Day 304: First Convention and Competition of the Season!

Last week, Issa was able to attend her first convention and competition of the season! It certainly looked very different, but she was so excited. Saturday, she took four convention classes with professional dancers via Zoom. She said the classes were exactly like regular convention, except she was in the studio instead of a hotel ballroom. They even still had number and wristbands:

I won't lie: I cried when she came home wearing that wristband. It's such a little thing, but it was a lovely taste of what used to be.

Sunday, we went back to the studio for competition:

They performed live for the judges on Zoom, and then they got immediate feedback.

She started with jazz:

Tap was in the middle:

And I didn't get a picture of musical theatre. 

They did well, and she was thrilled to be able to actually perform. 

 

Days 302-303: Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a really busy weekend, so much so I will need to spread our fun out over several posts.

We had a lovely time celebrating Valentine's Day! As a special gift to me, Brad spent most of the weekend working on projects--one planned, one not so much.

Friday night, the light in our living room died. The internal switch blew, and after a good 20 year run we decided it was time to replace it, and Brad even put it on a dimmer for us:

The end result is a marked improvement:

He also hung the boards, rings, and jars (not pictured) for my indoor herb garden:

It will be in the stairwell, and I am so excited! Issa and I hope to plant the seeds tonight!

Evan kept us warm with a toasty fire:

And we all loved our steak dinner last night. Brad really is the king of steak chefs.

We have spent all of February celebrating our little family love, and it was a nice weekend to put a pin in that! Next Friday, Brad and I are celebrating at the Colonial Inn downtown, and I can hardly wait!
 

Day 301: And so it begins...

 Issa's best friend just got her learner's permit. That is all.

Day 300: Big Plans

 I managed to actually drive Issa to and from dance yesterday, and I have big plans to go to the grocery today! My ankle isn't 100%, but it is slowly getting better, and I'm feeling the need to start strengthening it. Fingers crossed!

I laugh at this week's blog--so boring. We are in survival mode. Brad has an ugly cold (just a cold), I have a bad ankle, and we are just trying to keep this train on the rails!

Day 298-299: Still Down

 I'm still limping around. The ankle is markedly better. I can put weight on it, and it's barely swollen. I just have very limited range of motion.

I planned to go to campus today, but decided to stay home. I didn't have any in-person meetings, and going from propped all day to down all day seemed like a bad idea. I'm currently sitting at the table, and we will see how that goes.

This is one of the silver linings of Covid. Any other year, I absolutely would have pushed to be in the office. I wouldn't miss meetings or classes. Since everything is already online, I'm only missing the informal conversations with the few other people in the building. It makes me feel a little less guilty--but I'm still annoyed.

Days 296-297: Thankful for My People

 We had a lovely first two days of the weekend. Brad and I made poutine for date night Friday night, and Issa and I went to mom's Saturday night to rearrange some furniture and watch our first ballet of the year. (We are thrilled the ballet is live-streaming again.)

Yesterday, though, things took a hard turn. I'm mostly fine, but I accidentally got between Inks and Buddy when they were playing, and Buddy hit the back of my knee. The end result is a really sprained left ankle. For a few moments, I literally saw stars and Brad and I were trying to decide if it was broken. I spent the rest of the day in bed with it propped with ice and compression. It hurts--a lot.

Issa spent the entire day with me, keeping me company. I am teaching her to crochet, and she is loving it. Evan was the best little runner, bringing me anything I needed.

Brad was amazing. He has helped me with everything. Yesterday, I couldn't put any weight on it at all, so I needed help with absolutely everything. Today, I can put a little weight on it, so I made it downstairs to the couch with his help. I won't be moving much, and Brad has already offered to bring me lunch and anything else I need. 

I am certain I will be better by tomorrow, but I'm awfully grateful for a family that takes such good care of me.

Day 295: We are Dancing!!!

 We got some pretty big news yesterday: Issa will be dancing in two competitions in February!

We have been so pleased with how careful the studio is being, but Issa finally cracked last weekend. They have worked so hard on their dances, and last weekend should have been a competition. It's hard. It doesn't help that a year ago we were in Virginia competing. We are getting used to these waves of Covid grief, but that doesn't make them easier.

It did make yesterday's news that much sweeter. Next weekend, she will be taking classes and then competing straight from her studio! They will livestream in the teachers and judges, and they will get real-time feedback on their dances. 

At the end of February, our girl is actually performing on a stage! We are going to a competition that will only have one studio in the venue at a time. Each dancer will have their dedicated changing space, and we moms will have assigned viewing space. As soon as we finish our dances, we leave, they sterilize everything, and the next group comes in. It feels incredibly safe, and I'm so glad our girls will have the chance to actually perform on stage.

