Welcome, 2025!

The first time I remember the year 2025 ever crossing my mind was when Nellie enrolled at LCS for the first time as a MWF afternoon preschooler. She received a certificate that read, "Congratulations Nellie - Class of 2025" and I thought to myself that it had a nice ring to it. How did we get here already?

Now here we are, celebrating New Years for the last time with all these kids living under our roof. We decided to head north for some time in the woods for an old-school Wernet party for the first time since 2019/2020. We enjoyed all our favorites - some hiking and hunting, Back to the Future, games, a variety of appetizers, homemade Pin the Ball on the Tower, and lots of noise and sparklers with sparkling juice at midnight!

New Years up north circa 2017 - it was a lot snowier and colder that year!

A little hiking and tree climbing

A little Spoons and Back to the Future. I can't for the life of me get a good photo out of Eddie, but he was the Spoons grand champion.

Sparklers at midnight

Family night hike!

Pin the Ball on the Tower. Mary didn't win but I did much worse!

Looking back and ahead, here's what we had to say about our favorite 2024 memories and our commitments for 2025:

Mary: One favorite memory was leaving for Sault Ste. Marie right after school in October. Another was going to the Tigers game and they beat the Brewers 10-2. Her goal for 2025 is getting better at making decisions. 

Eddie: Playing Spoons and watching Back to the Future.🙄His goal is to get taller.

DJ: When the Tigers went to the playoffs and beat the Astros. He wants to do more strength and conditioning workouts.

Annie: Taylor Swift concert! And all the "up north" trips were really great. Annie wants to prioritize her relationship with God this year and making sure she has the right level of motivation for the right things

Nellie: Her top three are the Germany trip, flute concerto, and the Green Day/Smashing Pumpkins concert. Her goal is to have more balance so that she has margin to focus on her overall wellbeing.

Kevin: Rend Collective concert, two Tigers games, Annie running in states and Nellie playing in states on the same day, getting a huge deer, the Green Day concert. His first idea for a goal in 2025 started with "invent a basketball player," so we'll just leave it at that. 

As for me, I think my favorites were all named already! Finding out about Nellie winning the concerto competition while we were shopping for Annie's homecoming rep dress was pretty amazing, though, so that might be my top moment of 2024. Then the Tigers game, the Taylor Swift concert, trips to Petoskey and Sault Ste. Marie, and time with our extended families. Hearing the kids and Kevin make music (singing, piano, flute, saxophone, ukulele, guitar, and now trumpet, drum set, and banjo) isn't exactly a memory but it's a great source of joy. 

My goal is both simple and enormous. To summarize, it's to love others well. I've been thinking about that for four months, since Pam died. Because one thing is for sure, Pam loved us well. In the turmoil of those first days, I found myself wondering, how do we survive such a great loss? The only answer I have is to commit to loving those around us better, as fully as we can. To be more gracious, more present, more patient, more interested in understanding than being understood.

We woke up to a surprise snowfall this morning. Happy New Year!

Mary Cate is officially eight

 For most of her life, Kevin's sang a song to Mary that goes something like:

Mary Cate, Cate, Cate
She is so great, great, great
Even though, though, though
She was one week late, late, late!
Mary Cate, Cate, Cate
She is so great, great, great
And I can't wait, wait, wait
Until she's eight, eight, eight!

And she finally is!

We 💝 Kerry Carpenter

Presents around the campfire

Birthday decorations on vacation!

I can't think of another year in which a child changed quite so much. Mary's always been nervous to the extreme about trying new things or being without her family, and being nervous makes her MAD. Then all of a sudden, Mary got brave. She started piano lessons, soccer through LCS, basketball camp, spending the night with grandmas, and softball. She has always been (understandably, I suppose) terrified of being upside down but this year she learned how to do somersaults and tricks on the bars. I guess it was just a big year of growth! I also think that she came to the realization that if she can tough out life with two older brothers, the rest of the world is relatively kind and gentle. :) After her first night of softball practice, for example, she told me that she doesn't like playing outfield with her brothers because "she's the only one out there and they're really hard on her," but at softball "there are like three other girls playing outfield and everyone's nice! It's easy!"

 Mary loves 3rd grade, her after school dance class, playing outside, and chatting. Her birthday itself was a little rocky; it was the week Aunt Pam passed away and we spent the day out of town for Labor Day weekend then funeral preparations. But we made the most of it and it was fun to celebrate with all her Wernet cousins, aunts, and uncles. Mary is still just as much her spunky self and who knows what this year will bring?

How do you feel about being eight?  

Good! I feel like I've grown 5 inches but really it's only like 3 centimeters.

