Sunday, January 30, 2022
Saturday, January 29, 2022
Friday, January 28, 2022
RIP: Shanti Grey
Poor Shanti Cat had a stroke a few weeks ago (before Alma's birthday) and never fully recovered. While she made some progress, her quality of life deteriorated to the point where it was kinder to say goodbye to her.
This has been difficult for all of us, but mostly for James, who has been the biggest fan of Shanti (and cats in general) since he was a little guy. Every time he has needed some comfort, he could always count on her company. And, honestly, she seems to like him best, too.
We will all miss her so much.
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
Winter Concert: Tuesday, January 11 at 6:30 pm EST
Message from Alma's school:
Below is the link for Winter Concert Live-Stream. This event is NOT being recorded and it will not be viewable in the future.
Directions for use – The viewer will just need to click on the link and the live-stream will begin. Depending on the device they are using it may tell them to download the app … they will need to do this to view the concert. We recommend trying the link ahead of time to get it ready to view at showtime. If everything is working correctly, they will get a message saying “The Live event has not started yet”.
2022 GVMS Winter Instrumental Concert – https://teams.microsoft.com/l/
I look forward to seeing you all at our concert next Tuesday, January 11th!
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Covid-19 Pandemic Update
While I haven't written about the pandemic recently, it isn't because it has gotten better. We are all now vaccinated but still have to distance, wear masks, and worry about the implications of our decisions. You may notice that Christmas photos include maskless gatherings -- this did not happen without everyone being fully vaccinated, lots of deliberating, and, oftentimes, masks coming on and off throughout the gatherings.
Nothing is especially taxing; it is merely the compounded inconvenience of most things (e.g., planning grocery shopping when others aren't around; entertaining the kids without organized sports/activities or even just indoor venues; planning and re-planning work events around COVID rates; etc.). We are worn out from thinking, worrying, working, parenting, and life in general. I'm grateful for Joshua and the kids taking this so seriously. But I'm also concerned about the long-term effects of this vigilance, trepidation, and distance from our community. Each new variant adds a new round of underlying fear and a certain sense of moderate dread. Maybe it is because we haven't had COVID that we are more scared of it.
As we approach the two-year mark, I thought it was important to remember that this was challenging in the slow marathon sort of way. Nothing terrible but also not regular life either.
Saturday, December 25, 2021
Happy 10th birthday, James!
Dear James, we are so grateful for your full-on enthusiasm for everything that we had to originally strong-arm you into doing. That may sound like a backhanded comment but it is said with oodle and oodles of love along with a big smile. It is just the way you are: still our 360 kid who is fully cold or burning hot to every idea. We still often refer to this trait in you as "Little Bubbers," your nickname from when you were a baby. While you are initially hesitant to do something new, go anywhere, or eat something, it is difficult to find something you do not like. In the end, you often say, "This was the best day/trip/meal/visit/event," which makes the struggle to engage you worth the effort. You are fully in the moment and that is what makes you a terrific and authentic kid.
You love friends and family -- giving tight, full-body hugs when greeting those we haven't seen in a while --, anything athletic (especially football in the yard, long bike rides on the trail, climbing at the gym, soccer at recess, and hiking), anything related to video games (Ace Force on your Kindle, MineCraft Dungeons on the PlayStation), and listening to books on tape (Wings of Fire). You are always moving, singing, or making sound effects and can often be found petting the cat. You continue to have great singing pitch, an impressive ear for languages, and are skilled with the violin, which you often play like a guitar.
I love that I can still swoop you up in my arms and swing you around while you hold onto my waist with your strong legs. Although (and I don't know that you realize this yet), at the rate that you are growing, I don't think that I will be able to do this much longer. I imagine you will still be a snuggly person throughout your life.
Alma remains your best friend, first confidant, and partner in all things silly. While this year has created some distance (physically, since you don't go to the same school so you miss out on that extended time together before and after school; emotionally, as Alma is transitioning into a young lady), you two are still close -- connecting via email, chatting through dinner, and spending loads of time together on the weekends. The two of you can still sit at the dining room table for hours, chatting, laughing, and sharing a snack or hot cocoa.
The pandemic has not been easy on you, causing you some additional anxiety (especially about being around crowds), making you miss the Dragon Gym martial arts program, and canceling school events like concerts, plays, and overnight class trips. Sometimes you lament how your childhood is being affected but then always express an understanding that so many people have struggled in much more significant ways. In the coming years, I look forward to traveling with you (Scotland is at the top of your list, due to the country report you recently completed), finding new adventures and activities to explore (bikecamping?), and attempting to fill in some of the gaps that were caused by the pandemic.
Dad, Alma, and I love you so much and are so pleased that you are part of our family.
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