Bring on 2017

It's become fashionable in the last couple of months to bemoan how horrible 2016 was.  And it was indeed difficult for many of us for many reasons.  On a personal level, it culminated in Jack fracturing his ankle at the beginning of December and the death of a beloved family pet.  On a historical level, I feel it will go on record as being even more disastrous.  I have wanted to keep this blog primarily as a record of our kids' lives - and obviously I haven't kept it up to date at all - but I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the absolutely shameful results of the last presidential election.  It will color all our lives for at least the next four years - we will be lucky if it isn't longer - and will absolutely inform the way that I parent my children and shape the type of people I want them to grow up to be.

So my resolution for 2017 is to stay vigilant and to stand up for what is right.  That means I will devote my resources and my energies into fighting for causes that I believe in.  I will register myself and my children as Muslims if I need to; I will donate money to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, environmental causes; I will not shy away from difficult conversations with uninformed people.  Staying silent is how the Third Reich happened.  If you ever wondered if you would have been someone who stood passively by as millions of Jews were loaded onto trains and shipped to gas chambers, NOW is the time we find out.

Despite the horrors of this year, especially the last two months, there were bright spots for us in 2016:

• Jack's baseball team won their league division championship, and he played on the Memorial Day team that won the tournament.  He joined a travel baseball team this year.
• Violet discovered her love of horseback riding.  She's taken to it very quickly.  It's pretty amazing to watch how focused and attentive she is as she grooms the horses.
• Jack's soccer team had the best record in their division.  Violet scored a personal best two goals in her last game.
• Both kids are thriving at school.  I'm used to Jack's teachers gushing about him.  Violet has always done well, but this year her Mandarin teacher absolutely loves her.  It's very sweet.
• Jack is learning the clarinet through his school's music program.  It's fun to see how much he likes it.
• Violet and Tom joined a group called Adventure Princesses through the YMCA, where they get to go on campouts with other dads and girls.  Jack and I hate camping, but Violet loves it so I'm glad she gets to do this.
• I was elected the president of the kids' school PTA.  It is rewarding work on so many levels, and I feel very grateful to be in a position where I can be involved in this way.
• I have also been keeping busy as an occasional substitute teacher at the kids' school.  While I would never want this job full-time, I am glad to have this opportunity to help the school, help the kids, and make a little extra money on the side.
• The children have developed a love of musicals.  We have spent hours listening to the soundtracks of "Hamilton," "Les Miserables," and more.  We saw "The Lion King" in September, and the kids loved it. I also had them watch "The Sound of Music," "Singin' in the Rain," and "White Christmas" for the first time. It's so fun to introduce them to old favorites I loved when I was growing up.
• This is the year that Jack became a voracious reader.  It started with the Harry Potter series in January.  He has since read all of Rick Riordan's mythology series (there are five of them), the Great Brain series, and much more.

Things to look forward to next year:

• I have a travel credit that I need to use before March. I'm hoping to be able to take a fun, quick trip (with or without kids) somewhere.
• Violet becoming a stronger reader.  I feel like she is on the cusp.  I am on the lookout for books that will help her develop a love of reading.  I try to remind myself that Jack only became the type of kid who would get lost in a book this year, when he was 9.
• Watching live theater with the kids.  So far, they want to see "Matilda," "Hamilton," and "Les Miz."
• Baseball tournaments with Jack's travel team.  They are always a lot of fun.
• It may get scary, but my children will absolutely learn more about justice, activism, empathy, and standing up for what's right in 2017.

Happy New Year, everyone.