Valentine's Day, Crazy Saturday, Nature Drive

We didn't do a lot for Valentine's Day. Luke woke up very excited and asked for a themed breakfast. I did heart shaped toast with eggs and he was happy. Kara gave away frosted heart cookies to her friends, which she said was well-received. Luke's class exchanged cards and lots of candy. We had small gifts for the kids and that was it. 

We are back to lots of activities. Saturday was especially crazy. It started with Jack and Kara doing a solo and ensemble competition for band. They will get their scores this week. Thomas took them and said Jack received really good feedback and the judge told him he should look at adding other saxophones to his repertoire. Kara had practiced a lot, but didn't play as well for the judge as she did at home.

Luke had a baseball game at 12. He played well and his team won. Thomas was the third base coach and I went for most of the game, but left early to go to our third event--Jack's basketball game. The other team didn't have enough players, so Jack and some others played for them. I think he felt more confident playing against his teammates, and he played great; he has gotten so much better! He scored 3 baskets and had tons of rebounds and assists. It was really fun to watch. 

Blurry basketball picture. He was having fun!

After Jack's game, I took Luke to baseball practice for his Cobra team. Cobra is extra baseball, it is a step up from regular little league, but not as advanced as an all-star team. He loved the practice and impressed the coaches with hard he hustled. Any ball that went anywhere near him, he chased like crazy, often beating kids who were closer. He ran really hard and was enthusiastic in the drills. 

While we did that, Thomas took Kara to Universal. It was a concert night and Barenaked Ladies performed. Thomas has wanted to see them as long as I've known him. Originally, we all planned on going, but with how crazy the day was, we decided that just wasn't practical. Luke was not interested in going and it would have been hard to get him to his practice and then get to the game. So we decided Thomas would take whichever big kids were interested. It ended up just being Kara. The park was as crowded as they've ever seen it. They had dinner and rode a couple of rides (MIB and Gringotts) then got their spot right in front of the stage. They had to get there two hours early, but Thomas said it was worth it. He absolutely loved the concert. I was a little jealous, but I don't think I would have been happy standing in place for such a long period of time.

Waiting for concert to start

They said the band was very entertaining.

Sunday, Luke had his first two Cobra games (they play two games every other Sunday). They won one and lost one. Thomas took him while I brought Anna skating. 

Working on her crossovers.

Today (Monday) we did the Lake Apopka Wildlife drive. We saw 56 alligators! It was fun counting them. But, the drive was a little frustrating. We were behind a car that kept stopping and getting out and taking pictures. I finally walked up to them and said they weren't supposed to stop in non-designated areas. Then, like 2 minutes later, there was a pullout and they pulled over (if I'd realized how close we were, I would not have said anything). I wish I had just let it go. Although, it was annoying. We had parked and gotten out and walked in the designated areas (like you are supposed to) before continuing the drive, and I get annoyed when people don't follow the rules. I found it really selfish to make all the cars behind them wait. But, I am making excuses and still, I wish I could let more things go. I think I embarrassed the kids. 

A picture of the 50th alligator

After the drive, we went to library and lunch. It was a nice way to spend our day off.

Mardi Gras and Another Teenager

Last Sunday, the kids and I got to be on one of Universal's Mardi Gras floats. It was super, super fun. They sent out an e-mail in January to pass holders allowing us to sign up for up to two nights. I picked one, but they only let me sign up 5 of us. Thomas said he didn't want to ride the float and would stay on the ground and take pictures. I am very sad that I only signed up for one night, because it was amazing. We checked in and they told us what float we were assigned to (Jester). It was the third float in the parade and one of the smaller ones. We waited in the area where they do the animal show and got our smocks, then they walked us backstage to our float. We received our directions (no overhand throwing). And, off we went. I was shocked by how many people were lined up to see the parade! In many areas, the rows of people were 5 or more deep. There were thousands of beads on the float, we didn't even throw 25% of what was allotted, but we did our best! It was especially fun to see Thomas and to throw him beads. He said the parade was really cool, the floats all lit up and there were dancers and stilt walkers. We are definitely going to go back to be spectators.

