High Five for Friday (2.26.21)

First, before I catch up on a couple of weeks' worth of high fives after taking last week "off" due to unprecedented weather and a lack of electricity and internet, a bonus high five.

My girl ACED her sports medicine appointment earlier this week. The doctor was so pleased - unexpectedly so - with how her bone had healed that he kicked the boot to the curb. The road back to dancing full out will be slow and intentional, but we took a huge step forward physically, mentally, and emotionally when we heard that news. And the joy she felt when we walked out of the office that day...wow.

And now, on with the show!

One

Two Fridays back we returned to Instaland for our second selfie photo shoot. (Check out the photos from our first visit to Instaland here.) Instaland is open through THIS Sunday, so if you live in the BCS area, I encourage you to support this local business by visiting their incredibly fun and reasonably priced pop-up shop in Century Square!

I forgot to take a single picture of the three of us together,
so when we got home we grabbed a (shirtless for Will) selfie.

Two

Will's 8th grade basketball season came to an end last night with a single playoff game. All of the teams play only one playoff game, regardless of whether they win or lose, so even though the Knights didn't come out on top of the scoreboard, they fought the good fight and can - and should - feel good about how hard they worked. (I kind of wish we could have ended the season two weeks ago, when they wrapped their regular games with a solid victory.)  

We're so grateful our school district came up with ways for kids (including virtual learners) to play sports - and for adults to watch their kids play sports - in a year when absolutely none of this was guaranteed. While everything looked and felt different, Will managed full cross country and basketball seasons, and we track tryouts begin bright and early next Monday morning.  

The end of this basketball season - and Will's middle school basketball "career" - feels bittersweet because it was likely Will's last basketball season ever. In Texas, high school basketball and soccer overlap, making it virtually impossible for an athlete to compete in both sports. Next year Will will choose soccer, which means his days on the basketball court - at least officially - have come to an end. We loved watching him play.

Three

This kid just registered for high school, planned out his classes for the next four years, and started making a list of colleges and universities he would like to attend. I JUST dropped him off for his first day of kindergarten like two or three weeks ago, so I'm not exactly sure what happened here...

All jokes aside, I simply could not be prouder of him, especially how hard he's worked and given how well he's handled everything that's been thrown at him - and everything he's missed - this past year. 

Four

These four babies have been on quite an adventure with us since they first arrived two weeks ago! And while they're a fair amount of work (there are four of them, after all, and they eat wet food - very messily, both in terms of the space in which they eat and the amount of food that ends up on them - three times a day, are still learning how to eat dry food, have some GI issues, and are on two different medications for these issues), they are so worth our time and worthy of our love.

Productivity is poor at best when
I try to work from my desk at home.

These four are half of their litter. They were found outside a fire station, all eight tucked inside a single shoebox. They were named, fittingly, after athletic shoes: we have Nike (calico), Reebok (grayish black w/ one orange shoe and a tiny orange spot on her chin), Crocs (all black), and Birkenstock (gray). We refer to Birkenstock as Birks or Crazy Pants - more on that nickname to come...

Five

Happiness Highlights

I needed a headshot for an organization with which I work,
and because I didn't have time to have one professionally
taken, I had Hallie snap a few for me. We eventually landed
on this one. I discovered I could edit out the circles under my
eyes and the wrinkles at the corners of my eyes and mouth...but
they I went back and removed all of the edits because I've earned
each and every one of these life lines. (And I probably have a few
more since this was taken, thanks to Snowpocalypse 2021 #2.)

I assume everyone saw the video of the lawyer who
showed up to Zoom meeting "dressed as" a cat? I love it.

Performing Philip's death scene in Hamilton. 

The snap dragons didn't make it, but
they looked stunning covered in ice.

And I was fascinated to discover that tiny little
bulbs of ice formed around each one of them. 

This girl is our builder. She was thrilled to have
successfully assembled this cat tree all by herself.

Happy weekend, friends!

"2021 Will Be Better", They Said...

Last week was one of the stranger weeks of my life, and that's saying something, given that we're about to close out a full year of living through a global pandemic. 

Because of the threat of severe weather, our community started shutting down midday Saturday. Hallie's Saturday evening confirmation field trip and Will's Sunday soccer practice were cancelled, and then school, dance, and soccer were cancelled for Tuesday (Monday was already a scheduled holiday). In preparation, we followed everyone else's lead and wrapped our outdoor pipes with towels and zip ties.

