Summer Kick Off, Family Visit

We kicked off school being out for the summer by spending the first week in Michigan visiting family.  Before we left, life was full finishing up Lily's softball and Paul's baseball seasons.  Nate gave SO much of his time coaching Lily's softball team for the 2nd year in a row.  It was extra fun to see the season end with a string of wins, obvious improvements on the field, and a close community feel of families and players. Paul simply had a blast all baseball season and it showed with his great attitude on the field.

Paul and Elise were in the same 1st grade class with the same teacher that Lily had.  The plan is to keep them in the same class for 2nd grade per opinion of teacher and my own preference.  We'll see how long we can keep that up.  Overall, Paul and Elise say it was a good year but not great.  Paul was all about playing soccer at recess with his buddies and Elise was all about making friends, losing friends, and then making up with friends day after day groundhog style.

Lily really enjoyed her 4th grade class.  She discovered how much she enjoys history, especially Egypt.  I appreciate that Lily hasn't got caught up in girl drama at school by keeping her distance.  It does make me wonder if I should be pushing her to try a bit more to form bonds with the girls in her class and not spend so much time on her own.  She's a good student and is busy pursuing her interests; I'll just let her do her thing.

Paul and Elise with the crew on the 1st day of 1st grade

Same crew on the last day of 1st grade

Michigan was jam packed with seeing a lot of family and phew, it all worked out smoothly besides bad fall by Elise and our rental car being hit in the hotel parking lot.  Proud Nate enjoyed showing the kids the UofM campus and telling the kids a little about what his college days were like.

 Kids enjoyed spending time with their cousins.  Ann had her last chemo treatment while we were visiting.  I'm glad she and Lyle could enjoy seeing the whole family together and all their grandkids playing together.  There was an impressive wiffle ball game in their backyard.

A big highlight was seeing great grandpa Wally.  Given that his wonderful wife of 75+ years passed away 2 years ago and how apparent it is with how much he misses her, it was great to see how he continues to be the charming and fun conversationalist that we love.

Next stop was Thunder Road at my brother's cottage in Saugatuck, Michigan.  My nephew Ryan graduated high school (next stop, University of Wisconsin) so it was a special treat to just have the family together to help mark the milestone.  It was also Father's Day weekend which means steaks!  I think it could be Lily's 11th Birthday and Dad would say "we must eat steak to celebrate." 

A thrilling game of Left-Right-Center.  Lolo was the proud champion

 Cousin grub time

Oma and Opa with all their grandkids

 Left side is from 2012.  Reenactment 7 years later - 2019

All about 4th Grade Lily

My first born is 10.  Turning double digits is a fun milestone and life has been so full of new experiences for her lately.  There is much to celebrate in her life.

Lily continues to have lots of interests and is all about getting involved and trying it out.  She hasn't narrowed the playing field to focus more on a few interests yet.  The only interest that has stayed constant and strong the longest is her love of reading.  Her happy place is relaxing at home with a good book.  She can also jump crazy high which she loves to do a lot too.

 She finished her first season of club team volleyball.  It was her first experience being on a team and being introduced to what that really means.  Volleyball is so good about having to not only count on your teammates but also staying positive and cheering for your team no matter what after every point. 

Love this picture of Lily during a close game.  She had 2 practices a week and 1 full day tournament a month for 4 months.  We were nervous about the time commitment and her dedication level but nervous for nothing - she worked hard the whole time.

She wanted so bad to learn overhand serve.  Here's a video of a very happy moment of her showcasing one of her first overhand serves in a game. We need to work on consistency but this was a fun moment.

https://youtu.be/ZX6Gd8k_BZg

Lily is currently playing in her 2nd softball season with Dad as coach.  Lily loves any position that includes lots of ball action.  She especially loves being catcher these days.    I'm still confused by the motion of the pitch.  This is something I can't teach her well.  So glad Nate can.  

https://youtu.be/L-ki_IbQ4wY

Lily is finishing up her last season on the club junior tennis team 10 and under orange dot ball.  She is excited to move up to the next level in the fall which means full court and is actually going to her first overnight camp this summer with a friend and it's a tennis camp.

