2020-2021

At Banshee Reeks, this cloud looks like a fish.

Winter Lights!

• We put out lights, a lighted wreath, and wrapped lights around a tree outdoors. Super fun!
• We also went to see the lights at Frying Pan Park and Bull Run

Christmas

• We read through and sang the 12 Days of Christmas on a regular basis. Zach was learning it and joining in too!
• Holiday crafts missed the mark. Did not enjoy the gingerbread house, play doh house, or brownie's with icing. Ah, well. Some work. Some don't.
• Though Zach does need to work on being grateful and saying, Thank you for thinking of me, when he gets a gift. Even those that challenged him are now beloved. They have all found their time in the sun! I'm probably forgetting some other hits, but wow!
  
• Mommy & Daddy: books, Legos, including Bear-y, and Marshall and his vehicle and Zach told me I was his second best Christmas present. :)
• Santa: Lego City Fire Safety World
• Gamma and Daddy Bob: Play Doh cement mixer
• Auntie Em: bird feeder, Wildcraft, and Kiwi subscription
• Uncle Jeff: Danny and the Dinosaur
• Charlotte: Husky and the Play Mobil Schoolbus
• Grandad: roller coaster creator
  

• Thanks to Auntie Em, we had AMAZING food for the holidays. She made trash and cookies (shortbread jam cookies) to share. We made cheese ball and spinach artichoke dip. She picked up Nordic Knot and Chickfila and dropped off at our door during torrential rain!
• We also enjoyed cookies from the Rogers-Kelly family. So lucky!

Zach of Note

• Hiking! Winter Bingo at Banshee Reeks and the Appalachian Trail. We always have hot chocloate! Zach says, "Mommy, you make the best hot chocolate." Zach said of the Bear's Den hike, "it was more spectacular than I expected!”
• Continued soccer and investigations in the dark; for a while we were going to fight Klaw daily
• Sledding with Zach, and Frank took Zach out sledding 2-3 times at Franklin Art Park in Purcellville area. They had a blast!
• Working on intrinsic motivation. So proud of him!
• He gets an allowance and needs to do chores as part of his familial obligation. I am starting to ask him daily what he wants to learn. 
• I have had a number of meetings until 5pm on 1-3 days/week, so Zach sometimes gets his own snack. 
• I love it when he gets any/all of his meals, sets the table, puts away the silverware, etc.

Zach's Words and Songs

A Haiku from Ralph S. Mouse

A small brown mouse

Smells cheese and then he steps into a trap

Snap! he is dead

Snow hakiu: 

Snow hard as a rock. 

Where is my snowball fun?

I want a battle! Sad. 

Our Appalachian Trail hike haiku: 

King of the Rocks

On the Appalachian Trail

He hops from rock to rock

• Cards: Briscola, Go Fish, and Mille Bornes. We tried Speed as well, but a little too challenging. Some of Zach's card/game comments: Zach says, "Thank you, I'll take that lead, thank you." 
• Because of Wildcraft, he has learned the words: affliction, calamity
• We tried Quiddler, and that was good, but a work in progress. I made the word "cult."
• During the week, it is now PBS Kids only, and he really likes Let's Go Luna
• He is really enjoying a Toy Story video game :(
• Still Loving: Muddy Waters, Malcom X, Ribsy, Purple People, Awesomely Emma, and Emmanuel's Dream. Pulled out Auntie Claus and some other old favorites!
  
• When we sing, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” there’s a line about “the blues,” and he now says, “like Muddy Waters.” 
• Podcasts and audio stories are a huge hit! We loved The List of Things That Will Not Change. I also love Wow in the World!
• We enjoyed Amazon's animation adaptation of The Snowy Day
• Quotes:
• “Where are my legs...I left them on the trailer,” said by Zach while playing with his Legos. 
• “Sometimes we get a call from these chairs and they’re on fire, so we put them out.” 
• Zach mentioned that he didn’t know what he wanted to do - be a fire fighter, drive an excavator, or be a chef. I said, “Why a chef?,” and he said, “So I can make delicious meals” (or something like that.)

