My eight little people started school this week. They are absolutely gorgeous in their new uniforms and big grins. Every single one of them has settled well into school life, a fact for which both their parents and I breathe a prayer of thanks. Every single one of them has needed me in a way that is utterly exhausting. I spend days correcting pencil grips and letter formation, tucking in shirts, tying shoelaces and wiping lunch crumbs off faces. "Teacher, why are you washing your hands again?" asks one eagle-eyed little girl. Because you're all grubby little gremlins, I think to myself. Out loud, I say, "Oh, I'm always washing my hands!"
New Entrants are so much fun, truly. We do a lot of singing and acting out of stories. They delight in rhyme and repetition, making multiple rounds of picture books fun for both me and them. They love to point out to me when they've done something right. "Look, teacher, criss-cross," says one little boy, pointing to his legs almost every time we come to the mat. They love to ignore me when they know they've done something wrong. The same little boy, who demonstrates perfect hearing at other points, ignores me with impressive nonchalance when confronted with crimes against book and neighbour.
Today, I am planning for one celebratory event with my friend, R, and entering into a celebratory event with my flatmate, M. My work to-do-list looms large but there's an invitation to find joy in it, I know. We live list-filled, messy, joyful lives and I'm going to lean into mine today.
Cultural Highlights
Reading: Say it Again in a Nice Voice by Meg Mason. Oh, Meg. Wit and writer extraordinaire. I completely loved this book. Meg writes about the experiences of early (and young) motherhood with so much humour and honesty - I laughed out loud constantly while reading. This book also confirmed something about my future in an unexpected way - but also in a way that entirely makes sense for who I am. I'll cherish it forever for that reason.
Watching: THIS IS NOT A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION. Now that I've put that disclaimer out there as clearly as I can, I can tell you that I loved the film, Anora. It was funny, gut-wrenching, beautiful storytelling. I was chatting to a friend yesterday about three possible interpretations of the final scene, all of which seem completely plausible. What a gift to be able to mull over something so meaty!
Listening: to a playlist curated by Holy Ghost Record Club called Bold Bars. Highly recommend it!
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