Annie!  She has fast running in her blood (dad and both uncles ran D1 cross country and track in college). She's only had one meet, but she did great.  She has assured me that track is way easier than ballet, and I have no doubt that that's true.  Also, her endurance is excellent, thanks to years of ballet training in long, structured classes where dancers hyper-focus on form and technique.  I'm looking forward to seeing how she likes track this season! (If you're looking for her, she's the one in the Dutch braids and the pink compression sleeves.  Naturally.)

*Finn is so tall, so blonde, so perpetually hungry.  His French is so beautiful. We aren't in senior year yet, but it's on the horizon. I don't know how I feel about this, and how I'll be emotionally next year.  A couple of years ago a friend told me that the summer before her son went off to college, she made a quilt for him, and she cried the entire time she worked on it. So when it was finally time to drop him off--12 hours away (!)--she didn't cry at all.  This has led me to believe it may be time to take up quilting. 

*Teaching a US government class is so fun! I love my students! Today we talked about Equal Protection of the Laws, the rational basis test, and strict scrutiny.  Sigh.  SO fun.

*There are lambs on the farm!  Twins, black and white, born just the other day.  Annie and I have planned a Friday afternoon field trip to go examine them up-close.  Darling! I love having sheep on the farm!

*I will be 48 this fall and am thinking about how to prioritize my health during a busy season of life which is also a season of change--family changes, physical changes, etc.  What are the best practices for someone pushing 50?  I still feel very good. I do not feel "old" (my husband complains that he does!! I do not, not at all). But I do feel--different.  If you're around this age or older, I'd love to know what health habits you prioritize. 

*The next 3 months will involve: SAT prep, National French Exam, AP French Exam, two out-of-state college visits, multiple track meets, several ballet and theatre performances to attend, one out-of-town concert (overnight stay!), my kids' drama camp (Finn works there now :)), several work goals to meet, picking out stuff for Finn's room redo, TWO (!) visits to Charleston (next week and another short visit in May), hosting a party, attending another party, Finn's 18th (EIGHTEENTH!!) birthday, a ballet recital, a trip to the big city for a pointe shoe fitting, Easter, a day-long seminar, the kids' spring "prom" for homeschoolers, Annie's school dance, Annie's 8th grade graduation.....my Google calendar looks like a multicolored painting.  And I am thankful.  I am acutely aware, with Finn turning 18 and Annie going to high school in the fall, that my life is shifting.  I love this busy season because it indicates to me that my children are still home and still here. Soon enough, Finn will be at college, and Annie will be at high school all day.  I don't know what that will look like for me....but it will feel too quiet....

(Did I mention I need to start sewing a quilt?? yeah)

*The world is still, after all these years, beautiful. 

Happy Spring!