What kinds of new things do kids to when they're 8?   
I don't know...I'm not a regular kid, though. [Okay...what do YOU think you'll be able to do now that you're eight?] Actually be able to reach that branch when I climb the tree next to our house. Now I actually want privacy sometimes, I don't want to be around everyone all the time. Especially when I'm outside. I'm an outdoor person.

What are you most excited about for the next year?
Playing ukulele in music. Learning and doing more advanced stuff.

Who are your best friends?

Hannah and Emma, Abigail, Julianna, Elliot, Kenzie.

Who are your favorite people to play with?
Eddie, actually. All my friends, Charlotte, Alexa.

What kinds of things are you pretty good at?

Piano, math, writing (my hand never gets tired), rollerblading, running, sports, reading, including people, being funny, kayaking.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Astronomy scientist, teacher, be a good mom. 

Why are you interested in those things?
Well I want to be a mom because I want to take care of people. For astronomy I love to learn about space and I did a project on Neil Armstrong. I like the idea of teaching.

What’s your favorite song?   
Rewrite the Stars from The Greatest Showman, and any songs from The Greatest Showman.

What's your favorite food?
Pesto pasta or Swedish meatballs.

Favorite movie?   
The Greatest Showman

Favorite book?   

The Chronicles of Narnia or the Penderwicks series.

Favorite color?   
Blue

Favorite place to be?

At home, Fun Tyme, or Impression 5. Papa John's house in Sault Ste. Marie or Grandma's in Petoskey. Also Florida.

What are your favorite things to do?   
Math, music, playing outside, read (especially learning, so nonfiction), hiking.

What was your favorite birthday present?

The Kerry Carpenter poster

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?   
Strangely, my favorite planet is Mercury.

Mary Cate, age 7

Happy birthday to Mary (about a month and a half late...)! She has had an amazing year - she's learned to do so many new things and grown in so many ways. This was the summer of new skills: a) Riding a 2-wheeler, b) tying her shoes, c) rollerblading, d) swimming, e) started piano lessons, f) played on a soccer team, and g) spent the night at Grandma Linda's. At least those are all the things I remember!

Mary is also becoming increasingly helpful, generous, and thoughtful. We're always getting encouraging notes, kind words, and hugs. Of course, she can also hold her own with her big brothers and sisters. Mary does not like being told what to do...as you'll read in her interview. :) 

I'm so excited to have a front-row view of her next year. We love you so much, Mary Cate! Life would be waaaay more boring without you!

Still loves rainbows and pandas!

Sporting her new helmet and padding

Birthday hike at Woldumar

She was the only kid who wanted to go camping for Labor Day, so we set up the tent in the yard.

First time tying a shoe - Dad's shoe made for good practice at a soccer game

How do you feel about being seven?

Awesome. You get less presents that are more fun and more that are useful.

What kinds of new things do seven-year-olds do?

Well like I said, you can get presents that are more useful - like my locker accessories for writing reminders and notes. Now I'm braver about things, so I can do more things like piano and soccer.

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Turning eight, because that's my favorite number to pretend to be when I'm playing games. And I'm excited to get more useful things for Christmas and my birthday. When you're older, useful stuff is more fun. I'm excited to go on vacation and swim now that I learned how to swim.

Who are your best friends?

Hannah, Emma, Lydia, and Abigail.

Who are your favorite people to play with?

I like to play with Anna and other friends at school. I like to play by myself sometimes, and I like to play with my siblings when we can be together all at the same time.

What kinds of things are you good at?

Well, first, climbing. And then piano probably, running, teamwork even when I don't want to play with someone. Definitely reading, writing my name in cursive. Art and science. And that's pretty much it!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A teacher and a doctor. An engineer or a scientist, either one of them. Maybe like a famous artist.

Why are you interested in those careers?

Well like a scientist or engineer, I like to test things and guess what's going to happen. I would like being a teacher because I already have some lessons planned that my teacher does. And now I'm better than when I was four at being kind. I'm good at crafts so even if it's not a fun thing, like in high school, I think I can do a good job teaching art.

What’s your favorite song? 

I don't know because I always hear new songs and then I like those and my favorite song changes to that. [Can you tell us a song you like right now?] I like to listen to soundtracks from any movie and then I find new songs I like. 

What's your favorite food?

Pesto pasta or macaroni and cheese.

Favorite movie?

It depends on what I just watched. It would have to be a numbered movie, like Zombies, Guardians of the Galaxy, Back to the Future.

Favorite book?   

Any of the Ramona series.

Favorite color?   

Blue, teal, or blue and purple mixed together, or a very hot pink.

Favorite place to be? 

Home or someplace really fun, like Defy or a restaurant with a play area or a jukebox.

