Editor's Note: Charging Ahead 

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• Cathy Resmer
• Ivy Resmer at Burton Island State Park in 2014

Is it really time for another issue of Kids VT? The past few months have been hectic and transformative for me as a parent. In the same week in April, our 17-year-old son, Graham, passed his driver's test and did his first college tour at the University of Vermont.

We had another tour planned the following week, at Norwich University, but an unexpected scheduling conflict meant neither my wife, Ann-Elise, nor I could attend. Graham didn't want to postpone it, so he went on his own. Drove himself there, toured the campus, talked with engineering professors, met the wrestling coach. Suddenly the prospect of him leaving home got real.

We'd planned to give Graham our 2010 Honda Fit to use as his first car, but we discovered it wouldn't pass inspection — undercarriage rot. Ugh. So after that Norwich tour, we traded in the Fit for our first electric car, a 2020 Chevy Bolt that we'll all share. Now I'm trying to figure out rebates and coordinating installation of a Level 2 home charger.

Meanwhile, our daughter, Ivy, got accepted into the building arts and small engine systems pre-tech program at the Center for Technology in Essex Junction. If all goes as planned, she'll finish her high school years there. And in lieu of his senior year, Graham is hoping to do the Early College Program next year at the Community College of Vermont.

Ann-Elise and I only just realized that our 12-year relationship with Winooski's K-12 schools is likely nearing its end, a bit earlier than we expected. It's a bittersweet transition; the kids barely had time to enjoy their newly renovated campus!

Things are in flux for my Seven Days and Kids VT colleagues, as well. As we planned this issue, art director Kirsten Thompson prepared for her daughter's college graduation in Portland, Ore. Copublisher Colby Roberts' oldest is finishing high school. Consulting editor Mary Ann Lickteig is celebrating three graduations — her daughter's, from college, and her twin sons' from high school.

At the other end of the spectrum is Seven Days food writer Jordan Barry, who wrote about her morning sickness in the Spring issue. The day before Mother's Day, a dozen of us gathered for her baby shower.

We're all looking forward to summer, in part because we need a break! The kids will go to camp or start their jobs. We'll find time to squeeze in some camping trips, beach days, bike rides, festivals, picnics and creemees. Read on for suggestions for all of the above. Heather Fitzgerald writes about one of my favorite camping destinations, Burton Island State Park. I snapped this photo of Ivy there nearly a decade ago. She was scrutinizing the shore, searching for interesting stones.

These days Ivy regularly scans the ground for four-leaf clovers; she sells them on her Etsy site for $2.60 each. Occasionally she spots one with five or six leaves, which she prices a little higher. A few days ago, she discovered a rare eight-leaf clover. After a little online research, she found someone who sold 10 of them for $270 each. Now she's got dollar signs in her eyes. I'm just marveling at the stunning abundance and grateful to share it with her — for a little bit longer, anyway.