On Saturday evening, freezing temperatures combined with steady rain to create a solid layer of ice that covered nearly everything. I'm not all that bothered by the cold (#wisconsinbornandbred #layers), so I'll exercise in just about anything weather-wise. Add to that the fact that for the week prior my mom had walked "with" me (we talk on the phone) in temperatures that ranged from 10 to -10 degrees, and I knew I couldn't skip Sunday morning's four-mile walk just because of a little cold and ice. Turns out I should have skipped that walk... I did my best to avoid slippery sidewalks, but I ended up falling not once but TWICE. The first fall hurt my pride more than anything else (though I did land on my bad hip, bruise my wrist, and jar my elbow and shoulder), but the second fall just hurt. Badly. I started to cry, and feeling unbelievably defeated, I called Tom - while still crumpled on the cold, wet sidewalk - to ask him to come pick me up. Just as I started to explain where I was so he could find me, I decided I couldn't let the weather win and called off the pick-up. I then trudged the remaining one-and-a-quarter miles home, trying not to think about how badly my tailbone hurt and to keep my tears and snot at bay so they wouldn't freeze on my face. It was an adventure, and not in a good way. 

I share all this because it primes the pump for what's to come, both in terms of the conditions outside and the condition of my psyche going into the worst storm Texas has seen in decades. 

By Sunday morning, grocery stores had been ransacked, gas stations bled dry, and home improvement stores cleaned out of generators, propane, and pipe and faucet covers. By Sunday afternoon, businesses and stores were closing right and left, including all of the Starbucks stores. GASP. (Will had planned to pick up his girlfriend's favorite coffee drink for her, and was disappointed to discover he wouldn't be able to include a beverage with her Valentine's Day gift.) It felt kind of crazy to us, having grown up in a part of the country where this kind of weather is the norm for at least four months out of the year, but after 10 years removed, we could absolutely appreciate the fear that accompanies extreme cold, ice, and snow when they aren't the norm. 

Throughout the day on Sunday we winterized our house, closing off rooms we didn't need to use or that have less than stellar insulation and blocking air from flowing in under the doors and around the windows with towels and duct tape. We kept our heat low, tried to use only what we needed electricity-wise, and turned on our faucets to very slow drips in an attempt to prevent the pipes from freezing.

The snow began on Sunday evening. Just a few inches fell, and this wouldn't have been a problem in and of itself. But as I've mentioned before, Texas is simply not equipped to handle true winter weather. I also mentioned above that prior to the snow's arrival, it rained...and temperatures remained below freezing...for more than 24 hours straight. The snow fell on solid ice, creating unbelievably dangerous conditions for just about any activity other than staying home/inside and sitting by a roaring fire. Which we did that night - we spent our Valentine's Day at home, grilling steaks and watching Wanda Vision together. It was lovely, and the calm before the storm.

Last year to wear our matching Valentine's Day shirts from the
Target kids' department. Mine still fits, but Hallie's is too short. :(

Our power went out at some point between 11:30pm Sunday night and 2am Monday morning. I called to report our outage at 6:50am, and then climbed back into bed, hoping the electricity would kick back on shortly. It didn't. Throughout the day it grew colder, and colder, and colder in our house. Friends were experiencing rolling power outages, but ours never rolled - it just stayed off. We tried to stay warm by wearing layers, wrapping ourselves in blankets, and sitting by the fireplace, but the real estate in front of the fireplace just wasn't enough for four humans, one cat, and four tiny foster kittens (especially considering that the one cat and four tiny foster kittens don't like being in close proximity with one another). At around 6pm, we finally gave up on our power for the day, determined we couldn't keep every living thing safe in our home overnight, and packed up * - as fast as we possibly could before the sun set and we ran out of light - so we could head to our friends' pool house for the night. Because of the treacherous roads, what is normally a nine-minute drive took nearly 30 minutes, but we made it safely to their home and they welcomed us with dinner, drinks, and warm beds. We will always be grateful.

* Packing for an overnight with a cat and four kittens reminded me of doing the same for five toddlers: two different litter boxes, plastic bags, poop scoopers, two different kinds of food, six dishes, two medicines and dispensers, two cages, two blankets, and a handful of toys. 