What are your favorite things to do?   
What I really like to do is run like running a race. Play piano, play Switch, play outside by myself because no one tells me what to do and then I can practice things like soccer, challenging games, races, and no one tells me to stop. I like to play school and go places but not with my siblings so they don't tell us where to go next, I can just go where I want to go.

What is your favorite birthday present that you received this year?

Okay, well, it's a really really really really hard decision. But I liked the fly fishing coloring book, the locker accessories, and getting my ears pierced and going to the arcade.

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?

No!

Mary and Mom

As we were snuggling a bit before bed:

Mary, sighing: You're amazing.
Me: No, you're amazing.
Mary: No, you're more amazing because you birthed someone amazing.

Riding the baseball ferris wheel at the Tigers game!

The other night, Mary was asking about Kevin's middle name(s). It took some explaining of family history, and it became clear that Mary didn't know Grandma Robynne was actually Kevin's mom who passed away when he was about Mary's age. I was (and still am) a little worried about her reaction. She teared up a little, and said,

"Well, I don't want you to die, but it would be nice to have some alone time with Dad."

That was not what I was expecting, but it's good to know she'd be okay.

Love letters

 Mary likes to write us notes. I got this one the other day when I asked her to bring me my phone from the counter. Very sweet, though maybe lacking a little in determination!

A very covid Christmas

Okay, to clarify, no one actually had Covid on Christmas, praise the Lord! But unfortunately, our household saw more quarantine than not in the month of December. On December 8, Mary complained about having "fire swallows ALL DAY" when we picked her up from school. I thought surely it was the beginning of a cold or maybe even strep, but nope - when we gave her a rapid test at home just to be on the safe side and to keep the boys in school - surprise! It was covid. 

After nearly two years of worrying and wondering and avoiding, our five-year-old came home with covid. There was definitely a sense of, "wow, this is happening" when I saw that positive test. We went into a flurry of testing everyone else (all negative), figuring out how to isolate her as much as possible, calling the school nurse, and negotiating work schedules for the next couple of days.

Eddie tested positive two days later, and DJ three days after that. Thankfully, their symptoms were manageable. DJ did lose his sense of smell and discovered it in a rather hilarious way. After petting Chief, he asked me to smell his hand. "Mom, I just petted Chief for like two minutes. I should smell like stinky dog, but I don't!" His hand did indeed smell like stinky dog. So DJ ran around smelling candles and garlic and couldn't. It was much more of a curiosity to him than anything worrisome, and he was relieved to be able to smell again to eat Chick-Fil-A yesterday in honor of MSU at the Peach Bowl.

Grandma Linda sent over some of my dolls for Mary!

Mary's "PCR face"

The quarantine period was a little intense, though. When Nellie and Annie were home everyone wore masks in the house and the covid kids had to stay in the family room. I slept with Mary on the couch for ten nights so she wasn't sharing a room (and germs) with Annie. In all, DJ was quarantined for 15 days and all three kids missed their Christmas parties and chapels and performances. They were very disappointed for a little while, but for the most part they settled in and enjoyed the very extended break. Annie was pretty disappointed that vaccinated siblings didn't have to do remote learning. They did get tired of each other, and may have hit their limit on screen time. 

Watching the kindergarten program on Zoom

Thanks Grandma for the Flour Child decorate-at-home cookies!

For Kevin and me, the logistics were complicated, of course. I tried to minimize my time at school, which meant a lot of driving back and forth and teaching remotely. I found that teaching remotely to high schoolers in school while the three youngest kids are learning remotely and the rest of their classes are at school right before Christmas is the most challenging combination I've experienced yet! Oh yeah, and I fell and tore my meniscus the second week and had to try to take care of that. BUT - it was also nice to spend more time at home. We listened to a lot of Christmas music, watched a lot of Christmas movies, and generally enjoyed lots of quiet Christmas break days leading up to Christmas. We owe a debt of gratitude to our gracious coworkers, especially my amazing office-mate Katherine who managed my class while I taught from home.

And by some Christmas and Pfizer/Moderna miracle, the rest of us stayed covid-free! DJ was out of quarantine on Christmas Eve and we were able to host visitors and go to family parties! So the timing, while difficult, was also graciously perfect for celebrating Christmas. 

Mothers Day 2021

Since Mother's Day did NOT start out with a child with broken bones, hospitalization, and surgery, it easily beat out 2020!

These kids have my number. Here's a bit of what they gave me.

The kids picked this card out together. They know why it's funny! It is 100% my life. Mary Cate will find this card and read it until Kevin or I yell, "WHAT?" Just like the card says.