 Lily is very much into baking and cooking more lately.  She requested baking with her friends at her Birthday party.  The picture below is of Lily wanting to contribute to family dinner a few months ago and decided to make skewers for Oma and Opa.

 Lily loves reading the Sunday comics and prefers her hair short, falling above the shoulder. 

An early Birthday present - I surprised her with tickets to see Pink - her first music concert.  She was in total awe of the show.  She expected Pink to be standing on a stage with a microphone and that's it.  When the curtains opened and there were dancers hanging from a big chandelier and dancers all around the stage with a light show in the background, she was speechless.

Lily got the opportunity to emcee her school's talent show.  It was my first chance to see just how comfortable she can be on stage.  She also has no problem telling the crowd to quiet down. 

It only took 10 years but Lily and Pepe finally have a close kinship.  Pepe now will come visit and cuddle with her at times in her bed and seeks her out now from time to time. 

Lily got to celebrate her Birthday by also being part of her first school play.  She got to play a guard in Aladdin.  Proud Mom and Dad watching her up there.  It was so obvious how much she enjoyed it too.  She was supposed to be a serious guard but couldn't keep a smile from peeking through quite a bit.

She's not crazy into piano but takes lessons once a week and even did a piano festival to see what it was like to be judged.  Lily moved rooms and has now moved downstairs and taken over the guest room.  All the kids now have their own room.  What a luxury to have that option.  It's probably for the best.  Unfortunately, Lily and Elise fight a lot and being on different floors sometimes helps.  Lily is stubborn and strong willed and Elise is a sensitive soul.  Paul frankly puts up with quite a bit from his sisters trying to keep the peace but will blow up too if pushed too much.  I get that.  Paul and Lily can be so silly with each other and Paul makes Lily giggle quite a bit.  I know Lily wishes Paul would be more affectionate with the hugs and attention at school or while out and about but that's just not Paul's style in public (unless he's on the baseball field and one of his teammates just caught a ball - he then tackles him for a hug).

Yes, Nate and I are proud parents of Lily.  She is dedicated and engaged and pesters us whenever there is something she wants.  These days it's a kitten.  It's much more likely that she'll get a kitten soon than the other things she constantly asks about....a damn phone. 

Health and Spring 2019

2019 has been keeping us on our toes when it comes to dealing with life's curve balls.  Life has also been full of so many fun moments the last couple of months....thankfully.  

As far as the not so fun news, it's been unfortunately health related but we are confident it's all just an annoying hiccup.  We are very grateful that Uncle Eric is almost completely recovered from his January surgery to stay aggressive in fighting his GIST cancer as well as an unplanned 2nd surgery a few weeks later due to a complication.  Nate's Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a little while ago and is currently going through chemo but the treatment plan is in place and she'll beat it.  Opa had another procedure for skin cancer and cataract surgery.  Oma is dealing with painful hip bursitis which is really impacting her mobility.  I'm getting a myomectomy surgery in about a week which will hopefully put an end to a frustrating and lengthy saga in my personal health.  I have learned anemia is no joke and not being able to do the day to day activities that bring me joy really tailspins me into a dark place. 

As far as the fun moments, there have been plenty. The ease I mentioned in my first post of 2019 is definitely long gone and we are running around from one thing to the next these days. We are a sports loving family and we are in full swing.  Spring is definitely our busy season by choice, especially for Nate.  Tennis and volleyball just isn't enough so we are tacking on baseball and softball and wow, they sure pack in a lot of games within a couple of months.  Nate is coaching Lily's softball team again and Paul is as happy as can be playing with his friends on his 1st grade baseball team. 

Elise continues to be part of such a sweet neighborhood Girl Scout Daisy Troop.  It's clear Elise wants her own thing.  If she plays tennis, it's very much preferred to be alone with me.  She wants to do roller derby now as "Elise the Beast." I am not sure how I can make it happen logistically but I'm working on it. It'll be interesting to see what interests she pursues with her internal desire to be different from the others.  It feels like the sibling dynamic is impacting her the most these days on what path she's on.  It's on my mind quite a bit on how to best navigate this with her.  

Here are some photos from the last couple months.

