Turns Out It's the Small Stuff

Friends, family, and connection

• There has been an abundance! Summer days with the neighborhood kids for Zach, a Making Circle with a sound bath, Quinton’s birthday party, and just stopping by to visit neighborhood friends
• Ending up the summer, Zach continued to spend a lot of time with Theo and Henry, and they even rode their bikes to meet up!
• Zach and Auntie Em went to see Harry Potter and hear the score played live at Woodstock
• Paddleboarding with Frank
• Calls and gathering with friends - a shout out to Kathleen’s 50th birthday party and seeing friends, old friends, and really old friends!
• Checking in with work friends old and new: Judie, Angela, and Kevin made me laugh!

• A visit to see Mom and Dad in Woodstock and time with Auntie Em. We enjoyed water aerobics and great meals (Blue Chicking, Indian brew pub + Thompson Italian pizza night)
• Neighborhood parties - Quinton’s 5th
• Beth and I made sure the kids were behaving at the Lake Anne movie night

Trying new things

• I’m back to biking for the first time in 15 years. Zach and I biked over to Theo’s house.
• Puzzles
• Alternatives to small talk for me - why do you like water aerobics, etc.
• Lego club and coding for the kids
• Crochet for Zach
• Zach went to the pool with a friend - no adults!
• Biking to school on his own
• Sound bath
• My new 1000 libraries monochrome coloring book

Good food

• Empanadas
• Vietnamese pork and beef with miso broth, seaweed, rice
• Zucchini hash

Zach & Susan
in Leesburg

• Mexican and Gruto's banana soft serve with peanut butter sauce - yum!
• Auntie Em’s vegetables
• Thompson Italian pizza night
• Trader Joe’s tapenade
• Mediterranean Market from three years ago with Dania, Riso and his brothers

Zach's Sports

• Baseball/water ball were a theme of summer
• End of the summer basketball season
• Trying out flag football and baseball and the protective gear!
• Baseball has been a real delight for Zach and us! I enjoy chatting with Frances’ dad, who’s related to a famous actor!

First day of 5th grade

Zach & 5th Grade

• Zach is loving safety patrol and is biking to school
• He’s hit his stride and likes his teachers and has a good group in his class, though he was sad to not have Noah, Santiago, or Theo! 
• He’s doing advanced math and the part-time AAP, so he has four teachers instead of two! One is a long-term sub and did not do a great job with the fall lockdown drill.

Working through challenges

• Illness for Frank and Zach; for Z it was a 10-day stomach bug that was mild, but persistent.
• Swollen eyes - darn ragweed
• Getting back into piano for Frank and Zach has been a growing experience
• Resting my heel, so more strength training and biking

With his favorite
Monet at the 
National Gallery of Art

Exploring: I had a great time checking out the neighborhood by Clermont Park in Alexandria, and Frank and I noticed this caterpillar on one of our walks!

Imperial Moth Caterpillar