Eddie made this little book at school and this is very sweet but oh so accurate. He wrote, "I feel proud when you work hard." Sweet. Then the illustration has Mary saying, "Mom, get me some milk already!" To which I reply, "Mary, I can't do everything at once!" Accurate.

And then there's this little thank you note from DJ.

His note inside says a bit about life this year.

"Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for helping me be able to go to school. I thought it was very fun to see my friends again. I would also like to thank you for helping me with my homework. Before you started helping me with my homework I had a really hard time with writing. Now, I still have some trouble coming up with things to write about, but I'm a lot more confident.

Love, DJ"

It's been a lovely year together and I love these little artifacts from the kids' perspective.

Two little turkeys

 I'm posting this in 2021, but it was actually from December 2018, when the boys were four and six. We started watching it at dinner the other night and couldn't stop laughing the rest of the evening. It's worth sharing.

Things they say, Jesus edition

Eddie: "Mom, Jesus is so lucky. His birthday is ON CHRISTMAS."

Mary, who had the honor of watching me try on and discard three pairs of pants before school one morning: "Pants, I command you to fit mommy!" She doesn't mess around!

Kevin and I enjoy a particular public service announcement about vaccines. It features an older man with a southern accent and the line, "There's some good news about Covid-19 vaccines. They're here!" It came on during breakfast and I commented to Kevin that our favorite guy was on. Mary very seriously asked, "Who, Jesus?" 

Guest blogger - Annie's reflection on 2020

 January has been busy, but in that quiet, pandemic kind of way. We had a week of remote learning, then we returned to school and all the bustle of homework and lunches and bags of snow gear. Weekends are for cleaning and resting and playing and catching up on work. I haven't been inspired to write much, but Annie agreed to share a paper she wrote for social studies about 2020. So welcome guest blogger, Annie Wernet!

Let’s face it, 2020 stunk. There were highs, and many, many, many, lows. One thing that fits both descriptions is online learning (a.k.a remote learning, distance learning, online school, etc).  During online learning, I got very stressed out and felt like I had to do everything at once and get everything done (my school did not require you to do work, but most kids did the work, like me.). On the bright side, online learning at my school didn’t start until a few weeks after the shutdown. Those first few weeks, my Mom assigned us work. We all had workbooks, and she had us do a project on a country. Something that makes me think of those months at home is the musical Wicked. That’s because we had just started listening to the music when the shutdown started. Another thing that happened over the shutdown was that my sister broke her leg… twice. The first time she was sledding and hit a railroad spike, and the second time she was almost recovered, but she slipped and fell down yet another hill. 

During 2020, God has shown me that things can be very different but exactly the same. Even though everything changed, we still could learn and grow, see friends and family (even over zoom and facetime), and have time outside in nature. We also got to spend more time with family. God has taught me that the more we get used to something, the more we take it for granted (toilet paper, for example). We should look at spending time with others and having more utensils (again, like toilet paper) than we need to survive as a blessing. We need to decide if the things we think we need are actually what we want, like seeing friends or going to the store.

The pandemic has affected my life by changing how I look at things. For example, when I see family, I feel grateful instead of wanting to leave or have time to myself. I also feel like my family is a part of me, they help me learn, and they spend time with me when my friends don’t answer their phones. I can be myself around them. 2020 has also made me feel more grateful for the things I have, like friends, food, family, a strong immune system; instead of the things I want or think I should have.

In 2021, I hope that more people can be vaccinated and we can see others more. I really miss seeing others, sharing things, being able to go places (like the store), and not wearing masks! I hope we can beat Covid-19, and everyone can be safe, but in a way, they can also be with others. 

I think some of the similarities between 2020 and other normal years is that we are still having elections, we are still working and learning, we are still playing outside, and we still communicate with others; even if it’s through a screen. Now, we can go on and on with the differences, but here are just a few. For one thing, WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC! We can’t see that many people, we can’t cough without 10 people checking to make sure you’re safe, and we have to wear masks. Also, we can’t see family, we can’t go to the store (at least not that often), we have to be very careful around our grandparents and other older people, we have to miss out on sports and other activities, and we can’t go anywhere “for fun” without being very careful and wearing masks. 

Our storyline “Diverse, not Different” relates to life in 2020 because although we are not the same people and live different lives, we are all going through the same thing, and having the same experiences. Although we aren’t the same people and don’t have the same lives, we can still share the same thing, just in slightly diverse ways. 2020 relates to “Love your Neighbor” because, like our storyline, we can help others through their struggles, you might be going through the same thing. A very different thing to that is during 2020, we made lots of cookies and other baked goods, and we would share them and little notes with others to make them feel special. Again, 2020 really stunk for the most part, but I think it changed my life in a really good way, and I will never forget the experiences, the feelings, the good times, and the bad.

