I'm back!

It's time to restart the blog. After spending a week with my nephew John in Florida, I was wondering what Molly was like at that age. All I had to do was look up March/April posts from 2012 and there she was. Molly at 21 months. We were prepping to sell our condo and move at that point in time, so many of the posts were house-focused. But a glimpse of Molly, dressed for St. Patrick's Day with wild hair, shoes on the wrong feet, and a sassy look on her face and I was instantly transported. I have to keep this going. 

So what has happened in the last 9 months? 

I'll start with the main character. 

Molly wrapped up 5th grade at Orrington with little fanfare. Hybrid schedule - home on Mondays, half days in person with half the class. No playground time. It felt like we didn't really get to say a proper "goodbye" to elementary school, but that's just how 2021 went.

Pic from Molly's 5th grade graduation celebration

Summer was a bit more normal. Definitely more social. Camps with friends, birthday parties at the beach, a couple of sleepovers in Wisconsin. 

Then it was time for middle school. The phase of life all parents dread. And it has been ... pretty great. Masks are on, but it is full-day, in-person, and Molly is loving it (though if you ask her, she may shrug and say it's just "okay"). She has a locker and a gym uniform and a full schedule of ~10 different classes a day. There's all kinds of middle school drama and action and she just seems to be taking it all in. She walks every day with her friend Ryan and has the freedom to hang out after school with friends or occasionally hit up Starbucks. With a phone and a debit card, it's a whole new world.

Beyond the social aspect (which has kind of been our main focus after the year of semi-isolation) she seems to be doing well in her classes. I think they lowered the bar to get kids back in the swing of things. There's almost no homework and they are allowed to go back and "make corrections" on tests. But 6th grade is probably a good year for that kind of transition anyway. The first report card is in and Molly has all A's, other than a high B in science, and good feedback from the teachers ("positive attitude" comments across the board), so we're proud.

Now for Jason. He decided to resign his last job - it just wasn't quite the job he thought it was going to be. But he took the summer off, took a couple of road trips with Molly, did some screen printing, had his most successful art fair ever at Renegade in Bucktown, and then started a new job in October. This one may be it. Best company culture he's encountered to date and he was able to hit the ground running. I'm happy for him. It makes a huge difference when you feel good about what you're doing. 

I am trying to get back to that feeling :) 2021 was a rough work year for me. Maybe that's why I stopped blogging? My pre-pandemic work life was 35 hours a week with Fridays mostly off ... my mid-pandemic (is that the right term for 2021?) work life was 50-60 hours a week with all kinds of high pressure/high stress projects happening at the same time.

I have earned a promotion for my pain. And I have begged for reinforcements. So hopefully 2022 will be a more manageable year! If not, I just need to reframe work as a means to an end, with the end being the kind of retirement that we just enjoyed over Christmas in Florida. Tennis or pickleball every day with a little pool time or golf thrown in for fun. Dolphin sightings and beach walks. Yes, please! I've gone full millennial, researching ways to retire early. We all need goals, right?

Beach life

Beyond work, because yes, there is still a beyond, I've been pedaling away on the Peloton, fully addicted to the Power Zone Pack team challenges (go Honey Badgers!), knitting at night while watching TV (some of our favorite shows: Turn, Get Back, Succession, Ted Lasso, Only Murders in the Building), listening to podcasts (Crime Junkie, Once Upon a Time ... at Bennington College), and reading (current books - I'm loving all 3: M Train, The Night Watchman, and Slouching Towards Bethlehem).

Now, I can't forget our furry friend. Riley turned 3 in June. She's still a sweet little dog, and our constant companion, though she whines for food nonstop, which drives us all up the wall :) Lately, she has been a little hit or miss around other dogs, especially bigger dogs, but thankfully she likes her new cousin Holmes, the cutest little cavapoo you ever did see.

Riley and Holmes in Wisconsin

So what's next for us in 2022? Look for more blog posts to come. I promise!

