A Sunny Little Summer Show...

Adell started dancing in a local dance troupe right before life shut down.  Once some restrictions were lifted, the troupe was able to get back together and dance.  They put on their show tonight!  

Of course, the show was great and Adell was adorable!  It was also heavenly to get out of the house for an evening show.  

Enjoy the journey...right?

Do you remember building forts when you were a kid?

Do you have kids and have you ever watched them build a fort?

If you answered yes to either of those questions you might have an idea of where I'm going with this post.  

One of my most vivid childhood memories was building a fort using grass clippings with my younger brother, Ebin.  We hand raked up all the grass my father had just mowed into piles and started placing it in a square shape.  Our lawn was decent sized and my dad must have let the grass grow for a while because there was plenty of clippings for our project.  As we shaped the grass we got more and more ideas: "This can be the front door!  And we can make two bedrooms here and here!  We have to make it bigger so we can make a kitchen and a living room.  Get more grass!" on and on we constructed.  Every new idea got us more and more excited!  We brought down our blankets and favorite stuffed animals.  We made a couch for us and chairs for our stuffed animals.  Do you remember this feeling?  We buzzed in and out of our fort with energy and determination.  Each new idea was met with collaborative criticism, or a solid yes.  Each idea brought thoughts like: "This is going to be so cool once it is finished!"  With our blankets spread in our newly formed bedrooms, we settled into our finally finished fort.  And the fun was done.  It turned out, the very best part was the process, the idea sharing, the anticipation of completion, the journey.  

Now, as I watch my kids built forts, it is the same thing.  The most fun is the actual creation of the fort, not the finished fort.  Moreover, listening to their chatter, I know they have the same thoughts I did as a kid: this is going to be so fun once it is finished!  Only to finish, and not play in the fort.  I see it with other games my kids play too: nerf wars where Colter has the most fun building his fortress to shoot from than the actual battle.  Craft projects Adell comes up with and the joy she gets as each new idea addition presents itself.  So many times, the fun is to be had in the doing not the ending.  I think this is an idea I could use more of in my adult life.  I wrongly think it is the arrival of the destination that will bring me the most joy and happiness.  The reality might be that it is the process and work to get to the destination that will be the most rewarding and fun. 

I've decided to take on some bigger goals in my life because of this thinking.  I want to do big things.  I want to try, fail, learn, and be excited about the journey.  I am so thankful I have this blog to track the other things I've done in the last twelve years (can you believe I've kept up a blog for twelve years?  Me neither.).  I am looking forward to sharing the new things I try and fail and learn to do.

Here's to the construction and creation, not the destination.

Birthday wishes come true...

Will is another year older!  He only had a few birthday wishes but we were totally able to grant his wishes!

First, most of the kids did a hard, sweaty workout with Dad.  Clare and I opted out but Lorien, Wyatt, Adell, and Colter went into the garage and gave Will a run for his money in the sweat department.  Will always gets super sweaty when he works out.  The kids know to give Will space after his workouts or they will get a sweaty hug!  For his birthday they all sweat it up and gave Dad hugs if he wanted them.

Will's second wish was Baklava for his "cake".  Adell and Dad have been perfecting their Baklava baking and really nailed this batch!  It was the perfect birthday cake for Will.

Happy Birthday William James!

Some creative time...

Screens have ruled our lives for the last four months.  School moved to all screens.  All of our activities were canceled and meeting with people was forbidden.  Screens became our entertainment.  It is hard to break their hold...screens are always available and fun.  However, sometimes, we break free and do something creative.  Colter spent several hours creating a Star Wars battle scene one afternoon.

And Wyatt and Adell spend all day Sunday creating a game board and pieces for an ancient game Wyatt learned about on YouTube.  

Screens are still getting most of our time...but sometimes creative play wins the day.  

Another weird ending...well a whole weird year...

Will and I drove down to Santa Monica to collect Lorien this weekend.  Wyatt and Clare held down the home front so we could go without kids.  Lorien had been working all week to get her apartment packed up.  She did a really good job!  We just had a little bit of clean up and packing to do with her and we were back on the road to home.

I am so proud of this big girl of mine.  She has had too many lonely days to count.  Her freshman year has been beyond weird.  Hill fires, apartment fires, no job, continually rotating roommates, and finally, a COVID 19 shut down...we only missed a big earthquake for a full disaster BINGO blackout.  Still, she has stuck with it.  She did get a job where she loved her coworkers and worked hours that were best for her schedule.  She made money and friends.  She started to explore her city.  She learned the transit system.  She learned how to cook.  She learned how to take care of herself.  I wish it would have been easier but the hard helped her grow so much and I am so proud.  

I kept having my own old panic feelings around being alone as I helped her pack up and thought about the year she has had.  I know I couldn't have done it.  She is awesome.  I am glad she will be home for the summer.  We will see what is best for her in the fall.  For now, home sweet home with Lorien.

Black Lives Matter...yes they do...

I don't have the ability to be eloquent and precise in my writing right now...or ever?  Another black man was killed at the hands of a white policeman.  Another video was created and posted.  More and more.  Earlier a black man was chased down and shot by private citizens (all on video).  A woman was shot in her home.  More and more.  It is too heartbreaking to know this is happening in my country.  Most people agree, no one should be treated this way.  We decided to participate in a few demonstration marches in our towns with the rest of the country.  We met up with friends and had an emotional march.  I don't want to toot my own horn but I do want to make it clear which side of history I am on this one.  Let there be no question, I know Black Lives Matter and am trying to stand up for it.

I am reading books, listening to podcasts, and desperate for ideas of what I can actually do to make a difference.  I will vote differently in the next election but I was already voting in that direction anyway.  I live in a super white community and don't have a lot of places to voice my support for diversity.  I need to finish reading and gathering my ideas for action.  I plan on picking one issue I can really throw my time and energy behind.  There needs to be change, it is beyond enough is enough.