Connor's First Homecoming

The week before Thanksgiving, Connor had the cool opportunity to participate in his very first high school Homecoming weekend. Usually this would consist of a hometown football game followed by a school dance, but of course, Covid-19 changed all of that. Luckily, Connor has a great group of buddies with wonderful parents who came together to plan a fun event for the boys in celebration of their first Homecoming. After reserving a beautiful facility nearby called the Greenhouse at The Oaks restaurant, we all decorated to make it festive and fun for the boys and their dates. The full group consisted of about 15 guys and gals that dressed in their Sunday best and arrived for a fun night with dinner. Of course, no Homecoming event would be complete without a night of incessant photo-taking by the parents. To say we heard nonstop moans and groans about the photos would be an understatement, ha! I sure was glad for all the photos, though. What a fun high school memory for Connor and his friends!

Catching Up on Fall

Our Fall 2020 seems to have passed us by in such a whirlwind. Perhaps because the first half of 2020 was agonizingly slow, the fall season snuck up on us and was over before we knew it. The lack of activities in spring and summer led to an over-commitment of fall activities for both kids, and we ended up with a packed fall schedule most days/nights of the week. Here are some updates and photos from our busy months of fall.

During the crazy school year amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the kids' school portraits barely registered on our radar. It was hard enough to coach Jeff and the kids through some enhanced grooming (ha!) and outfit selections via our long distance phone conversations. Then I had to do some extra work to figure out even how to get the photos now that things are handled so differently, but luckily I managed to grab the digital versions. If nothing else, I'll have them for their memory boxes.

Connor's 9th grade year has been quite the challenge for him so far. On top of 2 college level courses that he's taking, he also had a completely full plate with both baseball and basketball. Most weeks of the fall saw him completely swamped 6 out of 7 nights of the week along with occasional weekend tournaments. This kid has been exhausted out of his mind! On the rare moments when I'm home, I soak in every opportunity to spend time with him and accept any cuddles he offers. As much as I've dreaded his teenage years, I have to admit that at least for the moment, I am LOVING age 14. 

Occasionally, Connor has had a virtual learning day at home. Jeff and I really enjoy the extra time with him (when I happen to be there). He loves the at-home learning MUCH more than the face-to-face, but he will continue attending school in person in order to take full advantage of the additional instruction time for athletics.

As for Kaitlynn, I always find the cutest pics of her in my iPhone photos from her fun playdates with Lily. The smiles on their faces never seem bigger and the time these girls have together never seems enough. Of course, that might also have something to do with a certain special guy named Duke, ha!

Like Connor, Kaitlynn's extracurricular calendar stays completely full. Between cheer and tumbling along with school activities like student council and theater, she rarely has a night off and is constantly on the go. Poor Jeff usually has to juggle all of the chauffeuring duties on his own, which leaves one or both kids eating dinner in the car or staying late at practice to wait for a ride. They don't seem to mind and take it all in stride.

As hard as it is sometimes to juggle the busy schedules, it seems a small price to pay for active and happy kiddos. In the grand scheme of things, Jeff and I know how fleeting these years will be and we are trying to soak in and savor every moment.

Freshman Katy Tiger Basketball

As we said when Connor made the roster, the REAL work of becoming a freshman player on the Katy Tiger Basketball team began in earnest as the season finally kicked off. This was Connor's first true introduction to learning a full offensive playbook and figuring out how to put all of the pieces together. While he has the advantage of height, his inexperience definitely shows up at times on the court against the other players with years of game experience. We are thankful for the Katy coaches who continue to take their time and encourage him as he slowly but surely gets up to speed. 

Another thing we continue to be thankful for is that there is any basketball season at all for these kids. In the year of Covid-19, that's never a sure thing. We've had many games and practices cancelled as the coaches worked to make the season as safe as possible for all involved. That includes mask-wearing before and after all practices and games, both for players and spectators. It also means being flexible for any last-minute schedule adjustments and cancellations. 

We don't know what to expect as the season unfolds, but we are so excited that Connor has this opportunity to learn the game of basketball and play for his high school team. It's an honor and a privilege that he doesn't take lightly. Go Tigers!

On the Road Again

The irony of my life in 2020 is that while everyone else has been confined to their homes and communities, I have traveled more this fall than I have ever traveled in my entire life. I began working on a new project in early September and I have been on an airplane almost every week since. 

A necessary side effect of 2020 travel has been a growing attachment to my collection of face masks. What began as my resentment-filled resistance to mask-wearing quickly became an obligation of my assignment in the workplace. I feel the kids' pain in the requirement to wear the masks day in and day out, except mine are usually worn in stretches of 12-15 workdays instead of their 7-hour school day. In either case, it really stinks. 

With all the traveling I've been doing in the past few months, I have now achieved Platinum status on United Airlines and Gold Elite at Marriott, and my preferred status with Avis seems to deliver a nicer car rental with each new week. I've developed quite the routine for packing, unpacking, and settling in to various hotel rooms across the country, and I've had to upgrade my luggage and establish strict routines to keep up with hectic schedules at both work and home. 

I've left my house in a Lyft dressed for summer heat and humidity only to arrive a few hours later in a different state with snow and an iced-over windshield on my rental car. I've experienced airports that were so busy I could barely find a seat at my gate, and I've also seen those that look like a ghost town with hardly any passengers in sight. I've been 30,000 feet in the air at sunrise and back again at sunset. I've learned how to make the most efficient use of travel time while en route, what will and will not make it through airport security, and even how to savor the peaceful moments amidst the chaos.

I've also learned that I am married to an absolute ROCK STAR of a husband. While Jeff was expecting to enjoy the fruits of his labor during a relaxing retirement, he instead has been holding down the fort at home. With an intense activity schedule from 2 super busy kids, he is wearing all the hats from chauffeur to home cook to homework tutor to office assistant to pool boy. He has stepped up in a major way to allow me the opportunity to focus on my work and achieve some once-in-a-lifetime career goals. There are days where the only time we communicate is through quick texts or once daily FaceTime calls. The distance and time apart wears on all of us, but Jeff continues to provide the steady support we need to ensure our family stays on track. To say I'm thankful for him is a serious understatement!

Another (completely random) thing I've learned during my recent travel stint is how to up my hair game. After years of growing out my long hair but never knowing what to do with it, I decided it was time to make an effort to look more put together for work. I finally conquered the curling iron in an attempt to look like the professional consultant that I am, and I find myself taking photos to prove to myself that it CAN be done. Ha!

In all seriousness, my experience over the past few months with work has been one of the most challenging times of my entire professional career. There are days that I am so overwhelmed that I don't know how I'll make it through the day. I regularly struggle with missing various activities with the kids and Jeff, and I constantly try to find the right balance of meeting personal and professional commitments. My stress levels have sky-rocketed along with an ever-nagging muscle pain in my cervical spine, and the traveling lifestyle continues to wreak havoc on my terrible diet with increasing levels of caffeine and junk food. As someone who has long struggled with getting adequate sleep, my insomnia has reached an all-time high. But despite all of these challenges, there are days when I am able to witness the positive impact of my contributions and see that glorious light at the end of the tunnel. Those have been some of the most rewarding moments for me professionally, and it keeps me going another day, another week, as I work towards the finish line. I look SO forward to that day when I can look back and say that all the sacrifice was worth it. 

Until then, it's "on the road again" for me in 2021.