Day 294: Yep

A colleague gave me this mug for Christmas:

 And that sums up my week...

Day 293: Frosty

We were all a little extra snuggly yesterday. Our heater was on the struggle bus. We realized this weekend we had a trouble, which is why we got the electric fireplace. It wasn't completely not working, but when we got up it was 61. Thankfully, we have a great HVAC guy who came yesterday and cleared an intake valve. Problem solved. We were toasty by mid-afternoon.

Frosty spent the day like this, though:

She just wanted to hold my hand all day, and I didn't mind one bit.
 

Days 291-292: A Whole Lot of Nothing

This weekend we did a whole lot of nothing. It was really cold here, and we added an electric fireplace to the landing, which pretty much guarantees we never want to leave the landing. Even Buddy thinks leaving is ridiculous:

We did have Mom over for dinner Saturday night, and we finished planning her front flower beds, which was fun. Sunday, Issa decorated our kitchen light for Valentine's Day:

And the most ambitious thing I did was do a Valentine's manicure:

 It is so rare that we have a completely open weekend, and it was so nice to just rest and snuggle in. Now it's back to reality...

Day 290: It's a tough field...

 This has been a tough week to be in education. It's always a tough field. Everything we do is under a microscope, and often people assume they know the "right" answers because they went to school. Add the fact that ed research is complicated doesn't help; you really have to read the whole study not just the headlines.

This week, the CDC posted new guidelines for opening schools. The headline read schools can open. Gah. The guidelines are based on data from 17 rural schools in Wisconsin because the previous administration didn't keep national data. Anything we have is based on ed researchers or voluntary reports--also know as junk data. 

What's killing me is how few people read the whole report. The guidelines suggest that we can open schools under very specific circumstances. Kids have to eat outside; not ideal in freezing temperatures. Teachers have to be vaccinated; there is a backlog to get that done. And here is the kicker: the rest of the community has to close--no restaurant dining, no gyms, no non-essential businesses. Essentially, communities have to make hard choices on that one. 

The aggravation is that people don't look at those details; they just see the headline. When I was talking to a state senator yesterday, he was unwilling to make that call. He just wants kids in schools and communities open. It's too hard.

Believe me. I want to be back in schools. Every teacher does. But our first responsibility is keeping kids safe...and so we hold the line.

Day 289: Ahooo

Sometime over the past few months, we have started a new, uniquely Bower way of saying we need attention. We just walk up to another family member, lean on them, and say, "Ahoooo." It basically means, "I'm ready for a snuggle now." I don't actually remember how it started, but all four of us do it now.

This is the "Ahoo" picture I got at work yesterday:

We have all gotten very used to being home together all the time. I'm only gone two days a week, but it feels odd to be the only one not at home. I get a million texts from all three of them, and these pictures absolutely make me miss being home with them. This time together has definitely been the silver lining of Covid.
 

Day 288: Four Ninjas

This week is friends and family week at the dojo. For obvious reasons, extra folks can't go into the dojo, but they can join online classes. For the first time ever, all four of us took a dojo weapons class together last night:

 It was sword week, and I have never been so glad the camera was off. The boys are really good, and Issa is a master at dissecting  movement. I spent half of the class utterly confused. Thankfully, Issa translated the ninja moves into dance moves: "Mom, it's a fourth into a pada bourre." That is a language I speak.

We all laughed and had a blast, and it was nice to enter the boys' world for a night. That said, I am not a ninja.

Day 287: A First and Hopefully Last

We have had our lizard for nearly four years now. We get crickets every other week. Yesterday was a first: this batch chirps.

Inks was so puzzled:

 She loves to watch Leo, but these new chirps were a wonder. We have now passed through fully annoyed and until pretending we are camping. We are also willing Leo to hunt faster.

Days 285-286: Snuggly Weekend

We had a lovely snuggly weekend. We were all just exhausted Saturday. Issa did have a ballet class, and Brad did an online conference. Evan played his racing game, and I planned Mom's flower bed. We had dinner at Mom's, but that was about as ambitious as we got!

Sunday, we explored a new trail at Blackwood Park:

Buddy was very glad we came home:

Brad made a killer dinner:

We got the laundry caught up and got organized for the week, but overall we were pretty quiet and snuggled in. It was exactly what we needed.
 

Day 284: It's Official

I am getting progressives:

 I'm honestly thrilled. I have been playing the trombone with my phone far more than I like, and when I went in this morning they were very clear that I needed progressive lenses. When they flipped the machine to show me my prescription I literally gasped. It was like the very first time I got glasses and remembered trees had individual leaves. There is supposed to be space between letters. I can hardly wait for my new pair to get here! I know there will be a learning curve, but it will be so worth it.