Annie selfie, 6th grade

Moms and Dads

Mary was snuggling with me sleepily and told me she liked my soft face. Kevin had recently shaved his beard, and Mary commented, "Now you and daddy have the same kind of face. Or maybe you can grow a beard." Laughing, she went on, "No, you can't grow a beard! Unless--" she paused, looking at me with that tell-tale serious expression of trying out an idea, "you swallow some beard seeds?"

I was making dinner, with both hands and most of my brain occupied by that nightly project. So when Eddie came to ask me for help with something, I encouraged him to go to Kevin instead. "But," he told me quietly, "it's about math." I assured him that dad is also pretty good at math.

Goodbye, 2020 - Welcome, 2021!

Another New Year's Eve! Like the rest of the year, it was a little different--we spent it at home, instead of up north--while a lot was the same. We watched movies (Endgame and Back to the Future), played games (Spoons, Uno, and Greedy Granny), and ate snacks until midnight (including guacamole, pumpkin bread, and pull-apart pizza rolls courtesy of Annie and Nellie).

I mom-forced everyone to pause the activity for a few minutes to reflect on the year. They obliged, and it ended up being a nice little conversation about all the highs and lows of the last twelve months. There was some debate about just how big a deal it was when Nellie broke her leg the second time (she thinks we're being over-dramatic about it. We think she might have some sort of amnesia.) But it was interesting to hear what people ages 4 to 40 will remember about the last year and what they're looking forward to in the next.

Mary Cate's favorite memory was "waking up a little bit early, a little bit late." The biggest challenge of the year was "trying not to cry at school." She's looking forward to being in kindergarten.

Eddie's favorite memory was Christmas, especially the surprise hoverboard. He says the hardest part of the year was "Covid" and he's most looking forward to his birthday or Easter in 2021.

One of DJ's highlights was when the Rays won Game 4 in the World Series, while his biggest challenge was starting online school "and we didn't know what to do." He's most looking forward to "Covid going away."

Annie had a hard time thinking about good memories, but she reflected on the "normal" times and how she got to play basketball with Upward and go to Willy Wonka in the winter. She remembers being stressed about online learning in the spring and being able to visit the people we love during the holidays. Since it's hard to know what we will be "allowed" to do next year, Annie doesn't know what to look forward to.

Nellie will remember Christmas and the opportunities we did have to see people. She'll remember "lots of laughter" over the last year. She's looking forward to new movies coming out and "being away from us eventually." 

Kevin will fondly remember the time [3 minutes before] that he was crowned the Spoons king! The hardest part of the last year was sending Nellie into surgery in the oddly quiet hospital. He's most looking forward to getting a puppy.

My highlight for the year was our second trip to the U.P. I didn't want to make that drive alone for one day, but we did have a great time together that was good for the soul. My low point was the moment it dawned on me that yes, Nellie had just broken her leg again when she was supposed to be days away from healed. Like Annie, it's hard to know what to look forward to because it's impossible to imagine what the next year will even look like.

At my advanced age, though (I will be 40, after all), I know enough to know that the next year will hold hard things, beautiful things, and plenty of small and mundane moments that make up life in between. That will be true whether we're at home or school, vacationing or not, playing sports or not, spending time with family indoors or on hiking trails and in driveways. It's hard to say and hard to know, but 2021 might not be better than last year. Maybe it will. A year ago, I was looking forward to watching the kids learn and grow. I certainly got to do that! I am fine with not knowing what to look forward to this year. I think I'll know it as it happens.

Waiting for the ball to drop

Midnight party! 

One sleeper

DJ, age 9

Why does nine seem SO much older than eight? It's been a big year for DJ - he got to try out surprise homeschool for the spring, then switched schools, then played a new sport this fall. But he still loves all things Marvel and Star Wars, math, history, baseball, football, and basketball (and now, soccer). Recently, Kevin and I were pondering DJ's love for sports. We remembered how sick Kevin was when DJ was born (Kevin had spent his own birthday in bed) and how we spend all the time in the hospital and most of the next week watching college bowl games on TV. That's probably where it started. Now, we're sitting together on the couch in our matching Vikings jerseys. 

Last night at dinner, we went around and shared what we love about DJ. The theme was that he's always up for anything his siblings want to do--but he's definitely his own person, too, with different interests than the rest of the crowd and all kinds of thoughtful questions and big ideas. Here's what he has to say about his year. He's a man of few words.

This has been quite a year, with lots of changes. What was your favorite memory from the last year?
Covid-19 is the most memorable thing. But my favorite memory was at school at Beagle when I ate six pieces of pizza. 

What is one way God's been working in your life this year?
He kept me healthy and not get Covid. I made new friends at LCS. We're learning at school that we're "Given to Give." We were born to share God's love with other people.

