Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Thirteen

Happy Thirteenth Birthday Audrey!


You've had a great year! You took your first trip abroad and let us drag you all over Italy! I was a little nervous, because you can get grumpy when you're tired (and don't even get me started on what you're like when you are HANGRY!), but you were quite the trooper. And your sense of humor was always on point whether you were poking fun at some of the art, or taking selfies in the Pantheon.
 


This year you gave up basketball but kept playing soccer. I love to watch you play! You are 100% responsible for anything I understand about soccer! Well, you and watching Ted Lasso (which we are watching for the THIRD time!)



You're doing a great job in middle school! Your teachers love you! You finished sixth grade as the "Jaguar of the Year". But the social gauntlet that is middle school is so tough to watch. It makes me a little sad to see some of the friends you've had since you were three fade out of your life, but you've managed to make some new friends. 


You are really good at doing costume makeup! And you went from being afraid of scary movies to being obsessed with the movie Scream. I still haven't quite figured that one out!


I really hope you never stop creating! You draw, paint, write. You wrote a poem about your experience with being a third-grader during COVID that brought your old third grade teacher to tears. And this summer you were bored one day so you dug out your dad's old guitar and started teaching yourself how to play. When I was stuck in bed for those terrible couple months having you come into my room and play for me was often the highlight of my day!

Thank goodness I was better by the time of your Christmas Show! I love to watch you perform!



I was so proud of your performance in Finding Nemo Jr the Musical! You looks so relaxed out there, and like you were having the best time! 


There are so many things I could list that made us proud last year, but I'm proudest of one thing....through all the crazy middle school ups and downs your sense-of-self has remained strong! When other kids in your circle are spending hundreds of dollars on "skincare" you (laughingly) maintain your "elaborate two-step skin care routine" which as far as I can tell involves getting yourself really wet in the bathroom and then doing something mysterious with an ice cube. I feel so proud that you don't feel like you need makeup to feel beautiful (I know I did at your age!) but I won't judge you if that changes this year. Whatever happens, I just want you to stay true to yourself in all that you do.



It's been a great year, and we love spending time with you! 

Happy Birthday Audrey, we love you so much!




Thursday, February 08, 2024

Seventeen

Happy Seventeenth Birthday Maddy! 

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that you are seventeen. It feels like one minute you're in preschool, playing with "tubes and beads" and the next minute we're are setting up college tours. 



Taking the above photo before school on a day when you have physics class first period (the one class where the teacher locks the door at 7:36) was a risky move on our part, given how our mornings usually go! This school year, we made a big step in making you independent by forcing you to get up with an alarm clock instead of relying on the mom-alarm. It may go off for ten minutes or so, but you get up EVENTUALLY. Let's just say I hope you can avoid 8am classes in college!

I can't say that you love high school exactly...you tend to think you are surrounded by idiots (and from what I hear, I can't disagree) but you work really really hard and your teachers notice!


I'm so glad that you have found your niche with the drama kids! And so proud that you're the official Prop Master this year. Deep down, I suspect that you're an organizational nerd who loves spreadsheets and lists. But you're also not afraid to use a hammer or a drill and get covered in paint!

On the weekends you turn into a sloth! I don't blame you with how busy your weekdays are, especially when you are in the middle of a drama production. You're definitely not a morning person, and your school starts WAY too early every day. I love how Hermione takes advantage of your lazy weekend mornings to snuggle. You are HER person, and she really misses you when you're in school all week!


         

This year you got to travel abroad for the first time. Which puts you about 30 years ahead of when your dad or I made it to Europe. You are an awesome traveler! We had such a great trip with you, you're so easygoing, up for anything and curious about the world. As long as you could have your pasta carbonara you were happy!


Summer remains your favorite time of year. You love any kind of boating! It's unclear yet if you''ll be able to ever drive a car, but kayaking and sailing give you a kind of independence that you crave.



We're so proud of all you achieved at Piers Park. We had no idea what you were capable of when you took us out sailing last summer and you blew us away. I love your confidence and your passion for sailing!