Day 283: Being Swindled

This is the face of my favorite swindler:

This boy could sell anything to anyone, and he knows it. Last night, he was making a pitch for why we need a ping-pong table. After the initial attempt failed, he came back with a pitch that he will buy a net kit and we will let him use our long folding table in the garage. Sold. 

Day 282: Our Ninja Cat

Last week was our first week of a 300 minute activity goal. As you can see, only the girls made it:

Since Inks can't really go to Starbucks, though, Issa made her frothed milk, and she was a fan:

Inks has become my favorite workout buddy. She comes out with me every morning. She adds weight to crunches, plays with my hair if I'm on my back or side, and generally keeps me entertained. This is her new fun:

She is determined to climb my trapeze stand, and she's getting higher! I think she will meet her goal again this week.
 

Days 279-281: A Perfect Weekend

North Carolina hooked us up with another beautiful (if a little chilly) weekend, which was perfect for our big outside plans. We went back to Spring Haven Farms, which is my ideal place. I love being in the fresh air and snuggling baby goats--especially those that are so little they need footy pajamas to stay warm:

This time we went to the farm for s'mores with goats:

One of the highlights was Brad forgetting about his mask and trying to blow a marshmallow out. Each family had their own campfire, and they had really nice kits all made up for roasting:

A flock of turkeys stole some of our graham crackers, but that was also hilarious.

Issa and Nana love the fuzzy cows--almost more than the goats:

But I am still a goat girl. We spent the longest time watching these three little ones play:

And Brad was well-loved by some bigger ones who really wanted the carrots:

Nana even got some good goat snuggles:

I could watch them play forever, and we have big plans to go back soon!

Yesterday, we hiked our fourth trail in four weeks! This time we went to the Poet's Walk at Ayr Mount. There were very, very few people, and we could actually take our masks off while we hiked the trail. This trail also let us get much closer to the river:

We saw some big vultures and fluffly squirrels, and Evan was in a picture taking mood:

The house is still closed, but we snapped a picture from the front:

 

We are loving the time to actually get out in the fresh air and touch some trees. Now we just have to decide which trail is next...

Day 278: TGIF

 I am so excited it's Friday and a long weekend. The first week of a semester is always a blur, and this one was no exception. We have big plans to do very little--except for going to have s'mores with goats! We will actually eat s'mores and then go play with goats, but I am so very, very excited about it! Here's to some rest and relaxation...

Day 277: I Work in a Beautiful Place

I work in a beautiful place:

 This is my first week back on campus, and yesterday I had to run some paperwork around campus. It was a beautiful day, and I admit I took the long way everywhere. I've gotten used to taking a midday walk to get some fresh air and sunshine and clear my head. I'm beginning to think I need to do that even on the days I'm on campus.

Day 276: 60 Weeks

 This is my 60th week of completing at least 5 workouts with FitOn. It feels really good. I'm gradually picking up heavier weights, and things that used to be near impossible just aren't anymore.

What has been really fun, though, is picking up two Zoom yoga classes outside of the app! A friend used her quarantine to become yoga certified, and I'm taking two classes with her a week. Sundays Brad and I both take her class, which is fun.

Last night, I added her ball yoga class. I've never done a class like that, and it was so fun. It was nice to feel challenged but not lost, and there was only one time where the ball went one way and I went another. The really fun thing is a friend from college joined the class! In this crazy world, sometimes it really is the little things.

Day 275: A Small Sigh

 Last night, the kids' school board voted to remain virtual for third quarter. 

Given the state's crazy high positive rate and case counts, I am so relieved. We have a solid routine around here, The kids have found ways to stay connected to friends, and they are not minding this virtual format. We will stay safely wrapped in our little bubble a while longer...

Days 272-274: Fresh Air and Sunshine

Every January, the dojo does a Quest Fit challenge. Usually it's a lot of small goals and moving pieces and really only for people who train at the dojo. This year, they kept it simple: 150 active minutes a week. That's it. We all jumped in, and Issa made us a chart for our first week last week:

In true Evan fashion, he did the math and opted out of some lunch walks and morning workouts to get his exact goal. So...we raised the bar to 300 minutes for week 2 and Issa made a new chart!

We kicked off week two with a hike around the old Speedway in town:

They even had some old cars around where the track used to be, which made Evan very happy:

The old stone stands were also pretty cool:

 This was our third hike in three weeks, and we are really loving exploring new trails and getting a little fresh air and sunshine!

Day 271: I'm Tired

 Y'all. I am tired of living these historical events. I am tired of trying to talk my children through craziness. I'm tired.

We watched the insurrection at the Capitol Building yesterday. We watched as our democratic process was interrupted by idiots filming the whole thing on their cell phones. I vacillated between fear of what was next and rage. My first thought, though: if these people had been black or brown they would be dead by now.

