first, i HAVE to thank YOU for your kind words and thoughts.  i'm telling you, i could FEEL it.  THANK YOU.

monday morning we woke up early, dressed quickly, ate a good breakfast and then sat by the phone until we could call and make sure we were still on for school.  disappointment set in when the office explained that they weren't ready for us, classrooms had yet to be decided.  with backpacks on the kids began to cry.  but all was not lost.  i couldn't help but see that day as a gift, a chance to properly celebrate our last day as homeschoolers.  when i wrote my last post i was sad and feeling like i hadn't said goodbye in the way i wanted to.  so with a free day to do just as we pleased, no obligations or time constraints, that's a gift!  so we shifted gears and went to the children's museum instead.

as soon as we walk in, their eyes bulge out of their heads, trying to take everything in at once, and then... they're off! running from thing to thing, trying everything at least once: acting as a construction crew, firemen, chefs, grocery shopping and working, farming, water and bubble play, and rock-climbing.  with nowhere to be other than RIGHT there, in that moment, they played until they couldn't play anymore.  and that was just the first floor.  next we went upstairs and made a still-motion movie, acted out a play, anchored newscasts, and built built built.  there were no tantrums, no accidents, just happy happy happy play. they honestly could have stayed for even longer, but after 4 hours of intense playing they were hungry.

off to the cookie store!  the kids were a jumble of, "i want a pink one! i want chocolate!  i want mangos, blueberries, cherries!"  the girl at the counter suggested they look at the cool bottle-cap magnets to distract them so i could actually order.  as they ran off she says to me, "awww, they are so cute!  and they are FRIENDS! you can tell that they really love each other and being together."  i just about burst into tears on the spot.  really, we are so lucky to have one another.  they have a firm foundation of love and kindness to move forward on.  these past few years have been hard, but oh-so-worth-it.

we continued on with our YES day picking up two kinds of drive-thru to appease little palates, chewing gum obnoxiously, playing games, and eating spaghetti for dinner.  tucked into their beds, they slept peacefully, and woke ready for their next chapter.

tuesday was the first real day of school and they passed with flying colors.  i met their teachers and felt totally peaceful leaving my children in their capable hands.  and bonus points go for recognizing the principal from my yoga classes.  as i dropped off lunch money in the office they assured me that my babies were safe and that they would watch out for them, they invited me to call if i was stressing, all was understood. so i went home.  and played with my other babies.  i began worrying about lunch time, wondering if they'd know what to do, if they'd eat enough food.  the closer it got to pick-up time, the more unravelled i became.  but their happy smiles and non-stop stories calmed me right down.  verdict? they LOVE it.

again, i have to thank you for the outpouring of calls, texts, comments, prayers, and awesome vibes... it really has made such a difference, i could feel the ocean of kindness swelling around us.

it's been such a full week, i'm just bursting, truly.

just see for yourself:

and on top of these, on top of all of this JOY. e and i went to see MOMIX today for a field trip (and completely forgot my camera). having never heard of them before, i had looked at a few youtube clips, but i have to say the videos just don't do an iota of justice to the beauty, grace, courage, and dignity these performers have. i don't even have words to describe what i saw today. if you get the chance to see them, do it, it's worth the price of the tickets.

on this video clip, make sure to watch the last 15 seconds, the piece at the end made me cry. i was surprised at my emotion, how moving could two dancers on skis really be? but it was the most graceful performance i have ever witnessed. the strength and trust that these dancers exhibit is incredible. sitting there with my daughter i began to think of how proud the dancer's mothers and families must be of them. these were artistic athletes proudly showing their gallery of achievements. i sat in awe with all that they have accomplished with their lives, the joy and the beauty that they create with their bodies.

on a lighter note, this clip was SO much fun.

make it a fantastic weekend. xoxo