Round Up
When I think back on 2018 I will only ever think of one thing. Well, maybe a couple. But none of them are particularly happy.
If I press myself, and think harder, I can find the happy times. There were many.
In January we went to San Diego with friends.
In March I went to New York.
Because life goes on even when you don't think it should.
In June I went back to New York with Lewis. We saw My Fair Lady. At wonderful dumplings in China Town, amazing meatballs, amazing Korean food. We ate all the lovely food.
In August David started Kinder and Julia started ballet. Grady started 3rd grade.
In September fall sports started, and Cub Scouts, and I ran some. And the Astros made the playoffs, and then lost in the ALCS.
October is always about Fiesta. And Halloween. And this year it was about rain. Lots of rain. Actually September was about a lot of rain too. Almost every baseball and soccer game on a weekend was rained out. We were playing baseball after Thanksgiving due to so many reschedules and the tournament was cancelled. It was a rough season because all that rescheduling meant most of the baseball games were on weeknights, when I don't have duel parents. There was a lot of late nights for little kids.
In November we wrapped up sports. We had Thanksgiving. We've had some job flux and interviews and things. But nothing concrete enough to write about.
And December has been more of that. We've done our usual things and left off the things we (I) don't like. It's been a lot and I'm tired and I'm ready for winter break to start so I can be with my people and not think about all the rest.
If the year had a theme it's been a year of inconvenient health for me. I've always had some skin issues and that's nothing new. But turns out, my hands weren't just getting fat they were having an allergic reaction to everything and I've dealt with swollen hands for the better part of six years. In July it got so bad I had to have my anniversary ring cut off at the emergency room. Thankfully, I have a wonderful jeweler in the family and we sent it to him and its all fixed. My hands swell and shrink all day long as they come in contact with whatever it is that they hate. It's so varied it's not even worth talking about. Mostly it's cheap soaps. So I've had to be a grownup and buy expensive shampoos and soaps for all the bathrooms. I have gone through about 10 pairs of gloves and I'm trying to find a more permanent solution. I don't like the idea of buying lots of latex gloves and just throwing them away. But if I have to I will.
I fell down in D.C. and sprained my ankle really good. It was a couple months before that stopped hurting and I can still sit wrong and have pain. I have had more migraines this year than I care to discuss and I'm worried that means I may have to see a doctors about those finally. I was always good for one or two a year prior to having children. But this year it's about one a month since July. If you aren't familiar ... migraines (for me) mean you can't see, there's a stabbing pain from temple to the back of your skull and you're pretty sure you will vomit. Sometimes you do.
This was the year that I was the only person in the house that got strep throat, with a fever so bad I slept for two days and medicine didn't work and I had to get a different script. I haven't been that sick as an adult maybe ever.
To not end on a down note ...
G continues to do well in school. He is so bright and responsible. Skiing this year he did great at ski school and we skied down some blues together (near the bunny hills) and our final day he skied with his dad. It's a joy of life to show him things we love. He finished second grade like a rock star and we miss his second grade teacher. She was so nice and sweet with endless patience. I still see her and fill her in on how he's doing. He is popular with his friends but he tends to run with the same few kids. He is a model student. Over the summer he did golf camps and did really well at that. He's a strong swimmer and he got up on the ski board a few times behind the boat. He is a big help to me with David and they walk home from school together and I know that Grady will protect him and make him follow the rules. He did well in baseball and played right field and second base (his favorite). Kid pitch is a new beast and he didn't get too many hits this season, but he did make contact and he walked a couple times. His real love is soccer. He's been on the same team since Kinder and they've had a few rough seasons but this fall they had a winning team and it was really funny. His Coach hopefully comes back and lets him get some more shots at forward. I'd like to see him play more offense but he does very well on defense ... which I'm told wins games. I can't believe he'll be nine this year.
