My first mother's day present was born 9 years ago today...

We love celebrating birthdays around here. It's kind of a big deal. Today's birthday girl happened to be celebrating on Mother's Day. Having a 9 yr old who has the legs of a 12 yr old and vocabulary of a 16 yr old is mind boggling. How long does this awkward, half grown, girl child phase last? No longer a baby, not old enough to do what she wants, not young enough to maintain joyful innocence, not old enough to understand she will be frustrated by questions with no answers, not young enough to like the shows her little sister wants to watch, not old enough to watch the movies her parents enjoy...She wakes up grumpy and sullen. She is quick to laugh like her momma, mouth open, eyes closed, and loud. She criticizes and corrects like her dad, wanting an absolute truth rooted in fairness. She makes friends easily. She is quick to feel slighted or hurt by carelessness of others, yet to grow a thick skin to ward off the ills of the world because she still believes in goodness and hope. She is my Cassidy Grace, my first Mother's Day present.

Cass had a low key party at the Estuarium. Her love for all things marine life and of the sea has continued to grow here. It was great that an Evergreen student who I know works there and handled the whole party!

The girls were learning all about the watershed and what happens to pollution and trash when there are no wetlands or trees.

They played with various sea creatures.

There was a jellyfish mobile arts and craft project using recycled plastic and trash.

Earlier in the day we joined friends at a lake 15 minutes away. Paddleboarding, kayaking, and swimming were a great way to kick off a beautiful Sunday morning.

Comments

R.O.P.E. in Accra, Ghana- July 2024

Joining Rites of Passage and Empowerment (ROPE) has been key in helping us find community out here in the Berkshires. No sugar coating- this county is both white, rural, conservative, racist and full of theatre, music, the outdoors, and pockets of loving, open-minded people. Massachusetts may be the most liberal state in the US, but we are far from Boston. Here, minutes from New York and Vermont, the sounds of performative equity can be heard from the tone deaf school administrators who "don't see color" and have voiced that "race was not an issue till we brought it up", to the lack of representation in politics, restaurants, stores, and general day to day. We have lived in places across the country, and have yet to stumble upon a place that felt fully welcoming. I don't say this to complain, it is merely a statement of my lived experience thus far and an acknowledgement of the work it takes as a Black woman to make friends, have meaningful relationships, g...

After you clean your room...

This evening Cassidy revealed to me a small secret to keeping her occupied. After dinner she asked me if she could watch a show. We don't have tv, but we do have netflix through the wii on our tv and we watch all the greatness that PBS and Nickelodian have to offer! Except for Caillou because I think he's kind of whiny. Anyway, she gets to watch limited amounts of Diego, Dora, Dinosaur Train, Super Why, Word World, etc and sometimes we throw in some Cosby Show for good measure. She'll pick two shows and watch one, 20 minute episode of each and then we call it good. Well tonight when she asked for a show, I told her she could watch one episode of her favorite after she cleaned her room. She went into her room and as she started putting toys away, she started playing with them. She'd go to put books away and start "reading" them. Twenty minutes later she'd start putting crayons away, then start drawing with them. Ten minutes later she'd start putting awa...

Back 2 School 2024/2025

The start of a new school year is scattered and quite full as we begin the fall with a bang on multiple campuses. We gave Savannah a few options for her start to middle-school. She was at WES for 3 years and had made a solid, core group of friends- super strong connections! All of them were headed to the zoned school of Greylock regional, grades 7-12. Going to Greylock wither friends would mean we would have to drive her, school choice does not provide a bus. It would mean she could not do all the things because of the commute and our schedules, her options to get involved would be limited. If she chose to go to the school we were now zoned for, she would be walking distance to Miss Halls and could do alllll the things- go for it! Join every club, try out for the plays, do all the sports. Y'all already know, Savvy chose her friends lol. It is hard. And she is so happy. And never complains, because she understands with this choice, her options are limited. We have been ...

Team Smith

Search This Blog