Christmas Break

Christmas break has been feeling normal ... except for missing all of the events that we usually look forward to all year.  While the vaccine is being slowly distributed, it will be quite some time before we are all vaccinated and life gets back to normal.  Through all of this, we feel so blessed to have stability, our health, and each other.  It was sad to only see family via Zoom, but it is oddly feeling normal after so many months of being apart.  

• The kids have spent a lot of time on the living room floor building Legos and other kits.  I have been completing daily crossword puzzles (NYT Monday book), reading more research for my dissertation, and trying to avoid social media/my phone/work as much as possible, simply for the mental break.  Poor Joshua seems to be constantly troubleshooting (e.g. the dishwasher, the new PlayStation 4, etc.) but has also been enjoying watching the children play video games in the morning and completing a big jigsaw puzzle.
• We have been ensuring that we all move our bodies every day, playing soccer and football in the park as a family, going on our very well-rehearsed walks on the Chester Valley Trail, and playing games that involve movement, such as a Pokemon game that involved workout movements instead of Energy cards.
• Godmother Christine dropped off goodies, including the gingerbread house that we would normally decorate at her house on Christmas Eve.  What a treat!
• James and Joshua made an Oreo birthday cake, Alma made Hershey Kiss cookies, both kids made biscotti, and Joshua recreated my mother's Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.  We all decorated anise cookies with almond extract icing because stores are running out of baking supplies these days.
• The seven school days before Christmas the kids were home on Zoom because two classmates tested positive for the coronavirus.  One day, the kids got their work done so James and I had a Pokemon battle while Alma did some artwork.
• Before Christmas, we had a great snowstorm that allowed for three afternoons of sledding at Valley Creek Park.  With three sleds, we were all able to ride.  James is the king of the jumps, while Alma is great at steering past obstacles.  With so many different hills in the park, we were able to distance and had a lot of fun.
• The kids and I hiked at Valley Forge one afternoon but were concerned by the number of people without masks on the narrow path so we mostly forged our way through the woods parallel to the trail.

 

Happy Birthday, James

James, how are you nine?  You are still our Bubbers no matter how much you have grown this year and how mature you are becoming.  

You are still as sweet, sensitive, and talkative as always.  Half the time, I barely have an idea what you are discussing as you jump between the inner workings of Minecraft, Pokemon, Warrior Cats, and Star Wars Legos.  It is always so kind of you to think that I might know what a Creeper is, what element a Charizard is, or the difference between an X-wing, Y-wing, or Tie Fighter.  By continuing to assume your mother has a baseline knowledge of these things, your stories of their adventures can continue at your rapid-fire rate.  While I don't always understand, I love your enthusiasm.

This birthday/Christmas you were excited to see all the presents people sent you, but you were also so thrilled to donate money to Heifer International (for chickens and bees) and gifts to all of us this year for Christmas.  You love math and seem to enjoy ruminating on how much value you can get for your dollar.  

This year you continued to advocate for yourself, are learning how to ask for what you want in a manner that works better, and are moving through the things you have to do with less fuss.  Usually, you hate every idea until you have started doing it.  Just in the last few days, you did not want to go sledding at the park, let me begin reading Little Women aloud, or take a shower.  But, once started, you excelled at sledding, exclaimed "I love this book!" after the first chapter, and had to be coaxed out of the shower after half an hour.  You are full-on with whatever you are doing.  Just as we called you "our 360 kid" when you were a baby, you are still similarly tempered.

You and Alma get along so well -- you are both each other's biggest fans, closest friends, and most consistent supports.  I hope that you remember how often the two of you spend hours together at the dining room table, enjoying a snack, laughing, and chatting non-stop.  While Dad and I love you both so much and imagine you both feel the same about us, your bond with Alma is unique and your love for each other is fierce.  You have confirmed with me a number of times that when Alma goes to middle school next year that she will still live at home, which gives you comfort.  

While this year has been isolating in many ways, you often declare that you believe the pandemic may continue for another two or three years.  This doesn't seem to bother you as you seem to have all you need -- your immediate family and pets close, your friends at school, and time to continue learning about whatever you are obsessed with that week.  Although you certainly miss your grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins, and travel, you are more than content to be a homebody for a bit.  We are so grateful for you, your energy, your ability to make us all laugh, and your one-of-a-kind nature.

