Annual News for 2009!

Click on the photo above to view picture highlights of our 2009 year!

Nothing in our lives has been particularly wonderful or wicked this year, just wild. Our Christmas tree was lit and decorated Sunday, December 20. There were few if any other decorations. Presents were stuffed in gift bags--untagged and untissued--on Christmas Eve. I could nobly say this was intentional--a quest to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas; alas, that would be a lie. Each year, I’m more firmly convinced that twenty-four hours just don't go as far for me as they seem to for everyone else. Sigh.

Hans, almost 10, is fence-sitting fourth grade. Doesn’t love it, doesn’t hate it, but is, unfortunately, closer to the latter than the former. He chose to play viola, but now refuses, so will be re-selecting another instrument after the holidays. His every waking moment—-aside from those detestable ones spent doing homework, chores and bathing—-is spent creating with Legos. He designs and builds Star Wars fighters, then takes them to school and trades them for clones and what-not. His creations are highly coveted.

Ralph, 12 (and a deacon!!!) at the end of January, has loved the transition to middle school/sixth grade. In large measure, that’s due to P.E. being daily. Every day, I ask how his day was; every day, he says it was great. Inevitably, the highlight happened in P.E. But he also loves the rest of his day—-especially because his guy and gal pals in his core classes are all competitive soccer players, too. Trumpet has recently become important to him. Last year, he never practiced; this year, he practices almost daily because he has to be graded—-in front of EVERYONE in the band—-every week. He’s gone from 5th chair to 2nd, so is learning—-no surprise to any parent anywhere—-that practice makes perfect!

Rhiannon, 14 and a freshman at the brand-new (and not-completed) Kimball High, loves the idea of high school. She’d been hoping for a challenge and bemoans the fact that it’s easier than her 8th grade year, but she’s still enjoying the social aspects, the French class, the well-stocked library, the volleyball team (and, hopefully, softball) plus the award-winning choir director. For the winter concert, she performed a solo of “On My Own” from Les Miserables and brought the house down. It was SO exciting! Here's a video link. She also plays violin in the Central Valley Youth Symphony. In honor of that accomplishment, Santa brought her a certificate for a violin of her own which she redeemed in San Francisco today. Ecstatic would be too tame a word for how she feels right now!

Liesl, 16, is a junior across town at the old, established Tracy High in their performing arts program. She has great pals and has loved the freedom that comes with friends who have licenses. For a multitude of reasons—-spelled no time or money—-we haven't yet signed her up for driver’s ed. For Liesl, high school is all social. Although no one doubts her placement in IB, both her parents and teachers alike have given up on convincing her that grades matter. She’ll have to figure it out on her own! Until then, we enjoy her literary insights, her brilliant piano playing, and her awesome cooking skills. She continues to enjoy swim team practice but not competitions. Oh, and texting! That’d be an A+ if it were graded.

Greg spent November (from Halloween day to pre-Thanksgiving day) gallivanting about--oops! I mean working ferociously in England. He’s traveled elsewhere, I’m sure, this year, but my psyche is too scarred from this last trip to remember. Oh, and he’s discovered “Screaming Monkeys” on Woot and orders them whenever available. They rank right up there with Mountain Dew as his safe addiction of choice. For anything additional, read last year’s entry.

I could say the same thing about myself—-except I’d add that having 4 children at 4 schools is killing me! I’m still an elementary school librarian although that status will almost certainly change once a quarter of our school district’s budget is slashed (after another quarter cut in the last 7 years) in the coming months. Whatever bad news you read about California is unfortunately true. This year, I proposed a somewhat radical trial to provide library visits weekly to all 47 classes at my school--by combining classes. I figured I could as easily read to 50 or 60 students as to 25 or 30. It’s successful for them but stressful for me. Still, since next year they may not have library at all, it seemed imperative to frontload as much as possible.

Hope your holiday season was filled with peace and harmony and love. I miss all of you and eagerly anticipated, then enjoyed, hearing from you. Thanks for keeping in touch! Happy 2010!