Last Day

                                                       

You might think he is upset about the last day of school. Nope. Just didn't want to take the picture.

A crazy, stressful school year came to an abrupt end a few weeks ago when the school district announced with no warning that it was closing school for the rest of the year because of extreme heat. It was very upsetting to the kids, because they found out with 15 minutes left in the day that it was their last day. (Their poor teachers found out the news at the same time.) Not a good way to end an already traumatic year. I am extremely frustrated about it, because there was no reason this decision needed to be made this way. It could have been announced earlier in the week and that would have been fine. Because it is too hot for the kids to be in buildings with no air conditioning. 

Despite the sad ending, we made it.  2020-2021 was a YEAR, but somehow here we are at the end of it. We made it in no small part thanks to the incredibly hardworking teachers and staff at the kids' school. We made it with smiles, new friends, masks, academic discoveries (Christopher is super good at math, Clare likes writing after all), and most importantly, we made it without a single case of COVID in either of their classes. 

Clare ended the year by dissecting a frog, completing a huge research project on the Taj Mahal, reading "Island of the Blue Dolphins," and working on her drawing skills. (And probably did some math and spelling? Who knows.) Her class had a day where they did "random acts of kindness" for staff in the school, and she made a picture for her kindergarten teacher. I ran into the teacher after school, and she was just thrilled with Clare's picture. She has it hanging in her room. It really is little things, sometimes. 

Christopher had some interesting conflicts to work out with friends, which he handled fairly gracefully. I'd like to write more, but he would be embarrassed. He loves being with the older kids in his class (his class is 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders).  He did a lot of second and third grade math, and had to be torn away from books to complete other work. His teacher sent the following description of Christopher:

"He is respectful, kind, and helpful. Some of the kids in class said that just this past week when describing him. The other thing is that he is radically welcoming. As much as it might be true he is a quiet kid, he isn't one that keeps to himself. Christopher is almost at 100% of his daily work with a few exceptions.... things he avoids."

Well, he avoids writing. And I laugh about him being quiet. He is like me in this way - quiet at school, but at home he never. stops. talking. And he mostly talks about Roblox, his various business plans, or how people will "chuckle" when they see that he has drawn a beard and mustache on his face with marker. As one does.

Anyway, moving on. 

A few weeks ago the kids came out of school, and Clare had this little tale to relate:

"Mom, I was walking out of the bathroom, and here comes Christopher, Nolan and Seven walking down the hall covered HEAD TO TOE in mud." 

Christopher: "Well, there was this puddle..."

And now, once again I find myself surprised at the passage of time and the presence of a FIFTH grader and a second grader in my house. Isn't Clare still a second grader? It will be their last year of school together until Clare's senior year of high school. Sniff.

Summer vacation is here. Now I am just crossing my fingers that my air conditioner from 1987 holds up.

Bits and Pieces: March, April, May (Photo Dump)

I am a little behind with the monthly updates. The most exciting thing for me in these last few months is that I got my vaccine. So did a number of people that I want to hang out with, so that makes me happy.  Here are some pictures of a few things we've done recently.

A trip to the Science Museum. Hopefully we'll be back a few times this summer.

She made these yummy pie pops during a virtual Girl Scout meeting.

Treats for their cousin Dinos' first birthday on Zoom!

Making Spring cookies.

An outdoor, socially distant gathering with dear friends. BUT NOW WE ARE ALL VACCINATED AND GOING ON A WEEKEND AWAY TOGETHER IN A FEW WEEKS! Ahem. I am not excited at all.

One of Clare's favorite part of visits to the Cuckoo House. SNACKS!

Decorating Easter eggs.

Cousins on Easter morning.

Telling their London-based cousins a story online.

We had a fun outdoor Easter egg hunt. 

Spring Break fun at Como Zoo.

Ice Cream from Cold Front at the Expo playground.

More Spring Break fun.

Three generations.

Remember when it was cold?

Helping clean up a local park.

Vaccine!

Picture for posterity.

Christopher got a loft bed from my friend whose son was done with it. He's pretty excited.

Annual lock and dam picture had to be taken from a distance once again.

Ben and I ate at a restaurant!!!!

Cousins in Janesville during Memorial Day weekend.

Ha.

Ten

Newborn Clare.

Clare at 5.

Clare at 10!

                                        

Ten. Clare is ten. How has a decade gone by? I remember when Clare was a baby, and I couldn't even begin to imagine what she would be like at one, much less ten. And now, now I can all too clearly imagine what she will be like at 13.

Clare certainly knows her own mind, and isn't afraid to speak it. I admire that about her, even when it is driving me crazy. She is courageous, too, willing to do things I never would have done at her age. (Like go to a sleepaway girl scout camp where she knows no one for six nights. She knows she is good at making friends, so has no qualms at all about doing this.) Ben described her recently as being an unholy combination of Ben himself, my dad, and Ben's grandma Connie. She really is. 

Fourth grade has been a strange year, but since she returned to school in February she has been thriving. Her best subjects are reading and math. She has started enjoying writing more than she used to, and is currently writing a mystery novel set in early 1800s England (inspired by Pride and Prejudice), Harry Potter fan fiction (the first book told from Hermione's point of view) and spooky stories (no idea what these are about, other than the spookiness). She has fun with her friends at recess and is looking forward to dissecting frogs before the end of the year.

Speaking of Harry Potter, she is still obsessed with the series. I ended up letting her read the whole thing last summer because, you know, Covid, and she has since read it many more times. We laugh because whenever she takes an online "Find your Harry Potter House" quiz she ends up in Slytherin. (That's the house all of the bad guys are in for the uninitiated.) It actually fits her in some ways, but she is not an evil person like many of the Slytherins in the book. She is very kind in many ways, looking out for her cousins when she is with them, helping me around the house when she sees I need it, and occasionally making me breakfast in bed. She also really loves her friends.

She made a new group of friends since coming back to school, and I hear a lot about Mika, Yasmine, Luisa and Juliette. Her best friend, Natalie, has been in virtual learning, but Clare got to see her again a few weekends ago and she was just thrilled. Hopefully they will be spending some time together this summer. She is also excited to spend time this summer with her "Twig" friends: James, Simon, Nora, Henry, Brendon, Rowan, Finn, and Benjamin.

She is playing soccer again, and loving it. We discovered that a few of the girls on her team live about a block away from us, so hopefully she can see them this summer. Also, her other best friend Amelia is on her team, which Clare is excited about because Amelia switched schools so Clare doesn't see her as much.

She also participated in Girl Scouts this year. It was all virtual, but she enjoyed it. She hasn't enjoyed virtual piano quite as much, but she is sticking with it and hopefully we can soon go back to her former teacher.

Some current favorites, besides the aforementioned Harry Potter: Minecraft, Roblox, Legoes, riding her bike (especially when I let her ride to our local candy store), reading in general, going to the library, drawing, painting her nails (and setting up a surprisingly relaxing spa for me), "The Babysitters Club" (both graphic novels and the Netflix series), visiting the Cuckoo House, camping, hiking and listening to and watching "Hamilton".

Some dislikes: Loud noises (not sure she will ever grow out of this), sunscreen, being too hot, practicing the piano, having to work on spelling at school, bugs, cleaning her room. 

I love when Clare and I get some one on one time, because she is such an interesting person to talk to. We are going to have a night alone next weekend and I am really looking forward to it.

I feel like there is stuff I am missing and so much more I could say, but I'll end with a big Happy Birthday to my favorite girl. I can't believe you are ten!