Our Mother/Daughter Group visited this soul boxes exhibition recently.  There are still 8 days left to check out soulboxproject.org at the Multnomah Arts Center.  Each origami box represents a life lost due to gun violence in the US. Please go.  Take your kids. 

- Over 211K deaths due to guns since 2014.

      - Over 40K deaths per year in the US

- This exhibit has 15K boxes to represent that number of deaths so far in 2019

- The goal is to have an exhibit with over 211K boxes in DC during the 2020 election year.  

- Keep making boxes

- About 60% of gun deaths are by suicide 

Seabrook Washington was our destination for 3 nights with friends over Spring Break.We were impressed; lucking out with the weather was a huge help. Seabrook is definitely worth googling - cool story to this small coastal resort town. If the weather cooperates, there are enough activities to keep everyone occupied for several days.
                                    
Love this picture of all of us just hanging out. 11 Kids and 10 adults in all.
                                                 
Nate and I had a blast at our 80's prom themed school auction.  Crimping hair sure takes a long time.
                                                     
When we do have downtime at home, I'm so glad the kids still love to play with Playmobil.

                                                       

Lily and Oma went on a date to check out Broadway's Aladdin at Keller.  

Paul is in his element on the baseball field.  Shy is the last word I'd use to describe him during games.  He leads chants and talks non stop.

 

Elise/Oma date time.  Elise is a foodie and addicted to treats. 

 

Easter 2019 - Right before the Easter Egg Hunt started

Oma did such a nice job making our front yard look so green, colorful, and festive.  Thanks Oma.

January 2019 - easing in

All of us have slowly eased our way into 2019.  January was a full month but not a busy month. It was full of quality time with Oma and Opa, spending time with dear friends, and being in touch with family and friends who have had to seriously deal with their health front and center .  We are so grateful for the break with Elise's macrodactyly.  It's been a little over a year since her 2nd foot surgery. We hope to not have to do another surgery for at least another couple years.  I feel like I'm riding a big wave in and out when it comes to Elise.  There are some days when I forget about her condition and other days that I feel mentally paralyzed from the worry I have around what the future will bring.  I see her leg length difference and now her leg width difference in addition to her foot as she continues to grow so much lately. Her taking after me in height is not helpful when it comes to addressing her condition.

Paul joined the Tennis Team Lily is on and is totally into it and Lily is enjoying playing on her Volleyball team. Elise is freakishly strong and is getting an impressive throwing arm but shows little interest in utilizing her physical strengths besides wrestling Paul at this point. She is involved in Girl Scouts and got her first taste of selling Girl Scout cookies though. 

"Stop looking at me"...."She is giving me a mean look"..."She hit me".... "I want my own room"...."Stop it"...."I'm putting the timer on"....."10 minutes off screen time" are phrases you'd hear repeatedly in our house if you were a fly on the wall these days.  Getting out the door in the morning can be such a pain in the ass.  Family dinners are full of conversation and the kids interrupting each other trying to get their thoughts out before they forget, and Nate and I just looking at each other trying to understand some of the things they are saying in their fragmented form.  The kids keep hitting independent milestones.  They can all walk home from school now together.  Lily walks home alone sometimes too and she really enjoys the freedom. I love that I can send her to the store now while she still enjoys doing it - super helpful.  Next goal - independence in the kitchen.

Before leaving to Chicago, Opa changed up Saturday morning waffle time with Popovers.  It's been a BIG hit.

Date day with Elise and Oma exploring the city.  

Got to attend an inspirational talk by Colin O'Brady who just recently came back from trekking across Antarctica 100% solo and being the first man to do so.  I was blown away by just how well spoken he was and how funny our local weather man Zaffino is interviewing him.  So glad I got to do this with my good friend Natalie.

 Palm Springs Girls Weekend didn't pan out but a fun sleepover did happen at Abby's house.  Adults can do friend sleepovers too!

Elise is already negotiating for more than $1 in her tooth fairy notes

Definitely a busy month for the Tooth Fairy.

A mini vacation to Great Wolf Lodge with dear friends.  The kids are at the ideal age right now to enjoy all the park has to offer.