The rest of the week was uneventful. Anna went to skating and the boys did their sports. Luke had his first baseball game Friday night. He was 3/3 with base hits. Unfortunately, I couldn't go because I did something to my back on Friday morning and by night, it was super painful. I don't even know what I did. I was exercising, but not doing anything different than I always do when it started hurting. I stopped exercising, but it just got worse as the day went on. It was a lot better yesterday, but I woke up all stiff again this morning, so we shall see. Getting older is hard!

Kara's birthday weekend extravaganza began on Friday when we let her stay home from school. Her day started with a visit to the orthodontist. She is hopefully just a few months away from being out of the braces. Then, we dropped Jack off at school (his treatment is also going well). We went to Starbucks and then Walmart to pick up a few things. When we got home, Thomas took her out for the day. They went to the mall, had lunch at Five Guys, and went to a baseball card shop and a comic book shop. I had also taken the day off from work, but I had plans to have lunch with my friend, Sunshine.  Everyone had fun on their respective outings. Kara got some baseball cards, Thomas got some comics, all were happy.

Kara picked up Luke from school, which was fun for them and nice for me because my back was really starting to hurt. Thomas and the girls went to Luke's baseball game, which they said was fun. They texted me updates. I went in the hottub and Kara joined me when she got home--her last night of being a child (obviously, she will always be our child, but she is now a teenager!). 

Saturday was her actual birthday. We looked at pictures from each of her previous birthdays, which brought back many sweet memories. She wanted to spend most of the day baking. She made lemon poppyseed muffins for breakfast and a banana cake for her birthday cake (I assisted and did dishes). She also made sugar cookie dough for Valentine's cookies she is going to hand out to her friends on Monday. We went to Chicken Salad Chick for lunch. Well, the girls did. Thomas took Jack to his basketball game. His team won and Thomas said Jack played well. He had 8 rebounds, 1 basket and 2 assists. 

In addition to baking, Kara watched The Fantastic Four and went swimming with Luke. We had Publix subs and 'Lil Smokies for dinner. I am not sure how many years now Kara has asked for 'Lil Smokies, but it is a lot. This was the second year in a row with Publix subs. We had her birthday cake, which I liked, but she was disappointed with. It was very dense and tasted more like a frosted banana bread then a birthday cake. She opened the rest of her presents (she got an apron from Jack, a book to track books she's read from Anna, a Chicken Salad Chick gift card from Luke, Croc Sandals and Mini Brands from me and Thomas. The Wills sent her a Harry Potter sweatshirt, which she loves). She said she was happy with how things turned out. We ended the night in the hot tub. 

Sunday, she went to Universal with her friend Sophia. They had lunch at Whole Foods and then went to both parks. Then, they went back to Sophia's for dinner. 

I think it was a pretty good birthday weekend, at least I hope it was. We let her choose everything. We offered a party or to take friends to Universal or Aquatica, but this was what she wanted. And, with our house still torn up, it was fortuitous that she didn't want to invite anyone else over.

$$$$$$ (house, taxes, tires)

The roofer, who installed a new roof shortly before we moved in, came out on Wednesday and said that when they put the roof on, they told Open Door there were issues with seams that needed to be fixed. However, Open Door wasn't interested, they told the roofers to just put on the roof. So, they did. He said there were lots of issues and that Open Door is terrible. (Open Door is a company that buys houses directly from people who don't want to deal with the hassle of selling and then Open Door resells.) The roofer also said the shutters on the house were attached improperly and were trapping water. And, when we had the mitigation done because of the squirrel infiltration, in some areas where they sealed things, they didn't give the water any place to go. He couldn't pinpoint the exact place where the water entered, because there were so many possibilities. We had a night where the rain and the wind were just right and that is what caused the flood.

The roof itself (shingles) is good. But, it is buttressed by wood rot and bad seams.

