Merry Christmas!

 

As for the Rest of December

I had a great plan to stay updated on the blog during all of our December events, but life (mostly work) was crazy, exhausting, stressful - and to make it to winter break was all we could do. So here I am with another photo dump catch-up post. Getting it in before Christmas, at least!

The first weekend of December, Emma's team split into two to play in a one-day 3v3 tournament. We had beautiful weather, and the girls wore elf jerseys and socks. It was a fun day (even if some parents were a little frustrated by the soccer itself)!

Sara was supposed to finally be taking her babysitting class through the city, but they ended up canceling it again last minute. She ended up at a sleepover with a few friends from school, so after the tournament, Steve, Emma, and I ended up at Austin Avenue to watch the Cyclones finish their wallop on West Virginia.

The following Friday, we celebrated Sara's 12th birthday! We decorated the house using The Office birthday theme, which she loved so much and made us all laugh!

Looking so grown up. Sara got clothes, earrings, gift cards, and airpods. She was thrilled!

On Sara's birthday, Emma's class had to begin quarantine due to a positive case her in classroom. Luckily, it didn't really change our plans because we had tickets to a drive-through lights display at a nearby ballpark. It was a lot of fun, and a great COVID-friendly way to celebrate a birthday!

Twelve candles in four bundt cakes so everyone got their favorite flavor. This really is the way to always do it!

Happy 12-year-old

While Emma was on quarantine, and until she had a negative test, she had to miss practices and games. I think that was the hardest part for her. However, she spent a cold, rainy Sunday making a recipe from scratch from one of her cookbooks. It was a pretty involved recipe for crumb cake, and she did a great job!

Jim enjoyed having Emma home from school, and now is loving winter break with everyone around.

Emma had a negative test in time to participate in her soccer practice/team gift exchange last week. She took a quick pic with Santa and then told me he obviously wasn't real, based on his beard hair.

Sara's school had fun dress-up days all week last week, and her counselor sent me this picture of her in her ugly sweater. Apparently they all got a good laugh out of it! 

On Sunday, Emma had her first basketball game! The team has a lot of the same girls as her softball team, as well as the same coahces. I didn't get to go because PSA only allows one spectator per child for indoor sports, and I had gone to indoor soccer that morning, but Steve got this shot for me (no parents at practice inside either). Emma scored one of the team's two points (free throw) and had a great time! Apparently there was some drama and the ref called the game because the other team's coach's mask kept falling down. However, the parents decided to let the girls play out the rest of the game as a scrimmage. I'm excited to see her play. She's been practicing a lot on the driveway!

Yesterday we had our baking day, and tried the candy cane twists for the first time. Easier said than done, but at least they taste good!

The weeks leading up to winter break were fun at school, as they always are, but also so stressful. my staff was dropping fast, we had a barebones office crew, and I was feeling less than my best. It was the wildest, hardest semester of my career, and I don't know that next semester will be much different. I was so glad to make it to last Friday in one piece. We celebrated with dinner at LaHa ... and Santa was there! The girls were super embarrassed that I made them take a picture with him in a restaurant, but it was the closest we were going to get this year. I think they look cute! Fajitas, margaritas, Santa ... what more could we want?!

We have NO plans this break. It feels odd to not be traveling, but I can also tell that our bodies and minds need rest. We had played with the idea of going to San Antonio for the possible bowl game there, but the Cyclones got a New Years 6 game and will be playing in Arizona! Unfortunately, our game is no-fans allowed so we'll watch from home. Just going to take each day at a time - play at park, do some reading, I've already cleaned out some cabinets ... all the things we've neglected for months. I'm excited about a true break!

Today the weather is beautiful (cold front blowing in for Christmas), and Emma played for hours at the park with a friend. Jim was there for a long time, too. I loved the long, peaceful, beautifully refreshing walk!

And a friend stopped over with gifts of booze and poppers! We had to do the poppers right away, and Steve and I reminisced about many fun MN Christmases where poppers were a staple. Missing our people there, but grateful for our people here.

Merry Christmas!

Twelve

Here begins the last year before Sara is a teenager. She's becoming a beautiful young lady in front of my eyes and all at once I both can't believe it and love it. She is one awesome kid.

At 12, Sara is doing well in school, looking forward to the various electives that will become available to her next year. She's made a great group of friends and loves to fill me in on the gossip. She continues to love cheer, making steady growth and building self-confidence that will continue to be an important asset. Sara loves "The Office", reading, Jim, and her phone. She loves wings, pizza, Dr. Pepper, burgers, cheese bread, and she's still stuck on her original staple: round meat sandwiches. She has started to love shopping if clothes are involved, and I have completely stopped buying her anything she hasn't picked out herself.

When we have time alone together, whether a quick trip to Starbucks or a dinner out, she always starts with, "Sooo...what you want to talk about?" She asks me all sorts of questions that I do my best to answer. I ask her some, too, and it's so fun getting to know the real person she is becoming. She has opinions and views - and I'm working on striking the balance between honoring her opinions as they are and steering them toward evidence. I do love that she's finding her voice and that she shares it with me. I'm going to work hard not to squash that in the coming years.

At twelve, Sara is just an inch or two shorter than me and can frequently be found rummaging through my closet. Most days she lets me hug her, even as she rolls her eyes when I tell her for the millionth time to go to bed or to pick up her room or to take the dog out. She's funny, smart, sarcastic, stylish ... and really just one of my very favorite people. 

Happy 12th Birthday, Sara Noel!