Let’s go ahead and dust off this here space here, shall we?

I have itchy fingers and have been having a very hard time getting this space to work for me. It’s borked and broken, has been for months and months. Luckily, I have a very lovely ex-coworker who shares my love of board games and pop culture and a good whiskey and he’s also smart in the ways of the website (read: the things I do not know how to do) and he is going to work miracles and help me fix everything up. You see, it’s not a lack of words that’s kept me here. I have so many, too many, in fact, to share, but I was worried about my poor words being lost into the great abyss of 1s and 0s.

My storytelling may come out of order and possibly in reverse moving forward, because I can’t tell you about all the things that have been happening around here, including, but not limited to my first trip to a landfill and taking my kids to see their new house without talking about the reason I’m wiping (Kristen Bell and the sloth) tears from my eyes.

Tonight, Emily got up on stage (without a cap and gown — seriously Toronto work-to-rule…my kids aren’t even getting report cards, the least you do is supply them with caps and gown) and accepted her paper diploma (Not a real diploma — seriously Toronto work-to-rule…my kids aren’t even getting report cards, the least you do is supply them with an actual diploma) with a gigantic smile plastered clear on her face, from ear to ear.

It feels like yesterday that this wee little girl wore a paper cap and graduated from senior kindergarten. And it truly feels like just a few short months ago when my only-slightly-less little girl sang in front of the whole school at her 5th grade graduation.

Her journey began then, after kindergarten, as she entered first grade. Her journey began then, after 5th grade, as she entered middle school.

But her real journey starts today, after 8th grade, as she starts high school.

She has places to go, my girl, and her feet are already hitting the pavement, her plans are already in motion.

She wants to continue to act, electing to take drama at school next year, to be in the school play, to possibly do another commercial, movie, or tv show. She wants to continue to swim, to maybe join the swim team. She wants to continue to dance, perhaps starting a brand-new discipline—ballet. She wants to continue to excel academically, acing every class she takes. She wants to continue to volunteer her time, bringing smiles to the faces of every kid she spends time with. She wants to continue to learn about photography, assisting on almost all of my shoots, helping me set up shots, helping me style my clients, helping me get the babies to smile.

They all smile for Emily. Everyone smiles for her.

Emily is a hard worker and a dreamer with a fierce determination.

When she says she wants to go to Brown, I’m going to do everything in power to help make it happen for her. When she says she wants to go to medical school to become an obstetrician, I’m going to do everything I can to help her (except I really am terrible at science).

I cannot wait to watch her converse hit the pavement.

I cannot wait to watch her spread her wings. Fly. Soar.