Trying to get people to come out and work is still an issue. We had someone lined up to give us a quote on Thursday--he never showed. I think we have someone to come and fix it next week, but we'll see. I am annoyed at so many people, but mostly the house inspector and the leak finder. We paid extra to have the roof inspected and he didn't see any of these issues? It sure seems like he missed a lot. This house has been a money pit! As for the leak finder, we paid $375 for him to come out and find the leak with his special infrared equipment, so we wouldn't have to cut unnecessary walls or waste a plumber's time. He insisted it was behind the shower. So, we wasted time (3 days) and money (another $500) on plumbers to figure out what was going on because the leak finder was so insistent. Ultimately, it wasn't even a leak! But at the end of the day, we can't blame any one specific person, so we will just fix it and move on.

While insurance covers almost everything with a plumbing leak, they don't cover as much when the water comes from the outside due to "wear and tear" issues. So, I was super stressed that they weren't going to cover anything! And, I think the mitigation alone is going to cost several thousand. Then, there is the new floors, new vanity in the bathroom, the drywall they removed, etc. Fortunately, we got the word on Friday that they will cover a lot. We have a $2000 deductible and will have to pay for the roof repairs and the personal property that was ruined, but the floors, walls and mitigation are covered. Thank goodness! 

Some of the mitigation

Since this is a post to complain about money, which I know is kind of taboo, but I'm not really sure why, so I am going to write about it anyway--I did our taxes this week and we owe $4800!!!! I am not sure how that happened, as our income didn't change very much, but there you have it. I am not going to officially file until late March or early April in the hopes that something magical happens, but I am kind of resigned. We adjusted for this year, so hopefully we won't have this problem again. I don't think we have ever owed taxes, at least not more than a few hundred.

And, we picked up a nail in one of the tires. It was too close to the sidewall to repair. Even though it wasn't close to time, we ended up getting 4 new tires. Tires have also become super expensive. Because of all the construction around here, we also added the insurance (which we've never done and never needed). So, that came out to $1200.

There you have it, approximately $10K out the door in less than a week on unexpected expenses (counting the taxes, even though I am waiting to pay those). I am trying to find positives, and there are plenty. First, we get to do some remodeling! We were going to do the tile floors anyway, so that is nice. And, we can replace the wood in the front rooms with wood that matches what we remodeled with when we did the kitchen. I also feel very fortunate that this is not going to break us. We have emergency savings for precisely this reason. We will put it out and then build it back up. I also know these are problems that can be fixed. It is expensive and inconvenient, but it is not earth-shattering. We are healthy and happy and the rest is just noise. So, I will vent in my blog and we will move on.

But wait! Since this is a post to complain, there are two other things I want to get off my chest. First, one of the reasons we spent so long on plumbing is because there actually is a plumbing issue. The first plumber didn't look at our meter, but when we got the second (and third) opinion, those plumbers did. And, the meter is climbing even when no one is using water. They suspect one of the toilets is bad, but we don't know. The third plumber did a pressurized check and determined there is no leak, but the meter is still moving. So, we have that issue to combat once we deal with the other stuff. The final complaint--there is something wrong with our smoke detectors. Before the flood even happened, we woke up one night to the fire alarms going off. Not just the "check the batteries chirp"--legit fire alarm, but in a weird pattern. Two quick (extremely loud) beeps, slight pause, repeat. There is nothing like being woken up from a sound sleep to your fire alarm. We searched the house and there was no fire (thankfully). Thomas reset the breaker and then we cleaned them all out. But it happened again two weeks later (flood week). And, one of them started chirping one night too. We changed that battery, but it chirped again the next night. We replaced all the alarms when we moved in, but maybe one or more has gone bad? Another issue to deal with. The kids think the house is haunted. I am starting to wonder if they are right! 

January Highlights (and lowlight)

January is almost over, so I am going to do a highlights blog of the month so far:

The first weekend, we visited Kim, Dave and Amanda. Dave and JD built an amazing firepit. We had pizza and then made smores. As a bonus, we got to face-time with JD (at the time, he was at the MTC). It was a really fun night and we had a great time. It made me want a firepit!

The second weekend, we went to Gatorland. Thomas had never been and wanted to check it out. They had a special deal for Florida residents, so it was a good time to visit. We enjoyed the swamp walk and seeing the animals. We thought about annual passes (it's pretty inexpensive) but decide once a yearish will suffice. 

Feeding the goats was my favorite part.

