Happiness Runs

Note to the Reader: I recommend listening to Donovan's Happiness Runs while you read this. "You can have everything if you let yourself be."


I have unexpectedly found myself in a quiet house. This morning at church there was a call for help moving pews around 2:00, and at 3 the youth are holding a Fall Festival Sophie's excited about. Miller (per his usual) is napping his Sunday afternoon away.

In the midst of photo uploads I have multi-tasked my way through lunch dishes and have the kettle on for tea. After I'm finished here I'll catch up on Project Runway and fold ALL the laundry from yesterday. This is so good.

But on to other things.

In the midst of the Sophie school move drama, the daily routine of breakfast-school/work-dinner-homework-games-books-baths, Girl Scouts, Angel Choir, Board Meetings, and Football games, we've had some sweet, sweet moments.

Like frisbee in the front yard.and fans watching from the sidelines.
Miller crawled up here by himself, btw.This morning I walked in to find Sophie feeding Miller some of her scrambled eggs. They are such good friends and my heart leaps with joy.
During a recent trip to Bluffton, Katie and I lamented that we didn't get enough pictures. When I got home, I found that when this girl gets the camera, she captures some sweet moments.
And I happened to catch a few myself.
I love everything about this picture, including Miller crawling on floor and his cousin looking down at him. These three boys are going to be fun.

In this busy time (which will only get busier) during uncertainty and transition, I listen to Donovan's words:

Happiness runs in a circular motion
Thought is like a little boat upon the sea.
Everybody is a part of everything anyway,
You can have everything if you let yourself be.
Happiness runs, happiness runs.

Yup.

School

Last week, after about 10 weeks at her elementary school, Sophie transferred. Without going into all the details, we had the opportunity to move her from one of the lowest performing schools in the city to one of the best. And while we struggled with the guilt of abandoning our struggling neighborhood school, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to move her. In the transfer we gave up walking to and from school each day, which saddened all of us. Still, it was the right decision.

At her old school, Sophie was at the top of her class. Now? She probably falls in the bottom quarter. Frankly, this is a sign to us that we made the right decision.

We are so happy Sophie is now getting such an amazing education. Every week she has an hour of drama, music and art! Her teacher is committed to her school in ways that have simply knocked my socks off, and the school is so well organized I know exactly when everything is happening for the coming year - and boy is there a lot! That wasn't the case at her old school.

And yet we feel a great deal of frustration over the fact that the kids who are struggling at her old school will continue to struggle. The best principal and the best teachers should be there, not in the rich neighborhoods! Of course every child (parent) had the opportunity to transfer, but few made that choice. And by making the choice to pull out Sophie, we took from that school a good student, active parents, and people with a desire to make a change.

Every day our decision to transfer Sophie is affirmed. The community garden in association with the Temple next door. The not too hard, not too easy level of homework that comes home each night. The professionalism of the staff. The fact that Sophie says she "didn't have a good day" and yet is happy and excited and talking about what she does.

But there's a pang of sadness every time I drive by that school, where the teachers are doing the best they can and the families are poor and I, with my privilege, drive my daughter to a better school across town.

Sisterly Advice for Baby Care

"When you hold Miller, you have to be very gentle. And when you put him down, you have to set him down gently, just like a baby turtle."