2019:
In Which I Develop a Neck Wrinkle and Other Adventures in Aging
Once upon a time my kids were small
and cute. They’re still pretty cute in a slightly hairier, ganglier way, but no
longer particularly small.
Mark is a junior this year. We tried
a less traditional method of school where Mark “homeschools” (though it’s an
online program with the school) and then takes choir and Japanese in the
afternoon at the high school. His verdict is a solid meh. He’s had some freedom
to do things he loves like taking an afternoon nap, but he’s had no solid
breaks (they don’t get snow days or holidays unless they get ahead of schedule,
which he’s struggled to do on account of the naps and a fairly challenging
course load). Next year he’s planning to try some engineering classes in
addition to his regular school classes.
It’s been an academically
challenging year for him and a stressful one for me as his mother. I’ve been
face-slapped with the reality that this is the beginning of the end; and that
soon I will need to have a young human ready to launch into the world. He’s
getting there. He has excellent grades, two part-time jobs, a spot on the
competitive climbing league, and great hair. He even takes showers without me
reminding him. So—basically—we’ve won at life. Maybe one day he’ll even accept
the reality of daily shaving (necessary at this point, but not as reliable as
those showers) and non-daily hoodie wearing.
Elizabeth is a freshman and also
very busy. She also climbs and works an afternoon a week at the climbing gym.
She sings in choir and honors choir and plays the flute in band. She’s both
artistically and mechanically inclined. She also succeeds at regular showering.
(I’m still waiting for my Mom of the Year award). She likes reading and geeky
stuff, and is concerned and motivated towards her own self improvement. She
steals my shoes and sometimes my clothes, even though I’m pretty sure she was
just a baby last year.
Savannah is in sixth grade and
enjoying school more than she has in many years, which is a relief. She plays
the oboe in band and sings beautifully. She just fell in love with reading this
summer and now reads for such long stretches that I have taken to worrying
about her newly sedentary lifestyle (instead of worrying about her lack of
interest in reading like I did before). Her showering skills could be
categorized as solidly mediocre.
Emma is my only child who still
feels like a child. She dances around the house, sings, has a million friends,
strikes up conversations with store clerks, librarians and other adults with
ease, loves school, loves life. She does not shower most nights, preferring
baths during which I read to her. And, yes, she does need reminders, although
even that is starting to change.
Kip showers all on his own (Good job!)
He’s still a paramedic and feeling a bit burned out. His latest hobby/side
hustle is to form rough opals into beautiful stones, which he sometimes sells
on their own and sometimes creates into jewelry. If you need more opals in your
life (you do), you can find him on Etsy under OpalsandThingsStore. Also on
Instagram (Opals and Things). He’s got a bunch of beautiful,
under-priced-cause-he’s-new-at-this pieces.
I also bathe without reminder (usually). I am still writing and have
begun freelance editing as well, which I really enjoy. This year I released my
friend’s memoir, which I helped her write. It’s called Four Seconds and is the story of her years of drug use and
recovery. It’s a beautiful story and a passion project that is really doing
well for itself. We also took Grey Stone and
Grey Lore back from our publisher and
released a beautiful new edition of them. I’ve also been doing freelance
editing and tutoring with VIPKID in order to make actual money, instead of just
hoping to make money (which is my current business plan for writing).
I’ve also, as stated in the title of
this masterwork of a Christmas letter, developed a solid neck wrinkle as well
as several stomach, uh, floppy bits, and other generalized old lady qualities.
Soon I’ll be tottering about telling young strangers how to live their lives
and basically grumpily solving all the problems in the world. You’re welcome.
Merry
Christmas, dear friends.
“And
let the peace of God rule in your hearts…” Colossians 3:15
No comments:
Post a Comment