Chisholm Christmas Concert

https://youtu.be/sZ_Zeae4zwI

Work Colleagues

 

Ha!  A colleague figured out how to view our meeting in a different manner so I snapped a screen phot of a recent meeting.  I'm grateful for this work team, who are all such good sports.  

Pictured (left to right, back to front): John, Doug, Claire, me, Maureen, Leslie, Steve, Jackie, Pete, Nancy, and Stacey

Happy 11th Birthday, Alma!

 

Happy birthday, Alma, our delight.  This year, you can be summarized by the events and your actions on your birthday, including:

* Walking down the stairs slowly in the morning in order to marvel at the decorating Dad and I did (complete with a doughnut banner) in an attempt to match all the decorating you do for everyone else's special days;

* Going to school with joy and delighting in the secret treats given by your teachers, who know that being the "teacher's kid" comes with its own delights and challenges;

* During your birthday circle at school, your friends commented on how fair and kind you are to all;

* Eating burritos (rice, beans, and cheese) for your birthday dinner; 

* Making your own cake, which was a masterpiece of planning, persistence, and a willingness to try new things.  The three-layer lemon cake with buttercream frosting and a dripped white chocolate ganache was both beautiful and delicious;

* When Dad and I realized that we forgot to get candles for the cake, you helped to problem solve, suggesting that 11 tea lights could act as the substitute;

* Your most desired gift was a bow and arrow, which we were excited to give;

* Being aware that your little brother will feel sensitive/jealous of your birthday but asking in your thoughtful way if the day could remain focused on you instead of having to share the spotlight as you have done so many times in the past (that mature asking is one of your finest qualities);

* Opening James's gift of squirrel-themed earrings and immediately jumping up to give him a hug because you loved them so much.

We love you so much, sweet girl.  

Happy Thanksgiving

 

We had a very chill, 2020 kind of Thanksgiving weekend.  Neighborhood walks, masked hiked in Valley Forge, Joshua's delicious cooking, Zoom calls with family and friends, and time playing in the yard created a low-key, extended weekend.  We are so thankful for all the blessings that exist in our lives.  Especially this year, we feel even more grateful for our health and safety.  

Zoom testing call

In preparation for parent-teacher conferences, Joshua tested the school webcam after dismissal.  It was cute to see my kiddos in their school environment -- even just for a few moments -- because this year no parents are allowed into the school.  

I love these three so very much.

Update

While there has been a lot of turmoil recently (pandemic, economic, racial, and political), we also had a little medical scare when my doctor found a large thyroid nodule in my neck.  While many people have nodules, due to a family history of thyroid cancer, we were especially concerned.  In the end -- after loads of tests and scans -- it is not cancerous and no surgery is necessary until I feel so uncomfortable that I want it to happen.  While it creates a new dilemma – what is my threshold for discomfort? – it also allows me to wait until COVID numbers go down/away.  I’ll work with the endocrinologist to manage all the other symptoms in the meantime.  

As a friend said recently, the major lesson of 2020 is that everyone's threshold for discomfort is a lot higher than we would have guessed.  I'm grateful for the great medical care I received, for Kate and Neal's translation of all of that medical information, and for a stable and supportive remote work environment.  Most of all, I'm grateful for all of Joshua's hugs.  It is sappy to say, but they always make me feel okay.  

It looks like the election is working itself out, too, which will be a blessing.  Now -- after the U.S. had the most COVID-19 infections in one day -- to get this pandemic response on track.  

Halloween

 

Halloween 2020 was a success.  The kids enjoyed crazy hair day at school as they carved pumpkins with their friends.  Then they carved more pumpkins the next day at home before we enjoyed dinner and candy around our backyard fire pit.  While we didn't go trick-or-treating, we all declared it one of the best Halloweens.  

Happy Birthday, Joshua

To say that Joshua is generous with his energy and time is an understatement.  He is constantly doing for others (meaning his immediate community of our family and his school) and rarely takes a moment for himself.  While we tried to celebrate him this past weekend, it seemed as if he was celebrating us.  We enjoyed Alma's apple cider donut cake, James's chocolate chip cookies, and a climb at the Birdsboro Climbing Quarry.  

We love you, Josh.  Thanks for being an amazing partner and the "best person in the world" according to Alma.