Full Speed Ahead

Northern Lights from Northern Michigan

Zach of Note

• He loves Hershey Park; got two new stuffies - Pandy and a pineapple
• Playing server, chef, and writing menus
• Playdates with Tom; thank you, Vanina
• Playdates three days in a row with his BFF, Athena
• Zipline for his animals, Video games, bracelet making and Legos
• Z & Soccer
• So proud of Zach and his soccer team! They are really working hard and improving! They have won 2 and lost 4 so far. Met Coach Carlos’ dad at a game. Nice! 
• So proud of Zach that he can get ready for soccer all by himself: sock and tying cleats and all!

Zach at school

• Zach found out his class in school, and many of his friends were in the other class. Finally, we got confirmation that he did have some good friends with him. Whew! 
• Great enthusiasm for reading, Lexia, ST Math, and phonics at points…
• Teachers are very communicative with emails and texts
• There is a bus coordinator and a website that is supposed to display bus delays. This is good information! Thanks to Jonathan!
• Back to School Night fun and talking to his art teachers
• Z violated technology responsibilities by playing a game when he was supposed to be doing ST Math program
• Zach is learning about monarch butterflies and feeding turtles. They like apples and carrots! :)
• Movie night and sitting with Mary and family and Athena and family. Zach roamed and got food from Jackson, Theo, Adrian, and Athena

Zach’s health

• He came home with a bit of the sniffles and I caught what he had, but it was quite mild. We upped the vitamins and soldiered on. 
• Two classmates had COVID. We were exposed at Saul’s birthday; Frank went into work for most of four days; I attend the Company All Hands and no COVID yet.

Sleep Update 

• No more blackout curtains. Putting that up every night did get old.
• He still likes to sleep with me as many nights as possible. We go with Fri and Sat, mostly.
• Frank sits with him to fall asleep and he comes in to sleep with me during the night…

Empathy Corner: We wrote a note to Lorne!

Zach's Words and Music

• Singing a song about ice cream cones from music class
• Reading: he plowed through a Dog Man and some books from school, but we ve struggled to get excited about the same books. Read part of Stunt Boy and Plagues and Pandemics, Karen (Josh’s mom) turned us on to the “I Survived” series
• Joke book and “How do you make seven even?” A: Take away the “s.” Zach shared this gem at practice.
• Spy School and me trying hard to listen more
• Frustrating and infuriating = “frinfuriating," inspired by Spy School
• Asked me about the N-Word; said some classmates were talking about it, and he wanted to know what it was. He didn’t remember that it related to what the 6th grade boys had him say last year. I told him about the meaning of the word and that it was a word that I wasn't and he wasn't allowed to say. He changed his mind and said, “Don’t tell me what the word is.”

Family Fun

• Values napkins (Adventure, Courageous, Curious, Conscientious, Connection, Family Time, Fun/Laughter, Growth, Generous, Thoughtful.)
• Quatro Goombas lunch after soccer
• Card Playing - Gin and Gin Rummy. Thanks Edwards clan.
• FC Loudoun game with Mary and family
• Soccer fun and a stop at the Carousel in Warrenton
• Watching a New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi and the oldie, but goodie, The Parent Trap

Susan & Zach

• Paddle boarding (not inflated enough so we sat down), but paddled all around Lake Anne
• Dance off with lots of photos and videos
• A Spanish-speaking dinner - Cuando es tres mas quattro, etc. 
• Breakfast at Ted’s Bulletin and a tour of bakeries on one Saturday morning for scones and hamentaschen
• Museums: Portrait Gallery and American Art x 2
• Tazza’s lunch out
• Art-o-matic
• Hanging out with Logan and family at his baseball game
• New handshake

Frank & Zach

• The Water Mine
• HERSHEY PARK! Twice in just over one week. 
• Went to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Sky Zone
• Reading

Frank & Susan

• Walks - missed a few too many over a couple of weeks, which caused some emotional obstacles to overcome
• Hagen Daaz Ice cream bars and a walk 
• Zach is back to the YMCA, so we have had a few date afternoons! Catching back up on His Dark Materials

Connection

• Lots of informal connection with neighbors at the bus stop and at soccer practice
• Mornings when Lindy has come over
• Sending prompts to Mom and Dad
• Karen gave Zach a soccer backpack; he LOVES it.
• Loved talking to the art teachers at LAES on Back to School Night
• Hanging at the baseball game, the soccer game, and movie night with neighbors and classmates
• Check-ins with Paige
• Uber Ladies video chat
• Mostly video chats with Auntie Em, though we were able to get in dinner, cake, and Star Wars for her Cancer Anniversary
• Coffee check in with Jess during my tough week; she helped a lot. I cried and she listened. Good stuff.  
• Being there for Liesl
• Coffee with Rae and talking Culture professional development
• Carrot cake for Dad’s birthday at Banshee Reeks and Uno

Good Food

• I commissioned Vanina to make madeleines for us on the tournament weekend. Yum!
• Emily’s tomatoes, basil, and ratatouille
• Pancakes
• Taco Tuesdays
• Siga’s figs
• Beet salad
• Burger night from Big Buns
• Making focaccia for Mabon

Fun and Not So Fun Stuff (Personal and Professional)

Health Corner

• Dentist for me and Zach
• Eye care (nightly washing eye lashes and heating pad on eye lids)
• AM and PM massage
• Goal of sitting on the floor/ground for 30 minutes/day (from Blue Zones)
• Nikki and I both have blepharitis; we bonded

Personal 

Fun

• From Despicable Me, “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of a pep talk?”
• 5 mins/day of de-cluttering 
• Memorized all of Zach’s teammates’ names and at least one parent!
• Mabon celebration
• There's some good laughter, but still need more laughter!

Not So Fun

• We said goodbye to Clark 
• Uncle Van infection and surgery
• Saville Center Previvor group
• Had to cancel the trip to Lewes; a tropical storm came our way…

Watching

• Read, White, and Royal Blue
• You’re So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah
• Comedians around the world; three from SA
• Somebody Feed Phil; Philly restaurants sound delicious!
• Finished The Summer I Turned Pretty
• The Blue Zones
• Virgin River

Reading

• Blue Nights by Joan Didion
• Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
• Arthur Brooks and Oprah’s book, Build the Life You Want

Listening

• Simon Sinek’s interview with Arthur Brooks. Seek enjoyment, satisfaction, purpose; Answer quetsions: what are you here for and who would you die for?
• Dr. Becky and reminders on emotional inoculation: How did it feel to be out there with your team? How did you think to put that play together

Professional

• Birthday lunch at Lake Anne Coffee House and five sense items for Judie
• Leaders Demo Courage is a great group
• Lots of instructional design (product, cross cultural awareness)
• DEIB
• Campaigns for more delegation, empathy, etc.
• All Hands meeting; great to stop in and get hugs from Jared, Jason, and Troy

What’s on my mind/Insights

• From BTLW:
• I am right on the line between poet and mad scientist. I have higher than normal negative affect and a dead center positive affect…
• Working on less judgmental thoughts
• When triggered, consider your situation as if it weren’t happening to you
• Write down feelings and then come back to them at 1 month and 6 months
• Asking for help is an act of service. Don’t deny the people who love you the honor of being there to support you. (Simon Sinek)