I skipped last year's traditional New Year's post, because my dad died three days before the end of that tumultuous year. Everything seemed to be put on hold as we waited out what turned out to be his final illness. Up until the day before he died, I had believed that he would be able to pull through it and go home from the hospital. His lymphoma had come back, and I knew it wasn't going to be an easy road ahead, but I still believed there would be more time. While he didn't die of COVID, the pandemic robbed us off the possibility of being with him in his final moments. It was a heartbreaking way to have to say goodbye.
This year marked a slow return to normalcy for us. The kids went back to school in person, albeit part-time, in April. It was a strange end to a strange last year of middle and elementary school for them. I felt particularly bad for Violet. Fourth and fifth graders at her school traditionally get to participate in several fun activities, including an overnight camp and some really interesting, immersive educational experiences. COVID put a halt to all those plans, so Violet didn't get to do any of those with her classmates.
Last year also marked my last year at Violet's elementary school. Jack started going there when he was in kindergarten, so our family has spent nine years at the school. It was bittersweet saying goodbye and moving on. Making the choice to go to that school informs almost every aspect of our lives, because it set both kids on a course to attend the schools they are attending now. This has proven especially significant for Jack.
Jack started high school this year. While one of the benefits of his current school is that he has the option to continue learning Mandarin, Jack has decided to leave that program for a variety of reasons. However, he did want to stay at this school, because he had made a lot of friends in middle school he wanted to stay with and he has a lot more opportunities to play sports.
Case in point: He told me for the first time ever last January that he was interested in playing football. This came as quite a surprise to me, because he had never shown any interest in watching football, much less playing it. But he said his friends were joining the team, and he wanted to as well. Optional workouts started in May, and he and his friends were the first eighth graders to sign on, which I believe gave him a leg up. He continued working out with them through the summer, and he made the team when the school year started. They only had a varsity team when he first tried out, but more freshmen and sophomores signed up in the first few weeks of school. They eventually had enough players to have a junior varsity team, but the coaches opted to keep Jack in varsity. I am of two minds about whether I think this was the right decision for him, because I think he would have gotten more playing time and opportunities in different positions on JV, but Jack insists that he wanted to stay on varsity. The team ended up winning the league championship and were one game away from winning the state division title. It was an amazing season for them, and I'm hopeful that they will be just as successful next year.
It is now basketball season, and Jack is on the freshman team. Our school has a really good basketball program. I don't think it's likely that he will ever make the varsity team, so I'm glad he has the opportunity to play on the freshman team. He also plays on the high school winter baseball team when he can, but there have been a lot of conflicts with the basketball schedule. It will be interesting to see what he decides to do next year, because he's getting to an age where he's going to have to decide which sport will take precedence.
Academically, high school hasn't been as much work for Jack as everyone made us fear. Jack does a good job of getting his work done in class, so he rarely has much homework. His teachers have been fine for the most part, except for one whose class we were able to quickly to switch for another. I'll be honest, it feels like everyone - both the students and the teachers - are still trying to figure everything out. There has been some transition in the administration, and the district has mandated some confusing grading changes that the teachers are implementing very haphazardly. The school just hired a new principal right before the winter break, so I'm hopeful that will introduce more stability and leadership for everyone.
Violet started middle school this year, and I think the transition is going pretty well for her. She continues to take Mandarin, and one of the consequences is that she has a lot of classes with the kids that she has been in elementary school with for the past six years. Whereas Jack quickly made new friends in middle school, Violet has tended to stick with the ones she already has, which I think is helpful for her. Academically, she is also doing very well, although her overall time management still needs improvement. There is a lot less drama with her and her teachers than there was with Jack at this age. Part of this is probably because she is my second child, and I have a better understanding about what battles I should fight. The other part is because Jack would get very angry when he felt his teachers were boring or wasting his time. Violet doesn't tend to get as upset when similarly provoked. She acknowledges that certain teachers are boring, but she doesn't get offended by it the way that Jack does. This has made her sixth grade year a lot less tumultuous for us all.
Violet participates in a lot of student clubs, which I am glad to see. She continues to take tap dancing and taekwondo, which I am grateful for, because it keeps her active and moving. Otherwise, she has gotten very interested in a lot anime and animated shows, which aren't hobbies that are as physically demanding as the sports Jack enjoys.
For myself, I've been keeping busy this year working as a substitute teacher at Violet's school. There is a shortage of subs in the district as a result of the pandemic, so I'm as busy as I would like to be doing that. It's nice to be able to see Violet during the day and to meet all the teachers on the staff and have them know me. I've been a substitute teacher since Violet was in kindergarten, but this is the busiest I've ever been. I don't see myself doing this forever, but it's nice to be on the same schedule as the kids while neither of them are yet driving.
In other news, both Scooby and I had issues with our legs over the summer. I broke my right ankle and had to wear a boot and use a scooter for several weeks. Rehab was a pain, and even now I can feel that the ankle is not the same as it was pre-break. I don't know if it ever will be. Ah, the joys of growing older. Scooby needed ACL surgery on his left leg, which we knew was coming. He had had the surgery on his right leg before he came to us, and we had been told that it was typical for the other side to need it eventually as well. The good news is that we are both back on our feet. Scooby seems a lot more lithe and spry. While I am sure that this is good for his overall health, it's a hassle for the household because he is able to jump up onto surfaces that he previously was unable to reach and eat a bunch of things that he shouldn't. He's naughty, but we love him.
We are hopeful that things continue to improve in 2022.
Highlights of 2021
- Jack and Violet graduated middle school and elementary school, respectively.
- We went to Disneyland in June to celebrate their graduations. The new Star Wars ride was particularly impressive. My broken ankle allowed us to skip to the front of the line on a bunch of rides.
- Violet is now a senior blue belt in taekwondo
- Jack made the varsity football team, and the football team won the league championship for the first time since 2009.
- Phase 1 of Violet's braces has been completed.
- Violet was also able to stop wearing glasses because she wears these contact lenses at night that reshape her corneas while she sleeps allowing her to see 20/20 during the day. It's amazing.
- Jack is bigger and taller than me now. Jack surpassed me in height shortly after his 14th birthday. Because of all the weightlifting he does for sports, he's also very strong.
Things to look forward to in 2022
- High school baseball season
- We are planning a trip to Oahu for Spring Break.
- We'd like to plan a trip over the summer. If all goes as planned, we are hoping to go to Japan in August for baseball. Violet has been wanting to go to Japan (I don't know why), so she's very excited by this. If that doesn't pan out, the tournament will be in Puerto Rico and Chicago. And if that doesn't pan out, there are several other places we would like to visit.
- Jack will be eligible to get his driver's permit in May and driver's license in November. Yay!
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