Forgive me for being a little melancholy...it's hard not to wonder where that little chubby cheeked, curly haired toddler went. The one that used to make me wrap up Grover and Raccoon in a blanket every night at bedtime. Or sing Daisy exactly three times. Not that I don't love the young adult you're becoming! It's so fun to laugh with you and spend time with you laughing at cat memes or watching TV.... even if you make me watch The Walking Dead. Every evening on the couch together feels so precious! 




Happy Birthday Maddy! We love you so much!

Thursday, January 25, 2024

National Honor Society

We are so proud of our newly inducted National Honor Society Member! Awesome job Maddy!



Sunday, January 14, 2024

MFA

 We made it to see the Sargent exhibit right under the wire. And we got to take some friends as well!







Monday, January 08, 2024

Belated Carroll Christmas

This weekend we were finally able to host our annual Christmas get-together, just a little later than normal. (But I'm not complaining! Every day where I am up and about is a gift!)

Because of the unusual circumstances this year, the peanut butter ball factory had to stay open a little later than normal. There was much joy about this development.


This year we had some of the Frosts make it as well, which was a special treat. And more people to open up our stash of Christmas Crackers!



It was a fun day and definitely better late than never!

Friday, December 29, 2023

A Different Holiday

After I made my rapid(ish) recovery, for a little while I toyed with the idea of making the drive to Kentucky after all. Then I saw my physical therapist and she was pretty clear that sitting in a car for sixteen hours would be a colossally bad idea. But, I was just so grateful to not be in pain anymore, and to be able to participate in life, that I tried not to be too discouraged. And so we set our minds to having a different kind of holiday.

On the night of the Winter Solstice Bob and Audrey took a bike ride with Bike Winthrop. 


At the start of the kids' school holiday vacation, Bob lucked out and was given tickets to the Holiday Pops by a client. It was such a fun experience! We had Chinese food (my first time dining out in more than two months!) and then had a table at the Pops where we had wine, hot chocolate and dessert. The music sounded SO beautiful, as were the Christmas decorations.

 On Christmas Eve Eve, we drove around delivering cookies to some of our local friends.

And then on Christmas Eve, we were invited over to Andy and Michelle's for dinner and a Yankee Swap, but first we got to see the Winthrop Firetruck Santa drive by.




On Christmas morning, after much discussion about how early to get up and when to open presents, we saw what Santa brought AND opened up presents in one fell swoop. In other words, Audrey won that argument.  Then we watched multiple Christmas movies and laid about!


I made a beef tenderloin, and tried to replicate my mom's side dishes, but my Seven Layer Salad will never be as good as my mom's!


The day after Christmas, we caught up with the Cahoons and saw the lights at LaSallette. So glad to still be able to have our tradition!

(And by "tradition" I mean checking on the "ripped crotch" gingerbread people to make sure they are still in poor shape but on display.  I am happy to report that they have lived to make us snicker another day!)





And finally, we went to the "Uncanny Valley" (aka the The Enchanted Village at Jordans) to creep ourselves out in a festive way.


We also paid three bucks a pop for an eight second "tube" ride. 

I missed seeing everyone in Kentucky, but we made the best of it!


Monday, December 18, 2023

Christmas Show

After what felt like an interminable period of laying flat, my ability to get back to "normal" felt like it happened overnight. I got in to see a specialist for a back injection on December 7th and it didn't seem to be working...but then I bent over funny to pick up a dropped towel, spent an hour having crazy back spasms and then like magic things started to improve after that. *deep sigh of relief*

The timing was very lucky... just in time to be able to see Audrey's Christmas recital! And as a special bonus, Grandma had come to visit since to celebrate an early Christmas with us since we likely can't go to Kentucky this year. So Grandma got to see her first WSPA Christmas show...TWICE! 









And then helped us get ready for the holidays by making some peanut butter balls.


And we exchanged gifts.


Including a really special painting for Grandma, painted from one of our Italy photos.


And then Grandma made us a nice Christmas dinner.


I'm so grateful to be up and about again! I know this Christmas won't be "normal" but I'll take what I can get!