The girls also participated in the State Junior Thespian Competition. Fortunately for us, it was in Orlando, so no travel was involved. They enjoyed the experience and received an "Excellent" for their performance (superior was highest, then excellent, then good).

The third weekend, we went to Madam Tussauds and the Sea Life Aquarium. Everyone really liked Madame Tussauds, they don't look quite as real in pictures, but in person most of them were incredibly life-like. Sea Life was nice, but it was surprisingly crowded so we didn't stay long.  

Kara and her birthday buddy.

Thomas is dwarfed by Shaq!

Jack also had a basketball game. His team played well but lost by 3. Jack is still enjoying playing and wishes he had started sooner. Baseball has started up again for Luke. He had to try out earlier in the month and was drafted on to the same team he played for last season. Thomas is going to help out again.

We spent a ton of money on pool renovations. We updated the system so we can put it on a timer and control everything with our phones. We also got a heater and enjoyed sitting in our hot tub several nights this month. And, we signed contracts to redo the pool and deck area. Those won't happen until March/April, but we made the commitments and paid the deposits.

One day, I went to Luke's classroom and spent my lunch break being part of a "teach-in". I wasn't going to sign up, because they wanted parents to talk about their jobs and my job is not very exciting. But, she only had one other parent sign up, so I decided to just do it. I put together a PowerPoint about being a lawyer and my career path. Then, we did a little activity about what crimes Goldilocks may have committed and what information they would want to know if they were her attorney. A lot of the kids participated, so I think it was fine. 

In not-so-good-news (lowlight), we woke up yesterday to a flood in our front room. Water had somehow leaked from the second-floor kids' bathroom through the walls and ceiling to the first floor. We took the day off from work, cleaned it all up and made a zillion phone calls, including to a plumber who suggested we start with a leak finder. We did that and he came out and said the leak was behind the shower. The plumber came out and cut into the shower and couldn't see any signs of the leak. Then, he cut into first floor ceiling. Still no luck. So, we spent $700 only to be left with two holes and no source of a leak. I have a headache and upset stomach thinking about it. The water mitigation people are supposed to come and put fans and other drying mechanisms in place, as is the insurance contractor to adjudicate other repairs. But, if we can't fix the underlying problem, then we know it will just reoccur. Hence, the stress headache. We spent an hour this morning running water and trying to recreate the problem with no luck. What would cause a massive leak to appear and then magically disappear??? Ugh!

2021: Our Year in Review

On New Year's Eve, we had our traditional cheese fondue and discussed the things that happened in 2021 and what we were looking forward to in 2022. We stayed up to toast in the new year, playing Phase 10 and then the games we received for Christmas. Phase 10 did not go well, I don't know why, but only Thomas and I seem to like the game. Anna got frustrated and quit, Kara kept complaining, Jack wouldn't even play, and Luke was whiny. We moved on to our new games. We played Trophies, Apples to Apples and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. I liked them all, but Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza was my favorite. Although Anna quit that one as well and Kara proclaimed it was boring. I think Anna and Kara just wanted to be on their phones, which was frustrating. Luke is rarely a good sport, but he was whinier than usual, likely because he was overtired. But, at least he liked the game. Jack also really liked it. Everyone had a good time when the clock struck midnight. We watched the ball drop, toasted, blew noise makers, and went outside to watch fireworks and do sparklers. 

We started 2021 with lots of optimism. I hoped that President Biden was going to usher back a measure of civility and that the vaccines would make COVID a thing of the past (or at least a livable endemic). Neither of those hopes came to fruition. I can't believe we are back to record high cases and mask wearing. At least the new variant is far less severe, but it was definitely disheartening to find ourselves in a place I thought we were not returning.  And society feels as divisive as ever. I wonder if these are just "new normals" with which we must live. I try not to let myself go down the rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios (civil war, a deadlier variant that evades the vaccines, etc.) but sometimes I feel so discouraged. Even if we don't reach the worst cases scenarios, it feels like the world has changed, and not for the better.

Fortunately, there was still plenty of good in 2021. The kids all returned to school where they are doing fantastic. We went on an amazing vacation to North Carolina and two cruises. We had passes to Universal Studios and Legoland. We spent time together and with my family. Hopefully, we are making good memories.

