Katrina is thirteen!!!

As of today, Katrina is a teenager.

In some ways, her teenager-ness is easy to believe. She wants to check her email regularly to email silliness to friends. Finally getting to join Facebook was probably the thing she was most looking forward to about her birthday. She's as tall as Beth. The clothes she chooses are decidedly more grown up than they were a year or two ago.

She's not your stereotypical obnoxious teenager, though. She loves her brothers. She isn't bratty or argumentative or self-absorbed. She remains one of the sweetest, most generous, and kindest people i know. We absolutely hit the jackpot when we got this girl as our daughter.

My favorite thing about my kids getting older is getting to have conversations with them, and Katrina is such a fun person to talk to. She's smart and thoughtful and can completely make me laugh. She's cares deeply about relationships, and she goes out of her way to build and maintain her relationships with everyone she loves, from friends to siblings to me and Juanito. I don't think she even realizes that she's doing it, but she is just amazingly talented at knowing exactly how other people best relate. She plays games with Zane, cuddles and talks with me, makes crazy movies with Houston, emails with friends, leaves little notes for people, makes or buys little presents for friends at school. She lets me do a photo shoot of her for her birthday every year without complaining even once. If i weren't already her mom, i would absolutely want to be Katrina's friend.

Thirteen years is a long time. It's a lot of growing and changing. And in the past thirteen years, Katrina has obviously changed a ton. She's no longer wearing diapers, for one thing. But i can look at pictures and remember what she was like already when she was really little - two and three - and say that her personality? It hasn't changed. She's been awesome all along.

More birthday pictures are here.

2017, so far.

We're almost a month and a half into 2017, and i haven't blogged since the new year. I keep wanting to, but then i'm all unsure of what to post. I could just post "this is what my family did today," and honestly, that's maybe fine and probably what i'll end up doing. But that feels somewhat dishonest to what i feel like is actually going on, because so much of my brain is full of politics and the things happening in our country right now. 

I read an article by Andrew Sullivan yesterday, and this paragraph perfectly sums up how i'm feeling: 

One of the great achievements of free society in a stable democracy is that many people, for much of the time, need not think about politics at all. The president of a free country may dominate the news cycle many days — but he is not omnipresent — and because we live under the rule of law, we can afford to turn the news off at times. A free society means being free of those who rule over you — to do the things you care about, your passions, your pastimes, your loves — to exult in that blessed space where politics doesn’t intervene. In that sense, it seems to me, we already live in a country with markedly less freedom than we did a month ago. It’s less like living in a democracy than being a child trapped in a house where there is an abusive and unpredictable father, who will brook no reason, respect no counter-argument, admit no error, and always, always up the ante until catastrophe inevitably strikes.

I hardly ever used to think about politics. Every four years i'd pay attention to who was running for president, and in the interim, i'd pay attention to the general news of the day, which was not generally political. But now i feel like everything is related to Trump's presidency, and every day there's new scandals and new executive orders filled with horribleness, and it's just exhausting and depressing. I want to go back to being able to look at Facebook or Twitter or the news or anything and having it be just...life. 

So that's where i'm coming from.

That said, this is what we've been doing for the past month:

• Houston started out the year by putting his retainer on the table while he ate something, forgetting about it, and starting to play a game with us. Midway through the game, Emma came trotting into the room, happily chewing on...Houston's completely destroyed retainer. $150 later, Houston had a new retainer, which i'm happy to say he's being much more conscientious about keeping in the box when it's not in his mouth.

• Katrina, Zane, and i went to Winter Camp with our church's youth groups. It was a weekend of noise and silliness and snow and crafts and not enough sleep. Katrina and Zane both loved it. Zane even loved it despite the fact that his cabin didn't have a bathroom. His group had to run across the camp to the gym to use the bathroom - or the shower, but that didn't seem like an issue, since Zane literally didn't change his clothes the entire weekend. 
  

• Houston had his first exams in January, and they nearly killed us both. I could have just been all, "They're your exams! You do all the work!" but i'm pretty sure that he would have failed them all if i'd done that. The boy just really never had to study much at all before this year, and so he's really bad at it. I spent days and days with him, going through his school books to find the important information he should know, because he doesn't take notes in class. Me: "But...you have a notebook for every subject! Why don't you take notes?!" Him: "I don't know. The teacher doesn't tell us to." 

• Katrina had the giant 7th grade career project, which wrapped up in mid-January. The kids spend months on this project - choosing a career, interviewing someone in that career, doing research, making brochures, writing reports, and ultimately making a tri-fold presentation with a memorized speech. Katrina chose zookeeper as her career and did an amazing job. 
  

