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!