Now, the summaries:

Anna turned 14 this year! She went back to school in January, which was definitely the best decision. She struggled with distance learning, so I am very glad we had the option. Once she went back, she did great. For the first semester of 8th grade, she had almost all As-- just 1 B the second quarter. She is working hard in school, and I am hoping she is learning that she can do hard things. She is still my walking partner and we always find good things to talk about. She has made friends and is happy living in Florida. She tried basketball this year, which she liked and then moved on to ice skating, which she loves. She is disappointed that she has stopped growing and is going to be, as she calls it, short at 5'3.5. She does not like most games and is the least competitive person in our house. She has strong ideas of what is right and what is wrong and can be a bit judgmental. But, she can also be very thoughtful. For example, she gave Christmas gift cards to her teachers and she wrote specific things she enjoyed about each of their classes or teaching styles. She has a great sense of humor. She is definitely a teenager and very skilled at the eye-roll, but she is still sweet and generally pleasant. My three words for Anna are loving, nice and persistent. Thomas said kind, sweet and maturing. She is not sure what career path she wants to follow, but maybe an orthodontist.

Jack is our other teenager. He is doing great in school, with straight As. He doesn't complain about going to school and enjoys learning, especially math and science. He is very smart and reads a lot of very, very challenging books, like Stephen Hawking and the Norwich books he got for Christmas. He still enjoys Lord of the Rings and video games. He is in band and really likes playing the saxophone. He recently started playing basketball at the YMCA which he also enjoys. But, he is still mostly a homebody. He gets easily frustrated with his sisters and can be impatient with others. Although, he does whatever we ask without complaint. Every now and then I can get him to go for a walk with me and he enjoys deep, often philosophical conversations. He is interested in politics and history. He does not want to grow up yet and often laments that time is going by too quickly. He is almost 6 feet tall (5'11 and 1/4) and grew almost 3 inches this year. He is really hoping to be at least as tall as Thomas, but I not sure that is going to happen. My three words for Jack are intellectual, respectful and loving. Thomas said quiet yet loud, inquisitive and tall. When he grows up he wants to be a physicist and maybe a politician.

Kara has matured a lot this year. She wore her "Don't Talk to Me" sweatshirt continuously for months, and I am happy it has become a thing of the past. She is also doing great in school, with straight As. She is amazing with kids and even babysat for our neighbors a bit over the summer. She is also in the band and likes playing her flute. She really enjoys the theater club and has developed an interest in Broadway musicals, she especially wants to see Hadestown. She loves to bake and makes the best cookies. She took a dance class earlier in the year but didn't want to continue after the summer break. She has a hard time admitting she is wrong. She is helpful, competitive and loves to read. She is almost always up for an adventure and is my Universal buddy. She is now slightly taller than Anna at 5'4. My three words are fun, adventurous and maturing. Thomas said temperamental, steadfast and driven. She wants to be a lawyer when she grows up.

Luke is now in the second grade. Like his siblings he is doing well at school. He was placed in an accelerated class and is in the gifted program. He loves baseball and made huge improvements this year. Like Jack, he is a homebody, but would never turn down anyone offering to play a sport with him. He really likes Roblox and video games. He also likes board games. He can be whiny and is not a good sport (he doesn't cheat or get angry at others, but he does get very easily frustrated and/or cries when things don't go his way). He is also very hard on himself; he likes to do things perfectly and gets frustrated when things don't go the way he expected. He is nice to everyone, very loving and always willing to share whatever he has. He learned to enjoy reading this year and read some challenging books but prefers graphic novels. My three words for Luke are sweet, loving and sensitive. Thomas said sweet, smart and fun. When he grows up he wants to be a baseball player.

Thomas had a good year at work. He still doesn't enjoy this job the way he did his position in Maryland, but he recognizes the positives, especially being able to work from home and a good boss. He really doesn't like Florida and would move back to Maryland in a minute if he could convince the kids. They don't love Florida (all of us but Luke hate the weather) but they like their friends and their schools and recognize that there are more opportunities here, so it is likely a losing battle. He helped out with Luke's baseball team and enjoys taking him to the park to practice. He also enjoys playing basketball with Jack. 

