from a note to a friend and fellow mom

what's your (art)work like these days? it seems like motherhood suits you well. i haven't heard anything from you about the transition to being parents that is remotely negative. that's awesome and wonderful. it was not an easy transition for me. the boys, of course, are my favorite part of my life, but the mother i am requires constant work and revision. not a natural mama at all. it's sort of like the mother in me was espaliered (this is a method of attaching a branch from one tree onto the trunk of another...usually the same species, just different varieties) onto me. but it's taken solid hold of my trunk and is getting down into my roots now. do you feel like the mother in you was always there and just awoke from a long sleep when oona arrived? balance. do you feel more or less balance?

so grown so fast

The boys are starting school Monday. Owen is starting preschool. Eli will start his first year of pre-elementary(k). We think he'll do 2 years of it. Last night he was crying, saying "I don't want to do 5 days a week of school. I want to be with you guys." Breaks my heart a little...makes me reconsider a little, too. But I don't think we can do it any other way. It's going to be a tough bundle of transitions. And Pat's returning to school next week. To be continued...