David finished preschool in May. He is my shy child, if I have one, and he is "hard to know." Is the best way I put it. Even since he was a baby he didn't just go to anyone. He has a sixth sense about people ... people in costumes = scary. People that are fake = not worth the time. This has proven out with teachers. I try to tell the teachers ... I know this is probably true of all kids, but if David thinks you aren't invested in him he will not perform for you. He will shut down and not participate. Some of this will probably change as he matures. But in prek last year he had such a lovely teacher, and I didn't know how much he liked her (he's hard to know people) until the last day when he gave her a big hug. A real hug. Full arms and everything. I am so grateful for people that love my kids enough that my kids know it ... especially David. David did ski school too last year and got pretty good at his wedges. He wasn't quite ready for the big lifts so when Julia popped a fever the last day the three of us played in the heated pool while G and Daddy skied. He had a wonderful time at Disneyland riding almost everything and crying when G got to ride Indiana Jones and he didn't. He wouldn't meet any characters but he stood pretty close to Donald and Mickey and it's never a requirement. He rode Tower of Terror twice and decided that was enough. If you get a chance ask Lewis to tell you about his first ride on that. The picture is like four older people leaning in to help him because he was screaming so much they were afraid he was hurt or something. He still rode it again - with me and Dad and G - and then after that when G "lets go again!" David said ... "no, I think I'm done with that on." In his very deliberate way of speaking. He got to go to his first golf camp and was thrilled to his ear lobes. I never see them but I hear he did good. We will continue that tradition. He loved it. This year he also gets to do science camp (Science camp stopped offering prek classes last year. boo). He got up on the ski board too and loved going to Grammy and Granddads to ride the boat. He was nervous when he started kinder but he went in without tears. He did give me a hug. And most every day when he gets out of the car he says "see you after school mom!" It is gratifying he still acknowledges me. Grady has entered the embarrassed of his mom phase. It's okay. I know he loves me. David has been blessed with a wonderful teacher who is so affectionate and loving and disciplined. He loves her. He is reading like a champ and crushing everything. He's one of the older kids in the class and that no doubt accounts for a lot. But it's such a worry off my mind ... you never know how your kids will react in new environments ... especially my middle. And I'm grateful he wants to go every day and is thriving. He played soccer this year and for the first time participated without bribes every single time. He scored a goal and I love when they do that because as soon as they do they turn and look to see if I saw. I did. Of course. He'll play soccer again in the spring and maybe we'll add baseball in the fall.
Julia had an epic meltdown in Aspen one night as we were going out to dinner. And in one of my better parenting moments her and I went home and got in the bathtub. Sometimes you just can't go out. So I got her ice cream and chicken and she was better and it was better. She hasn't had an epic fit like that (on vacation) since. Knock. On. All. The. Wood. But it's lovely to have her maturing past some of those fits. Even though I still have to remind her to use her words when she is upset. She finished MDO last year and did okay. There wasn't a relationship with that teacher and it makes me sad. But they aren't all good. And they won't all be good going forward. This year is better but I'm wary. Julia is a strong-willed personality and teachers and schools tend to try to snuff that out. They don't mean to; but they have a lot of kids to contend with and strong-willed, third children tend to make things complicated. I wouldn't have her any other way. Her teacher said she was a stinker the other day and I almost bought her a toy. It just rubbed me the wrong way. She started ballet this year and she loves her teacher and her dance friends. We're still not really to the point of "making friends" yet. She is friends with our close friends and she loves a little girl named Emma Kate, who we talk about all the time and who we saw at baseball because her brother is on Grady's team. She's doing well in school in that she is listening and lining up but we need to do a lot of work on number and letter recognition. I know that it will come. She had her Christmas performance last week and walked on the stage like Vanna White; waving at all the crowd as if they were there to see her. She danced and performed and was not nervous about the lights or crowd at all. She is a firebrand and she is like my assistant that thinks she's my boss. We love her so. She is sweet but don't cross her. It will serve her well later in life.
And that's the letter you would have gotten (shorter, obviously) if I had felt like writing letters. When I sat down to write letters it was just this trip, that trip, that trip and it just didn't feel right. We had a lot of good times. But for me 2018 is the year we lost my beloved Aunt. Who I love and miss everyday. She was a wonderful woman and if you knew her you know that. There was a lot of joy in 2018. I hope for more joy in 2019 and less sadness; if you please. Amen.