• My grandpa, who is now 97 (i believe), had an accident in his home, where he'd been living alone, and moved into an assisted care facility. It's a really nice one ("This place is much nicer than the one Great Grandpa was in!" said both Katrina and Zane), and he seems to be doing very well. 
  

• Once every month or so, we have a "relationship building" week for Fifty6, where each group does their own thing rather than meeting as a whole group at the church. This month, we had all of our girls come to our house, where we did a "Cocoa and Canvas" thing. Juanito took the job of "artist" and told everyone what to paint and how to paint it, and at the end everyone had their own painting to take home. They all did awesome and seemed to have a really good time. 
  

• Katrina and Juanito had their Daddy-daughter dance. Katrina's been excited about it for weeks and weeks. She wanted to get a new dress for it, so we scoured Goodwills for a cute (and appropriate) dress. She chose her hairstyle at least a week prior to the dance. She was adorably happy about it. And they both report having had a really good time. 
  

• On the same day as the Daddy-daughter dance, Houston had his high school dance. He was not 100% sure about the dance even before i brought him, and about an hour and a half into it, he texted me, "Could you maybe come and get me?" 

Me: "Already? Are you bored?" 

Him: "I'm not exactly bored. Just...none of my friends are here and i am basically walking around in circles feeling awkward." 

Me: "Okay. Dad'll be home soon, and then he'll come get you, okay?" 

Him: "Yup. They're playing 'You are the only exception' and everyone is being weird." 

Me: "Define weird."

Him: "They're all dancing and stuff." 

Me: "DANCING???? At a dance!??? WHAT IS NEXT?!"

Him: "I KNOW, RIGHT?!???"

Juanito got home about then, and i asked him if he'd go get Houston. He left and i texted Houston that Juanito was on his way. And then, about 10 minutes later, Juanito called me to ask, "So...the dance IS at City, right?" No. No it was not. It was at Meijer Gardens. Apparently he had been texted Houston, "I'm here!" and Houston had been texting back, "Where?" and the conversation went approximately like this: 

"In the parking lot!" 

"Which one?"

"I'll drive around and look for you!"

"Inside or outside?"

"I AM IN A CAR."

And that's about it. There are a few more pictures here.

End of 2016. (Finally) Interview Edition!

What were the best things that happened in 2016?

Zane: In the summer, i really enjoyed doing Adventure Thursdays.
         I enjoyed going to Lansing a lot because it was awesome.
         I liked going to Pittsburgh.

Katrina: We saw baby Amiya.
              Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out!
              We got to see movies in the movie theater, like "Secret Lives of Pets," "Fantastic Beasts," and ... i think there was at least one more. Oh! I saw Zootopia with Auntie Beth.

Houston: I got into City High Middle School.
              I went to Papaw and JJ's house for like 3 days.
              Christmas happened.
              Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Juanito:  Building the shelf in the front room.
              Trip to Pittsburgh.
              Going to see Bassnectar.
              The zombie run.

Karen: Babies! Amiya, Karen D's baby, and Eloise and Micah, Jim and Alisha's twins!
           Painting the front room and getting shelves and generally making it brighter and happier.
           Getting a Meijer Gardens membership and getting to visit it lots of times.


What were the worst things that happened in 2016?

Zane: Donald Trump getting elected.
         In the summer when we did the Adventure Thursday when we got all itchy from the stinging nettles.
         The beach disappearing at Bops' house.

Katrina: Alan Rickman died.
             My fish died.
             People died.
             Donald Trump got elected.

Houston: Donald Trump won.
              Everyone died.
              They announced that they're making a Cars 3.

Juanito:  Everything leading up to DJT being elected.

Karen: My Aunt Marilyn died after a really short illness.
           President-Elect Trump.
           So many famous people's deaths - Alan Rickman, David Bowie, George Michael, Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fischer, Prince, Mohamed Ali, Garry Marshall, Florence Henderson, Gene Wilder, John Glenn....

Who were your best friends in 2016?

Zane: Finneus, Justin, and Will.

Katrina: Alex, Phoebe, Emily and Emily, Max, Isabella, Madison, Ella and Lorelei, Paige, and Kim.

Houston: Chauncey, Ethan, and Anthony.

Juanito:  "My beautiful, precious wife Karen," Beth, and Andrew.

Karen: Juanito, Beth, Karen, Keren, Linda and Andrew, Karla, Brooke and Travis

Use three words to describe 2016.

Zane: Deadly, exciting, and weird.

Katrina: Saddest year ever.

Houston: Tiring, long, and the worst.