Action shot.  It's funny to me seeing Lily as the short one on the court.  I simply can't relate.  She's working hard with 4 hours of practice a week and one all day tournament a month.

Came across 2 quotes this month that resonated with me. Quote #1

Quote #2

End of 2018

The normalcy of this time of year being a good opportunity to take pause and reflect definitely went up a notch this year with also turning 40 in November.  Nate turned 42 after Christmas and the fact that he was up out of bed before me to take a spinning class shows me I'm not alone. The memories of 2018 and the self truths of starting my 40's have sunk in....no epiphanies...just a grounded feeling of "it's all ok."

My New Years resolution for 2018 was read more because the common sight at our home in the evening had been zoning out online while Nate is reading a book on his kindle.  I read 18 books, mostly non-fiction, in 2018 which is a really big amount for me.   I want to up that in 2019.  I read a line "cluelessness no longer goes with your face" once you turn 40 which resonated with me I think because I've never believed to be that smart (thanks insecurity) but my youth and curiosity helped me get by.  I don't know if my resolution should be more focused on being kinder to myself or working on being smarter - hopefully I'll kill two birds with one stone next year. 

Looking back at 2018, there are definitely stand out moments.  

1. Seeing our close friends go through the most difficult time of their lives having to adapt to a whole new way of life from an avid athlete to a quadriplegic definitely changed us on a different level.   The unfairness and randomness of it all is heart wrenching.  Yet, there they are working tirelessly every single day to make it work and the love they have for each other and their gratitude is awe inspiring. Our recent visit simply spending time with them in their home was a favorite moment of the year.

2.  The time with my sister this year felt extra special with her surprise visits, sister getaway, and many bonding talks. 

3. Time with both sides of our family whether it was Grandma and Grandpa coming out for their visit in the Spring or my side of the family trip to Palm Springs over Thanksgiving to celebrate several November Birthdays was such a treat. 

4. I got to play with and against some really good Tennis players in my leagues this past year and even got a fun trip to Sunriver out of it.  Then I chose to step away from competitive play in the Fall and Winter to pursue other interests which was a big step for me.  

5. All the kids can read now which is a wonderful new family dynamic in our day to day family routines except for the fighting over books part between Lily and Elise. 

6. Elise loves Pickleball and snowboarding and joined Girl Scouts - didn't think I'd be typing that.

7. My brother passed the 10 year mark of living with cancer and continues to aggressively fight the big "C" with a surgery planned in January to what the doctor says will reset his clock.  Bring it.

8. Nate planning and hosting a Birthday dancing bash for my 40th was a big ordeal for us.  I'm appreciative for my friends and family that made the time to give me love and laughs and I'm so thankful for Nate..period.

9. A couple really amazing new friendships formed this year that Nate and I were not expecting at all.  We both know how much harder and rarer it is as we get older.

10. Lily and I started a Mother/Daughter Group with a few other girlfriends in January to help support each other and navigate the ups and downs as well as the tough topics all together. 

11. Nate bought a leather jacket. :)

December pics

Paul got to pick out our tree this year and he chose the biggest tree we've ever had

St. Nicklaus day is a beloved day in our house.  Elise is shocked Opa even earned treats

Elise celebrated her 7th Birthday with a small unicorn themed sleepover

Paul wanted a sports themed party with his buds.  It was the first year we did two separate celebrations

Nate and I got all fancy getting dressed up black tie formal for a friend's Birthday party.  

Social Saturday friend group end of year kids pic

Mother Daughter Club goofy group pic

Paul was really helpful in rolling out and making the cut outs this year

Always so glad and not showing my appreciation enough having Oma and Opa here to celebrate the Holidays together

Our visit to Bainbridge Island to see Dorothy and Troy after recently returning home after months in the hospital

Troy's new trick is giving handshakes with just enough sensation in the tips of his fingers

Traditional Christmas Eve Filet dinner

Christmas morning obligatory window seat shot.  They were very happy with what Santa brought.  They got exactly what they asked for.  A microscope, a doll, and a $20 with an Orange Fanta

Elise took to snowboarding nicely and Paul and Lily continue to like skiing. I might have to put on skis again to help Nate out now. Thanks to my brother-in-law, I didn't have to this time.