If I press myself, and think harder, I can find the happy times. There were many.
In January we went to San Diego with friends.
In February we went to Apsen.
In April Lewis and I went to Chicago.
Then there was May. In May Grady was rough housing and got pushed into the cubbies at school and cracked his head open. It was a silly drama mostly because schools don't always use their full brains. Sometimes they let 8yo who are afraid of being center of attention make medical decisions. While he was getting staples I got the phone call that my Aunt had collapsed. The next day was field day. She died that night.
We also went to Disneyland.
In July we went to Washington, D.C. to finish off the baseball tour of my cousins.
In September fall sports started, and Cub Scouts, and I ran some. And the Astros made the playoffs, and then lost in the ALCS.
In November we wrapped up sports. We had Thanksgiving. We've had some job flux and interviews and things. But nothing concrete enough to write about.
And December has been more of that. We've done our usual things and left off the things we (I) don't like. It's been a lot and I'm tired and I'm ready for winter break to start so I can be with my people and not think about all the rest.
If the year had a theme it's been a year of inconvenient health for me. I've always had some skin issues and that's nothing new. But turns out, my hands weren't just getting fat they were having an allergic reaction to everything and I've dealt with swollen hands for the better part of six years. In July it got so bad I had to have my anniversary ring cut off at the emergency room. Thankfully, I have a wonderful jeweler in the family and we sent it to him and its all fixed. My hands swell and shrink all day long as they come in contact with whatever it is that they hate. It's so varied it's not even worth talking about. Mostly it's cheap soaps. So I've had to be a grownup and buy expensive shampoos and soaps for all the bathrooms. I have gone through about 10 pairs of gloves and I'm trying to find a more permanent solution. I don't like the idea of buying lots of latex gloves and just throwing them away. But if I have to I will.
I fell down in D.C. and sprained my ankle really good. It was a couple months before that stopped hurting and I can still sit wrong and have pain. I have had more migraines this year than I care to discuss and I'm worried that means I may have to see a doctors about those finally. I was always good for one or two a year prior to having children. But this year it's about one a month since July. If you aren't familiar ... migraines (for me) mean you can't see, there's a stabbing pain from temple to the back of your skull and you're pretty sure you will vomit. Sometimes you do.
This was the year that I was the only person in the house that got strep throat, with a fever so bad I slept for two days and medicine didn't work and I had to get a different script. I haven't been that sick as an adult maybe ever.
To not end on a down note ...
G continues to do well in school. He is so bright and responsible. Skiing this year he did great at ski school and we skied down some blues together (near the bunny hills) and our final day he skied with his dad. It's a joy of life to show him things we love. He finished second grade like a rock star and we miss his second grade teacher. She was so nice and sweet with endless patience. I still see her and fill her in on how he's doing. He is popular with his friends but he tends to run with the same few kids. He is a model student. Over the summer he did golf camps and did really well at that. He's a strong swimmer and he got up on the ski board a few times behind the boat. He is a big help to me with David and they walk home from school together and I know that Grady will protect him and make him follow the rules. He did well in baseball and played right field and second base (his favorite). Kid pitch is a new beast and he didn't get too many hits this season, but he did make contact and he walked a couple times. His real love is soccer. He's been on the same team since Kinder and they've had a few rough seasons but this fall they had a winning team and it was really funny. His Coach hopefully comes back and lets him get some more shots at forward. I'd like to see him play more offense but he does very well on defense ... which I'm told wins games. I can't believe he'll be nine this year.