Sleep Update

• “It’s time for my nap. It’s time for the Mighty Tower to go to sleep now.” 
• He puts his fire station to bed too.
• We talk about the need for rest and quiet time. One day Zach asked if his brain had had a good night of sleep! :) 
• A bit of a pattern of 1-hour naps :(

Good Food

• Auntie Em’s sour cherry and lemon curd bread
• Eggnog lattes!
• Nordic Knot's chocolate croissants
• For Christmas, we ordered from Thompson Italian and had a wonderful burrata salad, homemade pasta and bolognese sauce, and more. Once again, a big thanks to Auntie Em! 
• Auntie Em also made chocolate chip cookie dough for making fresh delicious cookies
• Chocolate chess pie and country ham from Dad!
• Zach loves Bear Chase's mac and cheese bites
• Pupatella pizza and meatball sub. Yum!
• On the Border Mexican (This is the best I can do for my bean and cheese nachos fix)
• Peanut sauce
• Raw kale and then raw kale, mushroom, carrot, ginger, and garlic salad. Yum!
• Chocolate chip cake again. Zach helped to make it again! He's getting good!
  

Connection

• Almost daily breakfast calls
• Auntie Em!
• Just before Christmas, we found out Sam had COVID and then Julia, so I checked in with Julia daily throughout.
• Family Zoom calls: Terri and the Edwards clan
• Talks with Katie, Kathleen, Greer, and the Uber Ladies
• Emily Rogers and I got together by phone for her to share stories about her grandpa!
• Thanks to Dad for coming and taking away our crib and matching changing table/chest of drawers; Picked up a chest of drawers from Emily that was Bonnie's
• Holiday cards! Connect emotionally, be clear, ask for what you want, and take responsibility! A nice response from Pam to my holiday email
  
• Bri and Susan shared hot chocolate in a reusable glass bottle for Christmas for Zach, and when I thanked them, they said I could drop it off at their door for a refill! (They have a ton leftover from the socially distanced Halloween party!)
• Shared Zach's clothes with neighbors 
• Visits to drop offer the family calendar and dinner to Charlotte!
• Heard back from Dave!

Family Fun

• Dirt Farm 
• Sunny drives out west
• Cold, cold Bear Chase, but so good to see everyone!
• Refinanced our mortgage. Big savings!
• Dad got the vaccine and Mom is scheduled for Monday!
• Emily celebrated 1 year anniversary of end of chemo on 1/17/21

Fun and Not So Fun Stuff (Personal and Professional)

• Reading: Becoming and More Myself; started Stay Woke, How to Be an Adult, and The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
• Listened to Drive by Daniel Pink and it's the foundation for so much!
• Ten Percent Happier's 21 Day Challenge
• Podcasts are great, though it was tough that Brene Brown and Layla Saad were on hiatus for 3 or more weeks; I caught up on Dare to Lead episodes and really enjoyed Jon Meachum's interview; listening to "The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander
• FSP 2020 episodes on Trust and Attachment were helpful and turned me on to the book, How to Be an Adult
• Offspring is still awesome!
• Watched: The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, most of Love Actually, a French dance movie, Break.
• Frosty 5K for Christmas and I love the hat!
• Watched this ice dancing performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqIH9ez7d9A; I miss this kind of thing: music/concerts, plays, art, museums

Good work stuff

• ARC and listening to Daniel Pink's Drive. So much good stuff!
• Pecha Kucha
• Product Training Level 2. Almost all J names - cracks me up (Jared, Jess, Jess, Jordan, Joy, Justin, Julia, Tyler, Michael) Teehee!
• Unlocking Us had a good spot on Brené with Tim Ferriss and Dax Shepard, and they talked about the Halo effect and other biases and tips and tricks for me to share with leaders!
• "Continue training with Susan..." -- from Start, Stop, Change, Continue of two people on Client Care team! Woohoo
• Talked to a recruiter, which felt good and exciting about the possibility of leading a team of six in a company of 1200 employees. Crazy, but nice to articulate what I've done and think about how to update my Linked In to reflect what I've accomplished at GoCanvas and still want to do!

Goals 2021

• Listening, curiosity, questions
• Read Anti-racism daily
• Complete Me and White Supremacy and This book is anti racist
• Tracking progress
• Remember: 
• Permission to feel. Feelings come and go. How we’re feeling now will change. 
• Take care of yourself. 
• Deactivate: breath, pause, make sure heart and brain aren’t racing, manage self-talk
• Choose: sleep, good nutrition, exercise, social connection
• Consider giving if you can.

Jan 5-6

• Flipping the Senate with the Georgia wins for Democrats! I contributed!
• This was a rough day and I felt challenged for days afterwards. I had a hand in an important message from JQ, and I thanked him for it. Good advice from Marc Brackett. See above re: permission to feel