Evan is Eleven

Little E turned 11 years old on December 1. I love to tell them about the days of their birth, and this year was no different. I recall his quick labor and delivery story - how he was born fast, and hasn't slowed down since. How Mama did NOT get the epidural she was hoping for, because I was already at 9 by the time I got to the hospital. How he was born at 4:34 am. How Nana was there to take care of Ryan while I was in the hospital. How Ryan couldn't visit because of H1N1. He is starting to remember the details of his story. 💙

Covid rates were rising in our community as we approached Evan's birthday. Middle school and high school were already remote. And at our school, a lot of staff were having to quarantine creating a staffing challenge. People were saying it was matter of time before Evan and I also went remote. I was hoping if it did happen, it wouldn't happen until after his birthday. He was very much looking forward to celebrating his birthday at school with classmates. Luckily, we made it. Birthday names are posted on the scrolling news around the building, and I just had to capture E's name on his special day! [We went remote 3 days after his birthday!]

 

He wanted this super chocolate cake, Portillo's-style, made with mayo. I couldn't have asked for a better cake. Yay!

My parents came over for dinner and cake. Evan chose Coach's for a birthday restaurant meal. Burke had to run back because they forgot to include Evan's order in the carry-out bags. Thank you to our family across the country (NM, IL, GA, AZ) who sent gifts and cards to help us celebrate Evan on his special day!

This was a big present, a virtual reality (VR) video game system. He was surprised and excited. He really likes the game Beat Saber, and clears levels like nobody's business.

Evan is generous, and lets us all play it. Burke plays it after the boys are in bed, and secretly gets the high points on all the Beat Saber songs...

 ...putting Evan is on a perpetual quest to get high scores. 

Ryan does very well too. His rhythm and drum skills come in handy.

Every once in a while I give it a try. It's super fun, a music/dance-type of game. But I'm too old and my shoulders and arms get tired after a bit. Haha. 

In non-Oculus birthday news, here is Evan putting together some birthday Legos with an audience. It's notable that a "big pig" joined the nemne collection this birthday. Both boys were very excited about the arrival of the giant pig and ran around screaming. 🐷

Happiest of birthdays to our Little E!

Somehow, my baby is eleven. He is still very much my little guy, and he knows it, and plays that card as needed. 

He thinks he's short, and is looking forward to a growth spurt. I think this relates to some fitness goals - being fast and strong. He tells us he wants to start running to build stamina, or he's going to do push ups and lift weights regularly. He LOVES to play at recess, but he tries to avoid competitive drama that happens during recess games. Though he'd love to play kickball, for example, he'll opt to throw a football with some calmer kids, rather than waste time playing kickball with kids who yell at each other about rules, calls, etc. 

He is independent, always has been. Does things without asking for permission, which gets him into trouble sometimes with mom and dad. He likes to understand why and HATES the parental answer "because I said so." He can argue his point with the best of them. Often giving us something to think about, or reconsider. He also offers hugs, snuggles, and makes us laugh with his silly faces and dances. 

He's a smart bug, which I'm learning in a different way being his teacher this year. He has a quick mind, and likes to learn. He will choose math over reading most of the time, but when he finally settles in with a book, he is an excellent reader. He's a pretty good writer too, which I learned as his teacher that I did not fully know as his mom. Puzzles and Rubik's Cubes are current faves. 

We love you, Evan! We are so proud of our "young warrior." Happy 11th birthday to you! 💙🎂

Funky Fall

As fall draws to a close, Covid, of course, continues to be an important issue of the time. We continue to dig deep to make cautious choices to stay safe for ourselves, our family, our students, and our community. This means that things look very different than they have in the past. Different does not mean bad. We had some happy fall moments. 

We made some adjustments to the way we've celebrated Halloween. The boys did not go trick-or-treating. We offered to buy them an approximate amount of candy of their choice that they would have gotten had they gone out. They were totally on board with this. We did not pass out candy either. They dressed up a bit to celebrate Halloween at school (see previous post).

We still were able to go pick out pumpkins, and climb and play a bit at our usual pumpkin farm.

We enjoyed carving pumpkins, slimy insides and all.

We enjoyed decorating our new house! It was kind of fun seeing how the stuff we had for our old house would fit around the new place.

Now Ryan cuts the grass! Though fallen leaves are the seasonal bane of Burke's existence, we all can agree that the changing colors is an annual delight. What a lovely fall day!

Jumping in a leaf pile is still fun for Ryan & Evan!