I also had a good year with work, at least according to my annual appraisal. But even after 4.5 years, I still feel like I have so much to learn which can get tiring. Like Thomas, I love working from home and am going to be sad if we have to return to the office. We save so much time and money by not commuting! I like Florida, but I miss a lot about Maryland--particularly having a big house with a basement and the ability to quickly travel to other places on the east coast. 

What we liked best in 2021:

Thomas: the NC trip

Kori: the NC trip (and if I had to pick one thing--the river float)

Anna: Thanksgiving cruise

Jack: Birthday cruise (snorkeling on CocoCay)

Kara: can't choose between NC and the cruises

Luke: NC trip

What we are most looking forward to in 2022:

Thomas: Fall trip to TN

Kori: Fall trip to TN

Anna: ice skating

Jack: starting high school (which he also very nervous about)

Kara: the cruise

Luke: the cruise

Christmas

For Christmas morning, we told the kids they could come downstairs at 7. We started hearing them around 5:30. Jack slept in Luke's room. Kara woke Anna at 6:30 (although Anna said she woke up at 4 and went back to sleep around 5). They came down at 7, and we started with the traditional pictures by the tree. We opened the stockings, which contained lots of candy. Then, started with the presents. 

Luke was probably the most excited, or at least the most vocal in his excitement. As I know I have mentioned we don't really do presents throughout the year. Even birthdays are generally marked by an outing and not a gift, so we tend to get a lot at Christmas. Although, we don't go too overboard; based on the pictures I see on Facebook, I think we are actually fairly average in the number of presents given. 

Everyone got books. Kara and Luke both got complete series of books they like (Dogman for Luke and Lorien Legacies for Kara). Jack got some high-level books that I honestly don't understand how he can read, like "A Short History of the Byzantium" which isn't really all that short at 3 volumes. Anna only got one book, her gift from Jack on fashion through the ages. Speaking of the fashion book, the kids were pretty thoughtful in their gifts this year. I appreciate when they take the time to consider what their siblings and parents might actually appreciate. 

There were several gifts I was excited to give. I got Kara a book she saw when we were in Asheville and was able to have it inscribed by the author (an art book called The Art of Abandonment). She said it was her favorite gift. I mostly got Thomas the same things I always get him like baseball cards and an old newspaper. I received some great presents, like really powerful binoculars, earrings I love and a watch.

But, I was most excited to give Jack and Anna their big present--their own phones! The three older kids have been sharing a phone since they started middle school. That hadn't been the plan, but we found we wanted to be able to communicate that they made it to the bus stop (when we were both working and they had to get themselves there) and Florida holds kids at school if it is lightening, so it was nice to know when that was happening (it is not consistently applied). Because they shared, they took turns being in charge of the phone.  We figured now that Jack and Anna are 14, it was time for them to have a phone of their own. By default, that meant Kara got to keep the old phone to herself. We don't love that idea, but she would have it in August anyway (as the only kid left at the middle school) and it seemed mean to take away now.

We saved the phones for last. Jack didn't seem very excited or surprised, but Anna was thrilled. Kara was also thrilled when she realized it meant that she got the old phone all to herself. Anna got hers set up the way she wants it, Thomas and I set up Jack's. We instituted parental controls and talked about how they have zero expectation of privacy. Hopefully, we can trust them to make good choices. I did take a video of Anna opening hers, here is a screenshot:

We spent the day enjoying our gifts. We played new games (Cat and Mouth seems to be the boy's favorite) and snacked on leftovers. Jack fell asleep around 5 and didn't get up until 7am on the 26th. When he woke, he wasn't sure if it was morning or night. I was very jealous of his 14-hour night's sleep! 

We let them do unlimited electronics in the days following Christmas and they are taking full advantage (although, happily, they are still going outside and playing with toys other than electronics). It was a good Christmas. The kids even proclaimed it their favorite Christmas. Santa brought the boys handheld gaming consoles (like a souped up gameboy), Kara got noise cancelling headphones, and Anna got a Kindle.

