Co-operation
Perhaps the most dramatic change in our lives, essentially uncovered on this blog, was Mather's switch from a traditional teacher-driven preschool to a parent co-op. We first discussed our interest in co-op's in this post last year, and the most relevant line in that post is the last, in tiny text: "My own preschool is upcoming on the tour itinerary". That's where we ended up.
Built facing a spectacular cliffside from our favorite urban mountain, Rocky Mountain Participation Nursery School became Mather's new daytime home Monday through Friday back in September. It hasn't changed much since I was a student there in the early 80's; the school is still dedicated to an active, play-based curriculum in which the kids determine their own schedule, spend a lot of time playing outdoors, climbing and hiking and clambering around on the full-size playground.
As it is a co-op, switching Mather to Rocky Mountain has changed our lives pretty drastically. Unlike our previous preschool, we are intimately involved in the operation of the school, from (my) serving as a parent-teacher one day a week, our participation in weekly all-parent meetings, big school parties for Halloween, Winter Solstice, etc., as well as fundraisers and other activities.
Personally, working at Rocky Mountain as a parent has been an eye-opening experience. While I had gotten used to my own daughter's idiosyncrasies, getting to intimately know 19 other children aged 3-5 has taught me a lot about children, human behavior and parenting. Getting to witness Mather develop friendships and connections personally has also been a revelation, and her development has taken off in leaps and bounds in the challenging, boisterous Rocky Mountain environment.
One of the best elements of being in a co-op is the strong connections you make with other families. We've already become very close to some of Mather's friends and their parents. This was brought home to me at my parent's Christmas Eve party, which was attended by one of my original Rocky Mountain "classmates", still a very dear friend of mine, and three Rocky Mountain parents from circa 1981 (and the attendant stories of my youthful trouble-making)...
Mather also turned three in November, which she considered her big girl moment: don't let her hear you call her a little girl! She'll get in your face about it. So in 2009 we really feel like we went from little to big, and we've got a fun, loud kid with a ton of opinions and personality.
Showing off the hat she sewed herself. The school's cliff is visible in the background.Graduation
Mather's world isn't the only one undergoing change: this month I graduated from San Jose State's School of Library and Information Science with a Master's Degree, and as of last week I started a temporary paid position in the archives department of the California Academy of Sciences Research Library. It will run until mid-April and get me up to speed on a suite of skills I didn't get to work on at SLIS, particularly digital and photographic archiving. I'm very excited.
After that position ends its term, I'll be looking to secure a permanent position in a library or research institution. While the downturned economy makes jobhunting difficult, I'm confident in my skills and professional abilities. I continue to blog about my thoughts on the profession and a variety of other thoughts on my "other" blog, The Pinakes. Please check it out.
Meanwhile, Emily is closing in on finishing her certification as a massage therapist, having already started on her practicums (I got to be her first "client"; it was wonderful!).
2009 has been a dramatic year. With so much of our lives in flux, 2010 might be even more so.