We had a hot tub at the old house, and missed it terribly. Burke and I bought ourselves this early Christmas present [that we couldn't really afford]. We were willing to tighten the budget belt for a few months to make this happen. Boys like it, too! Plus, with limited things to do in the outside world at the moment, the hot tub can be good for self-care, and be a diversion. 

On an early November day, we went to an outdoor art show at the Krasl Art Center. We walked the bluff, and enjoyed being out and about. The boys still like to climb the cannon. Burke noted it be interesting to look back for photos of the boys sitting on this cannon over the last 10 years. Getting so big!!

We live within easy walking distance of our local library. The boys and I walk up there a bunch to get them fresh books. Do you like their acorn hats? 

**Burke and Ryan went remote November 18, per an epidemic order by MDHHS. Evan and I continued in-person learning leading up to Thanksgiving. I was a little nervous to have my parents over for Thanksgiving, but we followed safety protocols, and really enjoyed ourselves. Again, different does not mean bad. :) 

In a constant effort to make the best of it, our school staff found a way to offer students the chance to share a Thanksgiving lunch. This is an annual tradition. Usually, we all gather in the cafeteria. The kindergartners perform, parents help serve family style. Not this year. Classes enjoyed the meal in their separate classrooms, and the food was delicious. Taking off my teacher hat for a moment, I traded Evan some turkey for corn. 

A beloved student and her family moved back to Mexico in mid-November. Her family gave a bunch of teachers these beautiful wreaths as a holiday / good-bye / thank you gift. It looks lovely on the front door of our house. 

Ryan helps Burke with Thanksgiving cooking.

Evan keeps an eye on Thanksgiving football.

Many thanks to the chef...

my only contribution - a Brie appetizer

Thankful to safely share this delicious meal with my parents.

We were able to Zoom with my brothers who were gathered at Christine's parents house in Chicagoland. We were thankful for technology and the easy ability to see their faces and hear their voices.

Then Ryan treated us to a mini-cello concert.

[Evan also played a bit of piano.]

The way I figured, Burke and Ryan had been doing remote learning for about a week leading up to Thanksgiving, so their exposure risk was WAY down. I figured Evan and I were pretty risky being that we were in-person learning. So, Evan and I sat away from the rest of the family, though near enough. Think "kids' table." We stayed masked most of the time. So surreal. 

One quick picture with masks off. Yikes!

My parents brought this beautiful [huge] cake from Bit of Swiss bakery, a local favorite shop. 

It captures our wishes for everyone as [unreal] 2020 winds down.

Take care.

Be safe. 

First Marking Period

Well, our in-person learning has just about made it through the first marking period. Burke and Ryan are on a quarter/semester schedule. Evan and I are on a trimester schedule. Though there is a lot to unlearn and relearn, and it feels different than years past, there are bright moments to celebrate. Flexibility, grace, and kindness are a MUST!! Here are some highlights from the first marking period. 

Evan plays a math game with a classmate.

[His mighty math skills are impressive!]

playing a main idea matching game

Evan's self-portrait made in art class.

Evan's 5th grade class - a physically distanced photo.

Ryan's cello/bass class taught by Burke. He took them outside to play/take a mask break.

I order digital school pictures these days. The package comes with the boys in front of every background they offer, and copyright release. They both like this background. Some backgrounds are pretty hilarious!

Evan - 5th Grade

Ryan - 7th Grade

Ryan's working hard this year, and is enjoying in-person learning. He's been graphing equations, he gave a speech, wrote poetry,  and is learning about inertia. He's diving into ancient civilizations, and is doing some wood working. Things are different in middle school this year, but Ryan's making the absolute best of it thus far. 

Burke and his team reimagined what concerts look like in the age of Covid. Thankfully, he was able to have Halloween concerts for his high school groups. 

Upton students were invited to dress up for Halloween. 

[Ryan is the devil up front.]

Evan dressed up as a soccer player for our at-school Halloween celebration.

Our school Halloween celebrations looked different this year, of course. I incorporated some technology time, since they are generally obsessed with screens. :) Evan's table team work on digital breakout boxes as part of our class fun!

donuts, cider, pizza, candy

I took photos of the students to share with parents, since they are not currently allowed in the building. [The little stuffy is a gift to students from a classmate who is moving away soon. She gave one to everyone.]

Great Group of 5th Graders!

[FYI: We are able to get close once in a while, because we are a cohort, meaning we are all in each other's bubble, and don't mix with other grade levels. I like to call us a class family. :) Cohorting is one important piece of our safety protocols at the elementary level.]