That is the reality. There are two sets of rules.

Protestors in public streets were shot and arrested this summer. When BLM announced their protest plans, Capitol Police waited in riot gear on the steps. Yesterday, there was none of that. And yesterday was not a protest.

Let me be clear. I do not in any way think shots should have been fired yesterday. I also refuse to call yesterday a protest. 

For the first time since the War of 1812, we were invaded. I was hesitant to name it a coup until I talked with trusted friends who have lived through coups in other countries. I understand now: if you don't name it now, you have major consequences later. It was an unorganized, ignorant coup.

We've been talking a lot around here for the past 24 hours.

We are celebrating that the democratic process won yesterday. We are celebrating that some people immediately "switched sides" to condemn this.

Mostly, though, we are mourning. We have hit a rock bottom (I hope). I'm praying we can start to move forward. To create new policies. To stop the rhetoric. For our elected officials to remember that it's not about them--it's about the country.

We keep talking. We keep advocating. Onward...

Day 270: When Hard Work Pays Off

 Issa has been busting her tail all semester at dance and at school. We are so thrilled that this week she is really feeling that paying off.

In December, she had a minor dance injury. While Amber was able to get her all squared away, she had to rebuild some ankle strength and power through some rough nights. She worked all break to rebuild that strength, and Monday night she had an awesome night at the studio. She had been working on her dances all break, and the one teacher she sometimes struggles with called her out for how well she was doing. For Issa, she might as well have handed her a million dollars. She basically floated to the car.

At school, she found out this week that because she has all As and no missing work she doesn't have to take any exams. She has classes until next Tuesday, and then she has the rest of the semester off. Essentially, she gets a second winter break of a week and a half. She is over the moon, although Evan is furious. (No amount of reminding him that is finished everyday by 2:30 while Issa does a couple of hours of homework after her day ends at 4 is defusing that fury, either.)

We have been so proud of Issa all semester, and I am so thrilled that she is finally getting a tangible reward for that work.

Day 269: Branching Out

I had another block of time in the pottery studio this weekend. While I miss seeing my pottery friends, I do love having the studio to myself. I can spread out and work on various stages of pieces without feeling guilty for taking up too much space. I had two finished pieces to pick up:

I'm really excited to start branching out from little bowls and saucers, though. I spent some time over break watching videos, and I'm really trying to learn how to throw mugs. This isn't a bad first attempt:

The angle of this picture is odd, but once I trim it up it should make a decent latte mug:

Up is much more difficult than out, but it's fun to sit down and actually throw intentionally. I'm excited to see add handles and see how these actually turn out!
 

Days 267-268: 2021 Is Off to a Great Start

So far, we are loving 2021! For New Year's Day, we decided to try our hand at stuffed breadsticks and Chicago style deep-dish. Shannon had given us a pan pre-celiac, and I finally found a recipe for gluten-free options. It was a tremendous success:

We also watched the live-stream of Ratatouille the Musical:

Issa has been following this crowd-sourced musical for months, and she has been getting more and more excited. It went from a few songs on tik-tok to an hour long event directed by the same woman who did Six on Broadway and with some huge stars. The actors were all in their own homes, but the music and choreography were amazing. They used tik-tok filters and all of the Zoom features to create what turned out to be a really phenomenal show. Our girl was thrilled:

And we are thrilled that the show raised over a million dollars for struggling theatre folk. 

Saturday, we did another nature walk. This time we walked from Gold Park to the Speedway. My Sassafras with a Sassafras tree:

All said, we walked 4.18 miles, and the day was beautiful for it:

We have big plans to do the Speedway to Ayr Mount next weekend.

The rest of the weekend was filled with projects. Brad hung some shelves for mom and did some odds and ends around here. I had a major milestone in Duolingo:

When I finally get to go back to Italy, I'm hoping to be really fluent.

Issa made a super cool cloud wall in her room:

She can change the colors of the lights and make them move like lightning across the sky. It's pretty cool.

Evan spent the entire weekend building:

 

Since Christmas, he has built six cars, finished this dragon, and built a whole series of crossbows.

Today it is back to work and school. Onward...

Day 266: Happy New Year!

We had a very quiet New Year's around here. Buddy did bring us some festive decorations and champagne flutes:

Issa and I have ourselves very festive manicures:

We ate appetizers and watched movies. I took a nap so I could get up at midnight to watch the ball drop. Today we are making deep dish pizza and snuggling in. 

It's a lovely, quiet start to 2021. 2020 was a wild ride--although not a bad one for us. We are excited to see what 2021 holds, and we are enjoying the quiet end to our holiday breaks.