- Birthdays continued with Theo’s and Athena’s
- Playdates with Domingo and Tom
- Soccer hiatus and a little basketball in Nov-Dec before Winter Break
- Back to basketball and soccer in early January
- Having fun with both!
- With goalie gloves, he’s now trying out goalie and did a great job in his first futsal game!
- Beyblades - a hit!
- Z mentioned if he could do three things every day, it would be an acrostic poem, basketball, and soccer
- Discussion of the AAP application and filled out for Zach, which was a great exercise to think about his strengths. Processed through his CogAT scores. My work to do! Ended up with a great discussion with his teachers. So helpful!
- Zach’s field trip and talking and connecting to Senora Bachelet! She loves Bryce, Basye, biking, hiking, etc.
Zach’s health
- Cold-like/strep-like symptoms in Dec. Luckily it was nothing serious!
- Stomach bug and off school for two days in Jan
Sleep Update
Sleeping more as it’s darker in the morning. Yay! Another reason I love winter.
No episodes since the last post, though one night he came into the room soaking wet. I’m not sure what/how that happened! Still a mystery.
Empathy Corner
- Zach is still serving others at breakfast - making menus and delivering food
- We’re planning on regular Family Meetings and have had one so far! There’s a running agenda and everything!
- We’re trying out how we helped others on a weekly basis and who helped others…
- We helped Lindy and family; Zach helps Mrs. Vargas; we help by composting and taking old shoes to be recycled
- Working on emotional regulation. Love the Good Inside phrase that it’s his job to have and express his feelings. We found a ball that we can throw when we are mad that won’t hurt anything.
Zach's Words and Music
- BK have it your way, you rule and the State Farm jingle
- Trying for a book club with Athena, Domingo, or Max
- Podcasts and audiobooks: Spy School and now lots of Harry Potter
- Reading some I Survived, Harry Potter, Bad Kitty
- Zach wrote acrostic poems and a concrete poem. He spelled the word: brutal like this, broodle. Love it!
- Harry Potter movies and the movie, Clue
- Harry Potter game (Years 1-5) and playing with Cora!
- Family hike on Christmas Day - beautiful moonlight!
- Family trip to Hersheypark
- Family math challenge; I could be more curious
- Headed out for our first family adventure ski weekend
- Zach has picked up the Conversation Cards from Christmas - What is bringing you happiness lately?
- Trip to Canaan Valley for snow!
Susan and Zach
- Walking to school; Lindy and Cora have gone with us and we’ve met Adina
- 3 words and we’ll spin a story
- A trip to Banshee ReeksI have gotten more into Pokemon; Zach is a great coach, and I enjoy it!
- Step Afrika and the NutCracker Slide
- Crosswords
- ½ Birthday lunch out at Ted’s Bulletin
- Worked on a concrete poem and listened to a Spanish podcast on the weather
- Sky Zone
- Legos - Zach loves the beach scene Charlotte got him for Christmas. He had a blast building his van with surfboards and a rubber duckie on the roof!
- Skiing - the Indy Pass fun has begun! Inaugural trip: January 14-15 at Canaan Valley Ski Resort
Frank & Susan
- Daily walks
- Fantastic date night - playing Escape Room on the Xbox. (I lost track of time!) And dinner at Local Provisions. Festive decor and atmosphere.
- Time with Greer in DC - Zaytinya and the National Gallery of Art, where we sought out the only DaVinci in the United States
- Two overnights with the grandparents
- Z and I went Ice skating with Mary, Logan, and Cora
- For F&Z:
- Christmas with Jeff Dammann in Charlottesville and a basketball game
- Time with Zahra and Sam and Julia
- Trip to Roanoke and time with Paige. We found a sculpture garden and tried a new coffee shop
- Holiday cards and hearing from friends and family
- Check-ins with Liesl
- Caught up with Rae - loved hearing about her work with PACE group and mental health access
- Walks with Mary
- Hearing from Bettie and Deb on their health journeys
- Zaytinya!!!!!!!!!!
- Mediterranean Bakery goodies
- Miso cod and Auntie Em’s veggies
- Bakery Tatte’s nutella butter cookies, chocolate chip tahini cookies, and the famous jam cookies
- Delicious date night dinner at Local Provisions
- Christmas Eve nosh with all the good stuff, including Nordic Knot Pretzel
- Christmas Day Thompson Italian meal. So good!
- Frank made chicken in wine and roasted parmesan broccoli
- Mushroom barley soup and Zingerman’s bread
Fun and Not So Fun Stuff (Personal and Professional)
Health Corner
Continuing lice vigilance and trying to stay healthy even through Zach’s illnesses
Fun
- Hanging art about once a month at LAES
- Sent Fordam Family in Review - Fordam Family 2023 in Review and great to hear back from people!
- Art and Science of Happiness course work - lessons 1-4
- Good Inside membership; it was absolutely inspiring to see the people who are members joining orientation sessions and coffee with a coach. All of these people committed to being better parents! I love the script of - you’re a problem solver, and I’m sure you can come up with a better way to say that (for combatting rude/sassy comments)
Not So Fun
- Emily had her surgery and had drains for Christmas. No good! Glad to have her nipples removed.
- Finally wrote a condolence card to Tracey
- AAP anxiety, but proud of how I worked through it and what I learned
- Drove by Suburban Hospital where Terry died. I mentioned Grandma Terry to him and realized we should talk more about her.
Watching
- Blackish
- South to Black Power - was a new concept for me
Reading
- Finished Robert E. Lee and MeAnti-fat bias with Aubry Gordon in books and podcasts
- The Year of Living Danishly
- South to America by Imani Perry
- Adam Grant with Dr. Becky and Jennnifer Garner
- Why Experiencing Awe with Others Feels So Magical - one of the roller coaster rides at Hersheypark was definitely collective effervescence!
- Lisa Damour: Understanding Today’s Teenagers on Everything Happens with Kate Bowler
- You can choose pleasant, polite, or I need space
- Once again, negative emotions are not bad or to be avoided
- The Art and Science of Happiness Lessons 1 & 2 & 3 & 4
- Episode 250 of the Sex and Psychology Podcast, How to Have “The Talk” with Your Kids - may see things on line; you can come and talk to me. The internet is for adults and there is stuff on there that may be upsetting to you as well as adults
- Good Inside: An Unfiltered Look at Thirteen
- We Can Do Hard Things: 262. Aubrey Gordon on Freedom from Anti-Fatness
- Culture Study and Why are We So Obsessed with Taylor Swift
- Really enjoyed listening to Tracy Chapman's Fast Car, such a good song
Professional Fun and Not So Fun
Fun
- Great wrap of Leadership Institute and kickoff of new one!
- Nice to go into the office and connect!
- My curated LinkedIn is so useful, inspiring and share-worthy!
- Coffee with Eva and breakfast with Judie
- Team DEIB
- 2023 Work and life Review
Not So Fun
Goodbye to two more team members who I have worked closely with…
What’s on my mind/Insights
- Thinking daily about my purpose, my values, and loving kindness meditation
- Blue Zones and promoting conditions to be happier b/c behavior change is hard
- I like the idea and want to try to get more in touch with feelings by asking at the same time every day: What am I feeling? What do I need? What do I want?
- A 2024 plan thanks to Chris Guillebeau