David finished preschool in May. He is my shy child, if I have one, and he is "hard to know." Is the best way I put it. Even since he was a baby he didn't just go to anyone. He has a sixth sense about people ... people in costumes = scary. People that are fake = not worth the time. This has proven out with teachers. I try to tell the teachers ... I know this is probably true of all kids, but if David thinks you aren't invested in him he will not perform for you. He will shut down and not participate. Some of this will probably change as he matures. But in prek last year he had such a lovely teacher, and I didn't know how much he liked her (he's hard to know people) until the last day when he gave her a big hug. A real hug. Full arms and everything. I am so grateful for people that love my kids enough that my kids know it ... especially David. David did ski school too last year and got pretty good at his wedges. He wasn't quite ready for the big lifts so when Julia popped a fever the last day the three of us played in the heated pool while G and Daddy skied. He had a wonderful time at Disneyland riding almost everything and crying when G got to ride Indiana Jones and he didn't. He wouldn't meet any characters but he stood pretty close to Donald and Mickey and it's never a requirement. He rode Tower of Terror twice and decided that was enough. If you get a chance ask Lewis to tell you about his first ride on that. The picture is like four older people leaning in to help him because he was screaming so much they were afraid he was hurt or something. He still rode it again - with me and Dad and G - and then after that when G "lets go again!" David said ... "no, I think I'm done with that on." In his very deliberate way of speaking. He got to go to his first golf camp and was thrilled to his ear lobes. I never see them but I hear he did good. We will continue that tradition. He loved it. This year he also gets to do science camp (Science camp stopped offering prek classes last year. boo). He got up on the ski board too and loved going to Grammy and Granddads to ride the boat. He was nervous when he started kinder but he went in without tears. He did give me a hug. And most every day when he gets out of the car he says "see you after school mom!" It is gratifying he still acknowledges me. Grady has entered the embarrassed of his mom phase. It's okay. I know he loves me. David has been blessed with a wonderful teacher who is so affectionate and loving and disciplined. He loves her. He is reading like a champ and crushing everything. He's one of the older kids in the class and that no doubt accounts for a lot. But it's such a worry off my mind ... you never know how your kids will react in new environments ... especially my middle. And I'm grateful he wants to go every day and is thriving. He played soccer this year and for the first time participated without bribes every single time. He scored a goal and I love when they do that because as soon as they do they turn and look to see if I saw. I did. Of course. He'll play soccer again in the spring and maybe we'll add baseball in the fall.
Julia had an epic meltdown in Aspen one night as we were going out to dinner. And in one of my better parenting moments her and I went home and got in the bathtub. Sometimes you just can't go out. So I got her ice cream and chicken and she was better and it was better. She hasn't had an epic fit like that (on vacation) since. Knock. On. All. The. Wood. But it's lovely to have her maturing past some of those fits. Even though I still have to remind her to use her words when she is upset. She finished MDO last year and did okay. There wasn't a relationship with that teacher and it makes me sad. But they aren't all good. And they won't all be good going forward. This year is better but I'm wary. Julia is a strong-willed personality and teachers and schools tend to try to snuff that out. They don't mean to; but they have a lot of kids to contend with and strong-willed, third children tend to make things complicated. I wouldn't have her any other way. Her teacher said she was a stinker the other day and I almost bought her a toy. It just rubbed me the wrong way. She started ballet this year and she loves her teacher and her dance friends. We're still not really to the point of "making friends" yet. She is friends with our close friends and she loves a little girl named Emma Kate, who we talk about all the time and who we saw at baseball because her brother is on Grady's team. She's doing well in school in that she is listening and lining up but we need to do a lot of work on number and letter recognition. I know that it will come. She had her Christmas performance last week and walked on the stage like Vanna White; waving at all the crowd as if they were there to see her. She danced and performed and was not nervous about the lights or crowd at all. She is a firebrand and she is like my assistant that thinks she's my boss. We love her so. She is sweet but don't cross her. It will serve her well later in life.
And that's the letter you would have gotten (shorter, obviously) if I had felt like writing letters. When I sat down to write letters it was just this trip, that trip, that trip and it just didn't feel right. We had a lot of good times. But for me 2018 is the year we lost my beloved Aunt. Who I love and miss everyday. She was a wonderful woman and if you knew her you know that. There was a lot of joy in 2018. I hope for more joy in 2019 and less sadness; if you please. Amen.
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