2016 is upon us, and I am challenged by the beginning of a new year and a dear friend. Let's get started!
I do try to keep the kids' activities to only one apiece, but this year I threw all restraint to the wind. The kids are doing more than ever, and so are The Mister and I. First up, ice skating lessons.
The kids' big brothers and big sisters invited them to ice skate in December. The idea is a great one in theory, but only Sashi has ice skated before. With the fear of Pookie falling and the awareness of how sore my back was after helping only Sashi skate with Girl Scouts last year, I knew having them go with the med school kids would be disastrous. Insert ice skating lessons as an experience gift for Christmas. Great idea! Only The Mister didn't think so. He was convinced someone would get hurt. "But the first thing they'll learn is how to fall safely! What could go wrong?!" I questioned repeatedly.
First Ice Skating Lesson Day came on Friday. All the kids were excited! A few of them eagerly awaited the start of class so impatiently that they insisted on going out on the ice before lessons began. Initially, I firmly said, "No!" but my resolve abated and out they went. Except the oldest. He said he would stay put. My absent-minded-because-I-was-intensely-preoccupied-with-worry-about-the-three-already-on-the-ice response of "Do whatever you want T" came across as a taunt, so out he went. He made it to the middle and back - I was thrilled! When he shuffled out one more time, however, he took a tumble while I wasn't looking, and the rest, as they say, is history. Arm broken, skating lessons, snowboarding lessons, and basketball on hold. (I said I had thrown our cautious schedule to the wind, right? Maybe this is God's way of saying I really should slow down. Maybe.)
Another first and new beginning is CYC basketball for Meiners. He played with Upward for five years but looked for a more competitive league this year. Unfortunately for my little athlete, he didn't make the Junior High team :( :( :( so he decided to try the catholic league. It hasn't been without bumps in the road - boys who have played together themselves for years found it difficult to welcome a new boy, but his second game was this weekend. They didn't win, but last year his team was Division III and they won the league, so they were moved up to Division I. Then, the team they played yesterday was the team who won the entire championship last year. Great competition for Meiners to improve upon! He came off the court red faced and sweaty, having loved every minute of it! Seems it will work out just fine.
Other beginnings include new books for Sashi. At Barnes and Noble this week, she chose the newest American Girl book. She was thrilled to discover Lea is from St. Louis! I love that the St. Louis heroine is traveling to Brazil and will be studying animals. Little S thinks for now that she herself will be either a vet or a teacher. We also bought her a pristine, new Kumon book to practice her multiplication. That particular book thrills her far less. I'll take the good with the bad. ;)
For me, the end of my quiet, leisurely mornings by the tree before dawn, sipping on toasty chocolate-laced coffee and immersing myself in bible study, listening to the newest Amy Grant Christmas CD or simply reading for pleasure has come. Instead, 5AM workouts have begun again. 6AM kid wake up calls have returned. Slurping cold coffee between trips to school and hopping in the shower at the last minute before running to work has become my new normal again. I've contemplated words for the year and resolutions, loosely landing on "Joy" and "Prayer," neither finding itself on a necklace or refrigerator magnet. Resolutions are more contemplations in my mind than decisions, yet this one - this 52 week challenge - came at the right time. A good time to begin photos and writing, connecting and catching up.
Here's to Happy Beginnings in 2016!