Juanito: Mind-blowing, eye-opening, and "as long as a year is."

Karen: Long, depressing, over.

What were the best books you read this year?

Zane: 100 Most ____ Things on the Planet series, Harry Potter books 4 and 5 (and 3 and 1), and Calvin and Hobbes.

Katrina: The Cursed Child, How to Speak Dolphin, Heart of a Dolphin, and i re-read Harry Potter 6.

Houston: Huck Finn, Magnus Chase, and Harry Potter 7.

Juanito: Subject To Infinite Change by Andrew Moxon and Stiletto

Karen: The Flavia de Luce series, the Kate Burkholder series, The Martian, Wonder.

What was your single biggest time-waster this year?

Zane: Reading Calvin and Hobbes.

Katrina: Sleeping.

Houston: Doing dot-to-dots.

Juanito: Sleep.

Karen: Netflix.

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas! Yay!

We went to church this morning, where we sang lots of awesome Christmas songs, which made me insanely happy. We rarely sing Christmas songs in church anymore, so as we were driving to church this morning, i was all, "I really, really, really hope we sing SOME actual Christmas songs! There are so many good ones!" And we did!

And then the pastor gave a sermon that ... Okay. It was a good sermon. But he was totally talking about how true stories become legends, particularly regarding St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. And there was no nursery today. So i was looking around at all of the many, many families with small children and wondering just how many of them were kind of mad that the pastor was up there telling their kids that Santa isn't real! I mean....

Anyhow! This afternoon we opened presents, and then we played with presents. I bought a couple of games for the family, and i am happy to report that both of them are totally fun. One of them is kind of practice for beer pong, but nevertheless, it's totally enjoyable. Everyone was very happy with their presents, so yay! Success!

 And then tonight we watched "It's a Wonderful Life." It's such a great movie. Even my kids totally love it.

More pictures here, if you're interested.

December 24

Christmas Eve!

We celebrated Christmas with my family today, over at my sister Jill's house. We had lunch and opened presents and had appetizers and opened more presents and played games and had dessert and played more games and generally had a fun time. There are lots of pictures here.

We got home and the kids got to open their Christmas pajamas, which they all immediately threw on and have sworn to wear all day tomorrow. Yay! I successfully made pajamas that actually fit without needing adjusting this year! Woohoo!

December 23

It's Christmas Adam! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! One of our traditions is to open presents on Christmas Adam. We would open them on Christmas Eve, but on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day we do Christmas with my family, and then we do our own little family on the other day. So we either open stockings on the same day we open all of the rest of the presents, or we open them on the 23rd. And opening them on a different day than everything else is just more fun.

This year i unintentionally wrapped and put in Katrina's stocking TWO duplicate presents. One was a Harry Potter ring that came in a package of 10, so i just forgot that i'd already wrapped one. And the other was a charm for her charm bracelet that i apparently wrapped and tossed in and then completely forgot that i'd done it, so i spent ages looking all over for the charm before giving up and going to buy the same one again. In my defense, i am an idiot.

Anyhow! Christmas interviews!

What are your 3 favorite Christmas traditions?

Houston: 1. Driving around and looking at Christmas lights.
                2. Advent calendars and activities.
                3. Opening presents with everyone.
Katrina: 1. Secret Santa
              2. Doing Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa.
              3. Opening presents together.
Zane: 1. Advent calendars.
          2. Being with family.
          3. Opening presents.

Best Christmas present ever?

Houston: Either my word code piggy bank or my Tardis blanket.
Katrina: Molly, my American Girl Doll.
Zane: The giant pillow case with zebra print and a Z on it.

Favorite Christmas movie?

Houston: Elf
Katrina: Elf or Arthur Christmas
Zane: Elf or It's a Wonderful Life

Favorite Christmas songs?

Houston: "For Unto Us a Child is Born," "Carol of the Bells," and "Leroy the Redneck Reindeer."
Katrina: "Jingle Bell Rock," "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."
Zane: "Jingle Bell Rock," "Santa Baby," and "Carol of the Bells."

What are you hoping to get?

Houston: A microscope
Katrina: American Girl things
Zane: Legos

Can you name the reindeer?

Houston: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen
Katrina: Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen
Zane: Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, Victor, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer

December 22

Today was Houston's last day of school before break and Katrina and Zane's first day of Christmas vacation. Woohoo!

Tonight's activity was to drive around looking at Christmas lights. We drove all over the place, first to the rich area of town and then to a few addresses that Juanito found online. My favorite was the rich area, with just pretty lights and wreaths and trees, but then the addresses Juanito found were all fancy with dancing lights synchronized to music, and the kids all seemed to really like those.