How do you feel about being nine?  
Not very different. Except I'm more confident for doing Lego sets that are for 10 and up.

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
The Super Bowl. I like the football snacks.

What new things or skills are you learning?
Learning how to play the ukulele. I'm learning the new video games I got for my birthday. I learned how to play soccer. I learned how to read hard chapter books.

Who are your best friends?

Wesley, Brendan, Collin, Christian, Jayce. Otto. And maybe Eddie.

What kinds of things are you good at?

[Don't look at what Annie said! This is about you.] But I AM good at cursive and ukulele! And math and reading. And I have nice handwriting. I'm good at baseball and basketball, and video games. [What would your friends say you're good at?] Football.

What careers are you considering?
Paleontologist.

Why are you interested in paleontology?
Because I don't know about dinosaurs and I want to learn about them. Also, Eddie said he's going to own a museum so I can work with him.

What’s your favorite song?   
"Help" by the Beatles.

What's your favorite food?
Pizza or chicken pot pie.

Favorite movie?   
The Sandlot.

Favorite book?   

Bud Not Buddy or Indian in the Cupboard.

Favorite color?   
Lime green.

Favorite place to be?

The library.

What are your favorite things to do?
Read, play video games, or play catch with Dad.

Is there anything else you want us to know about you as a nine-year-old?   

It feels awesome!

The best lines of the week

 Annie was making pancakes and two were starting to run together. "Oh no you don't," Annie cried while using the spatula to break them apart. "I'm like a chaperone at a 6th-grade dance!"

Last Friday, I asked the kids what they wanted to do after school since it wasn't a school night. DJ told me he wanted to do math because they hadn't gotten to the math lesson that day. "Okay," I said. "What's 21 divided by 3?" He immediately responded, "Seven. I know that one from football."

One night, DJ was extra tired and cranky. He finally plopped down next to me and said, "My legs are SO tired. They've been dragging around a 60-pound weight all day!" It took me a minute to figure out what he meant. "Do you mean...your body?" He did.

Mary Cate had to unlearn some bad habits she picked up from her siblings when she went back to school. She loves to "teacher read" books to her stuffed animals and imaginary students, and I overheard her reading, "Does God want you to say words like stupid, hate, and freakin'? No! God made you, and He loves you! He does not want you to say words like stupid, hate, and freakin'!" 😳 So, I guess she's learning?

Mary Cate-isms

• T-ball and baseball games got boring, so Kevin made up a game where he would throw something--like a hat or mitt--and Mary would run and get it. Yes, he basically played fetch with her. Before she started running each time, Mary would gear up by yelling, "Super-try-out-what-to-do!"
• Mary Cate likes to put on her sunglasses and walk around, saying, "I'm a rock star, movie star, anything you got!"
• One of my favorite parts of summer was all the kayaking I was able to do, mostly with Mary sitting at the bow. When we finally pulled the kayaks up after our last time at Pam's, we found her practicing her rowing. Before she noticed Kevin watching, he heard her chanting, "My arms can't do it but I'll get through it!" It's a good mantra as we start the school year.
  
  
  
• Mary has started using the expression "as ____ as a pickle" to describe all kinds of situations. Every day, it's "I'm as hot as a pickle in a pie," or, "I'm as tired as a pickle!" We think it comes from a particular character on Doc McStuffins, and it's a good way to get a laugh. Pickle is a funny word no matter how old you are. 
• Mary: I'm tired. Me: I'm tired, too. Mary, hugging me: WE'RE TIRED BUDDIES!
• Me: My tummy is so big from all that food I ate today. Mary: And from all those babies you had in there. 

Annie, age 11

I doubt Annie's 11th year looked quite the way she expected when she sat down for her interview last year! It started strong--we had a great summer, she was in the same class as her best friend, she had every school supply and accessory you can imagine. Annie spent her fall rehearsing for and performing in her first musical and running cross country. She participated and sang a solo in the Grand Ledge musical theater workshop. With her friend Chloe, Annie prepared a science fair project on the difference between baking in a conventional and convection oven.

Things took a turn when Nellie broke her leg this winter--Annie ended up taking on a lot of extra responsibility and definitely clinched her position as my right-hand girl. Then school closed; softball, cross country, and the science fair were canceled; and 5th grade came to a quiet close at home. 

But it was a great year nonetheless, and I for one am thankful for all the extra time I got to spend with Annie this spring. We celebrated her birthday with lots of books, baking and video equipment, and hair accessories. Friends and family came for a front-yard-social-distance-Harry-Potter party in the evening, complete with four different desserts and sparklers. Happy birthday, Annie!

