I am about to go overboard.

And by overboard, I mean over-the-top with information and photographs.  It's been a while since I've mentioned what all's been keeping me so occupied that I don't dedicate time or energy to write more often.  I also mean overboard as in mental, because of all that occupation.   

And let's keep the transitions going.  I also mean occupation as in an actual career.  It is official: I will be returning to teach high school English in the fall, back at HHS where I started that career over ten years ago.  So now, any free time I stumble over is especially precious because now it has an expiration date.  I'm making sure that Rudy and I take frequent expeditions and enjoy slower mornings.  The rest of my time I'm either accomplishing tasks (household organization and cleaning, writing blog posts, or completing homework for the graduate course I need to renew my teaching certification), or I'm lounging at length and justifying it with the anticipation of the overwhelming workload waiting for me.  Lounging wins out most afternoons now that the lacrosse season is over.

Here are some of the other things that happened this spring when I wasn't swaying on a hammock and trying not to think about a summer of lesson planning.

I went to my college reunion.  I mean, I visited Smith for the day when my pals and housemates were there for reunion, and we spent the day strolling around downtown Northampton and then through campus and then back downtown again, and the whole afternoon and evening were really about how many food memories we could relive and create.

 I represented Marley's elementary school in a town spelling bee.  Liz and I were the two Home and School members who joined our librarian to make a team of Farley Foxes, complete with deluxe fox-ear headbands.  We got out on therapeutant because we left out the second e, and that shames me because that e should be more obvious with a Greek word, and let's hear it for Liz who suggested the e in the first place, and made the headbands, too.  I would like to wear mine again at the Farley Fox Trot next fall.

 Marley got to have Emma join her at lunch on the first grade Special Persons Day, when giddy six- and seven-year-olds hosted cousins, siblings, parents, and grandparents in the cafeteria and out on the playground.  And we considered this Emma's first official Farley orientation, because next year she'll be a first grader there.  Danielle and Jeff have leased their condo and are buying a house in the Farley district, so Marley and Rudy and all their crazy, sweet, mischievous cousins will be Farley Foxes, and next year Riley, Marley, Emma, and Owen will all be there at the same time.

 Rudy's almost done with part-day preschool, where her class recently celebrated Rainbow Day.  I sent her to school with a flag from P-Town, and since she was first in line that day, she got to lead the Rainbow Parade around her classroom and the preschool hallway.  I like to imagine her waving that flag with her wide Rudy smile and her confident, slouchy stride.  Sometimes that kid is so happy she's practically delirious, and I know I'm not the only one who would like to live in Rudy's world for at least a few sunny minutes.  

Rudy's patching is going well.  We've missed a few days, but otherwise, she wears one of her sparkly, colorful patches for a couple of hours a day, and is mostly distracted enough by games, toys, or let's face it, television, to maybe forget that it's on.  And sometimes, Hat Lamb wears a patch, too, which makes the whole thing more fun.

Thanks, Hattie.