Favorite gifts:

Thomas: the newspaper

Kori: earrings

Anna: phone

Jack: gameboy

Kara: Abandoned Art book

Luke: Wii replacement gamepad

Pre-Christmas

We had a fun couple of weeks leading up to Christmas. Jack and Kara performed in their middle school band concert. It was really good and we all enjoyed it. 

Kara is the flutist on the right. Jack is in a different band and was harder to get a picture (he doesn't sit in the front row).

Kara and I went to Universal and saw all their holiday shows, including a concert by Manheim Steamroller, a live reenactment of "The Grinch" and a parade. We bought holiday treats and had dinner at our favorite brick oven pizzeria.  No one else was interested in a visit that was focused on shows, but we enjoyed it.

The Grinch was funny, and it had a live dog!

Waiting for Manheim Steamroller

I volunteered in Luke's classroom and was the week's mystery reader. They made gingerbread houses and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I read "Tough Cookie" which I thought was really cute. I didn't get to volunteer all of last year and it was nice to be back in his classroom.

Luke and his teacher. We joke about his inability to take a normal picture :)

To kick off Winter Break, everyone but Jack went to Universal after dinner on Friday night (Dec 17th). Jack really is a homebody. It is annoying for me and Thomas, because we want everyone to do things together. And, I feel like he generally has fun when we do make him attend. But, I also don't want to force him to do "fun" things (too often). It leads to frustration and anger on both sides, and sometimes we just have to let it go. But, the rest of us had a good time. 

Jack had his final basketball game. He played the best he has ever played and they came very close to winning the championship (they only lost by 1 point). Jack scored and had lots of assists and rebounds.

I finally got a picture!

We saw the new Spiderman movie and went to lunch at Steak n Shake. Covid numbers are rising, again. So, we made everyone mask up. I recently read an article, by reputable sources, about how masks aren't nearly as effective as we'd hoped, mainly because people don't wear the right ones and don't wear them properly. So, I made everyone double mask, with surgical type masks using the double-loop method and then another mask over it. It was annoying, but it made me feel better about being in a crowded theater. 

Luke went to the zoo with the Cantells one day. He had a great time. The girls came over here when they got home and Jordyn baked cookies with Kara. We found a really good gingerbread cookie recipe that Kara has perfected.

Another day, Anna had a friend spend the day with us. We went to Leu Gardens and the downtown library. Leu Gardens had lots of varieties of poinsettias. We purposefully chose a cold day (one of maybe 3 we've had this month and by cold, I mean we had to wear a sweatshirt) to enjoy being outside. We also toured the Leu House Museum, which was interesting. Anna's friend didn't enjoy it very much, we overheard Anna say something to her like, sorry if this boring and her friend responded, without any irony, "it's okay, I've been to worse places, I had to go to a funeral once." 

This Japanese camellia was the most perfect flower.

Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the park next to our house another day. It was coordinated by our friend and combined with a cookie exchange. The Claus' were entertaining. They read the Night Before Christmas, sang songs, told holiday jokes, and talked with each child. Luke liked it but didn't love it.

Thomas and I both woke up feeling kind of sick on the 23rd. We had cold symptoms, which are the same as the symptoms for the new Omicron variant. We were supposed to host my sister and brother on Christmas Eve, so we went and got Covid tests. Thomas was sure it was going to be positive. But, we were negative. I was almost disappointed. I am so tired of Covid and feel like getting sick is inevitable, so I am just ready to get it over with. Obviously, I don't want to get sick, but I feel like it's going to happen eventually. We told our family and they decided that as long as weren't worse on the 24th, they would still come.

I felt fine on the 24th. Thomas felt the same and the kids all felt normal. So, the day was on. They came after lunch and we played Just One and Apples to Apples. We had our big dinner (we don't cook on Christmas) and then went for a walk to look at lights in our neighborhood. It was really, really nice. I loved having everyone over. One of Thomas' MD coworkers/friends was passing through the area and stopped by to give Thomas something to pass on to our boss. It was a quick visit, but it was good seeing him. After everyone left, we opened our Christmas pajamas and took the kids' picture in front of the Christmas countdown.