What was your favorite memory from the last year?
All the musical theater stuff, and then just everything about being in quarantine--all the new things we learned. It seems like a lot of our memories and things we learned, and all the time we spent together with family, it wouldn't have happened without quarantine. And although some of the memories were bad, a lot of them were really fun, like video chatting and playing games together online and Zooming with my class.

What is one way God's been working in your life this year?
Probably the fact that everyone has come together and has been unified through the quarantine. Families that weren't close before got to spend more time together. It feels like I'm more connected with God, and people in my family and friends because we're all going through the same things.

How do you feel about being eleven?  

I feel more mature and grown-up, but I'm also sad because you're only the same number--like 1, 1-- every 11 years!

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Hopefully being able to actually see people again! I'm looking forward to new experiences since I'm more grown-up now. I'll be able to do more things, like babysit, and have more responsibilities. And I got contacts!

Who are your best friends?

My siblings and cousins, Chloe. From LCS, Lael, Bree, Kylie. But I'm kind of friends with everyone. I've definitely gotten closer to my family, though I'm annoyed with DJ.

What are your strengths?

Cooking! I'm good with kids, except for DJ. I'm good at getting Eddie and Mary to get ready for bed and stuff. I get along with most people, I respect people. I'm pretty responsible except for keeping my room clean and doing my laundry. Those are my weaknesses!

What careers are you considering?

Probably a teacher or a pastry chef. Or maybe a doctor or something.

Why are you interested in those fields?
Well because like I said earlier, I am good with kids and I like to show them things. I like it when you can see the lightbulb go on for someone. It's fun when they start to understand it and you can encourage them and stuff. And probably a pastry chef because I really like to bake and cook. I'd like to own a bakery someday. It's fun eating baked goods, but it's even more fun when you have to work for two hours for it! And homemade food is better. I've always liked the idea of being a doctor and taking care of people. You really get to do a lot of things and help people.

What’s your favorite song or type of music?   
Well I really like Hamilton and musicals in general, because they have their own "thing," like Hamilton is hip-hop but can also be mellow. I like Wicked. I like Christian music and old songs from the 80s and 90s.

What's your favorite food?
Chocolate.

Current favorite movie?   
Right now I'm into the Harry Potter series. I don't really have a favorite.

Current book you're reading?

Right now I'm reading multiple books. I just finished Becoming Brianna, but I'm also reading the seventh Harry Potter.

Favorite color?   

Purple. But the shade I like is lavender. Like not dark or light, but in the middle. 

Favorite place to be?

The store. Like Meijer, or Target. But that's just because I haven't been to one in like three months. But I also like to just be at home or run a couple of errands just to have a break.

What are your favorite things to do? 

Read (especially outside), bake, sleep, organize the spice cabinet, ride my bike, learn new skills like do my hair. I like to watch T.V. and stuff.

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?

I think quarantine was a blessing in disguise. It does drive people stir-crazy, but nonetheless, it's bringing people closer together. Even though we have to stay six feet apart. 

Covid-19 Social Distancing, Week 11: My quarantine crew

We are nearing the end! We think. This was the last week of school for Eddie and Mary Cate, so we had final Zoom meetings and celebrations. The big kids just have a few more days of wrap-up. I thought this would be a good time to share what it was like to be on "home break" with each kid. I learned some things.

Mary Cate

Let's start with a few fun Mary Cate-isms. She loved to play and learn "plan" (piano) as part of "mommy school." She also became sort of fixated on pretending to go to Hawaii, or as she called it, "Ha-wa-wi." 

Early in the quarantine, she started watching Doc McStuffins after being a diehard Daniel Tiger fan for years. This ushered in a whole new era of playing doctor endlessly. Mary Cate can often be found talking and singing to her toys with her doctor coat on. It's provided many, many hours of entertainment for her. And us. It's very cute.

Mary took well to preschool at home. It was a little weird, though, when playing school equated to recording herself reading books on the iPad.

Eddie

Because Eddie was technically the only kid for whom remote learning actually counted and was required, his school day was often longer than the older kids'. He did not love that. Luckily, he's easy-going enough that until the end, he's plowed through and been a pretty compliant student. I've learned that he is extremely quiet with his classmates but is also very silly in Zoom meetings. One of Eddie's favorite things about home school--and one of mine--was his learning to play piano. I don't know much, but between the girls and me, we could teach him some basics about form and reading music. He's pretty decent--it might be time for lessons! His favorite song he's learning to play is Ode to Joy.

Somehow, Eddie fell through the cracks when it came to actually telling him that school was closed for the rest of the year. It was mid-May before I slipped it into conversation at bedtime, and he ended up crying himself to sleep. I felt like a terrible parent...until a few days later, when I realized that he thought it meant he'd have to stay in kindergarten next year. When he learned he'd still go to first grade because of all the learning he was doing at home, he was just fine. 