It's been a little while

It's been a little while, but I feel like things are starting to look up! Molly is back in school (half days, 4 days a week) and so happy to see people again. My parents are fully vaccinated. And it sounds like they'll start opening up appointments to any adult in May(ish). So summer might not be so much of a bummer this year. Spring is still kind of on hold (we had to cancel our Florida plans now that Molly is back in school), but I'm used to travel plans falling through at this point. And we have plenty to look forward to.

In other news, Molly will (hopefully) "graduate" from her walnut allergy on Thursday. Fingers crossed she passes the challenge of drinking 480 mL of walnut milk. I am a little worried that the volume will be hard for her to get through, but we'll try to take it slow. She really does not like the taste of walnuts, so Jason and I have been planking every morning while she drinks it for a show of solidarity. After that, we'll start ramping up hazelnuts and she can hopefully graduate from that allergy in a few months. And maybe Jason and I will end up with perfect abs? 

While things are still on the slow side, we're continuing to spend a decent amount of time on the couch :) Jason and I are obsessed with the heartwarming + hilarious show The Durrells in Corfu (PBS or Hulu) and I've been sucked into a dark comedy called Search Party (HBO Max). I've been enjoying the podcast Don't Ask Tig, and also flew through Chameleon: The Hollywood Con Queen (so good). Although my reading time has definitely taken a hit (especially with all the knitting), I am slowly working my way through Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. All of that will go on hold in a few days of course when we dedicate our lives to college basketball and cheering for the Illini to Win. It. All. Yes, I've hopped on the fan bandwagon of Jason's team, but poor Cincinnati couldn't pull it together this year. They turned their season around, that's for sure, but no March Madness for the Bearcats. 

So, you know, we're definitely not there yet, but things are starting to look up. I'll leave you with the adorable faces of three happy children:

Cousin crew playing a round of Star Wars Monopoly

Staying cozy

Is this the cutest sweater I've ever knit, or just the cutest baby model? 

My newest nephew looking handsome in stripes

Gah! Teeth!

And now for a few adult-sized creations:

First of three matching hats 

One for me and the others for Betsy and Susie

The Pangolin sweater - I had to sew the pieces together on this one and up until the end was convinced it wouldn't fit

As you can see, the knitting continues. It's COLD here. Single digit temps and we just keep on getting snow. So I might as well surround myself with wool! It gives me something to do while we watch TV. Speaking of which, here are a few highlights:

• The Queen's Gambit (Netflix) - We were late to the game on this one, but it totally delivered! Very unique show about a chess prodigy finding her way in the world. 
• Ted Lasso - Unfortunately this is on Apple TV, which most people don't seem to have. But if you DO have it, this show is both funny and heartwarming (the magic Schitt's Creek combination). 
• Murder on Middle Beach (HBO) - I'm a sucker for true crime and this series delivered. The interesting twist here is that the film maker is investigating the murder of his own mother ... and the suspects include his father and other close relatives.
• All Creatures Great and Small (PBS) - I've officially turned into my parents. But what could be better than a show about a small town vet in 1930s Yorkshire? The only problem is getting Riley to stop growling at the animals. We also tried our hand at making Yorkshire pudding. I wasn't sure I had ever had a Yorkshire pudding, but felt compelled to try. Absolutely delicious (though definitely not low cal!).
• Soul (Disney+) - Does Pixar ever disappoint? This movie was fantastic, with Jamie Foxx as the main character trying to get back to earth for the gig of a lifetime. And yes, as with all Pixar movies, I was in tears at the end. 
• One Night in Miami (Amazon Prime) - Great story, great acting, great script - this totally felt like a play imagining the conversation Muhammad Ali, Sam Cooke, Malcom X, and Jim Brown might have had over the course of a night in the 60s. 
• The Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime) - This movie really took me by surprise. It's a slow burn about a drummer who suddenly loses his hearing. If Riz Ahmed doesn't win some kind of an award for this thing, I'll be devastated. He was that good. 

Obviously, we get ALL the channels! I'm not sure what we'll watch next, but am thinking we might give Succession (HBO) a try. Stay tuned :)