Throughout this time, Eddie has maintained that his favorite part is how short the school day is. It's given him time to become, as he says, "a video game master." I'll roll with it.

DJ

From day one, I've enjoyed almost all the time we've had as a family during quarantine. But the time with DJ and Annie has been an extra blessing. Eddie and Mary Cate come to school with me every day. I got to have car rides with Nellie, and after she broke her leg, we had hours every day together after school. It was always a tiny bit sad to leave DJ and Annie behind every morning--not to mention the serious mom-guilt when I would forget or wouldn't have time to wake them up to say goodbye in the morning as requested and one of them would call me crying. Neither brought home much homework, so I was never really in touch with what or how they were learning. Remote learning was especially gratifying with them for that reason.

I quickly learned that DJ doesn't like writing but he loves math. He says he doesn't like reading, but once he gets going, it's hard to get him to stop. He's been devouring Who Was and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. He's ridiculously good at memorizing facts and Bible verses. Like, better than all the rest of us combined. He wrote a whole report on Derek Jeter with facts he remembered from reading a biography last year. I had to read the book myself to check! DJ's favorite remote learning activities are playing Prodigy (still not even sure what that is) and learning French online.

Annie

Annie took the quarantine and remote learning in stride, though she says again and again how much better she liked it when I was making up learning activities for her than her actual classwork. Ever the fashionista, Annie dressed for success every day. Like, carefully selected her outfit the night before and got dressed before coming downstairs every single day, even though she hasn't seen a friend in over two months. Her glasses broke right at the beginning of all this, after the vision centers closed, so she's been wearing taped-up glasses but never complains. 

Annie used some of this time "off" to start a cooking club for her siblings that eventually morphed into her own Youtube channel for baking. She's had fun and learned a lot about filming and managing a channel.

Nellie

Even without a broken leg, staying at home and learning all day every day with her family was probably most challenging for Nellie. She did fine with remote learning; the issue was the togetherness. But she hung in there and created some amazing products, especially with flute, choir, and her "genius hour" projects. Nellie is super self-reliant, which wasn't news to me but definitely stood out in our surprise home-schooling. I have no doubt Nellie could learn successfully online forever, but I'm not sure anyone is more ready to go back to school than she is!

Covid-19 Social Distancing: Week 9

This week started out with Nellie and Kevin staying in the hospital, so...not great. Annie and the other kids helped celebrate a nice Mother's Day, though. Kevin and Nellie came home on Monday night, which was such a relief. But hard. It was a week of camping out on the floor of Nellie's makeshift room to give meds every few hours and very low motivation to do schoolwork. It was back to rotating ice packs and adjusting pillows and taking painstaking care of The Leg. We eventually moved school into Nellie's room, which she tolerated as she watched endless Marvel movies.

It was a rough week--definitely the hardest at home so far. But--we did get an espresso machine! It was my Mother's Day present that I've been eyeing seriously since the stay-at-home order began. Between that, Jesus, and each other, I think we're going to make it.

Eddie
It's been 9 weeks now that we've been staying at home and learning at home. What is something you miss? Or maybe think of it this way--when we're able to go places again, what is the first thing you want to do?
Learn how to swim.

What is something that you like about staying home?
School is a lot shorter. Then we can do more "fun" things like playing outside.

DJ
What is something that you miss?
Going to Otto's house.

What is something that you like about staying home?
We get to eat a lot of good food like Chick-fil-A and Cracker Barrel. [We've been getting meals delivered from friends and school families. :)]

Mary Cate
What is something that you miss since we've been staying home?
Teachers and friends.

What is something that you like about staying at home?
Staying with Mommy.

Nellie
What's one thing about "regular life" that you miss the most?
This is regular life. Like, pre-quarantine life? Maybe school, that that wasn't fun anyway because I was in a wheelchair. But going places, like this is the time of the year that we would normally go to the park, go to get ice cream, go to the library--so, I guess the things we normally do in summer.

What is one thing you like about staying at home?
Getting to do puzzles and crafts and things.

Annie
What do you miss most about pre-quarantine life?
Seeing friends and family. Not just on Facetime and Zoom and stuff.

What do you like most about staying home?
We get to spend more time with each other, there's more time to bake, and there's just generally more time to do things because you're not going anywhere.

The first latte

I resorted to bribes this week...the randomly-selected Razzle Dazzle student got a present. Eddie was first; he got a Black Panther doll.

THE ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK--cross-window visiting with Avery! She is the sweetest friend.

Kevin and his gardening buddy.