Tux hated every minute of staying overnight at our
friends' pool house. At about 3am, he had a cat panic
attack, after which he spent the remainder of the night
and morning in the bar sink. Poor buddy. 

On Tuesday morning we braved the slippery, snow- and ice-covered roads again so we could return home...to find we still did not have power. What we did have, however, was a frozen pipe. After searching the house, garage, and attic, Tom found the problem area and used a lighter to slowly but surely - and kind of amazingly - unthaw the frozen area. We kept all of our faucets dripping on hot in hopes we could avoid a repeat situation.

Trying to decide if he can go to the bathroom outside.

Keeping kittens warm inside her sleeping bag.

Trying to catch up on sleep.

On Tuesday evening the power company arrived. After three hours of working on - and then completely replacing - the box just outside our fenced backyard, and after around 42 hours with no electricity, our power finally kicked back on. Words cannot express the massive feeling of relief that washed over us when we finally felt a bit of warmth in the house.

For the next 30-36 hours, our power switched on and off periodically, but compared to no power at all, rolling power was easy to handle. We kept our flashlights and battery-powered table lights throughout the house so we could grab them each time we were suddenly plunged into darkness. Meanwhile, rumors began to fly about water main breaks, so we filled our bathtubs and prepared to lose water pressure or even water altogether. Many water mains did end up breaking, and many of our friends lost water or had to boil their water, however our water tower - thank goodness - remained unaffected. 

Puzzles by flashlight.

Sleeping in the living room.

Once we finally had intermittent power, I was
willing to let them play outside (knowing they
could warm up again when they came inside).

We kept the house sectioned off, so that when the power did kick on for short periods of time, it only had to heat about half of the rooms. We all slept in the living room, in an arc around the fireplace, both Tuesday and Wednesday nights because when the power kicked off, it grew cold quite quickly. By midday Thursday power had been fully restored, though we still did our best to conserve both electricity and water while the systems were recovering.

By Friday morning, and then even more so by Saturday morning, things started looking up. The temperatures rose and the sun came out. The roads cleared and stores reopened. We could finally do laundry and run our dishwasher again, and we as a result we could begin to began to put our home back together after operating in survival mode for so many days. 

It was a tough week. We were cold, tired, frustrated, overwhelmed, and even scared. But so many people had - and still have - it SO much worse than we did; some lost their lives, and hundreds of thousands still have incredibly long roads ahead of them as they clean up the messes, repair the damage, and heal from the trauma caused by this winter storm.

I can't wrap this post without extending a thank you to those who went above and beyond and whose efforts undoubtedly saved lives - everyone from first responders and health care workers to line workers and truck drivers and - during this ordeal. There are countless beautiful stories of kindness and generosity and compassion and strength to be told, and I will share some in the coming weeks. 

When the electric company workers arrived at our house on Tuesday evening, I frantically grabbed the first - and basically only - thing I could find to share with them...and when, while fighting back tears, I thanked them and handed them bottles of Gatorade, they smiled and thanked me. And then I actually heard one of them whistling while he worked. Unsung heroes.

"2021 will be better", they claimed.

How many days until 2022?

That's All She Wrote

Literally, that's (about) all she wrote.

Unless you live under a rock, you've seen pictures of and heard stories about what Texas has been struggling through this week. Let me assure you - from where I stand, this mess IS as bad and as scary as it seems...maybe worse, depending on where you get your news.

After about 40 hours with no power and 30 hours of intermittent/rolling power, today (Thursday) we finally have electricity. I'm taking advantage of that gift to quickly share that 1) we're hanging in there, and 2) there won't be a High Five for Friday post today. 

I hope to return to regularly scheduled programming next Tuesday. Until then...Texans, hang in there. Everyone else, thanks for your love and support.

Grumpy for a Decade

The Packers came so close, y'all. Again.

The emotion in the first picture of this series - see below - was captured accidentally. On Super Bowl Sunday I brought out all of the kids' Green Bay gear for one more wear. As Will pulled on his Packer shirt, he asked excitedly if the Packers had made it to the Super Bowl. When I explained that no, the Packers weren't playing that day, the authentically forlorn expression you see above passed slowly across his face. Hallie, on the other hand, just didn't feel like smiling for the camera.

This tradition of Will and Hallie wearing their disappointment on both their faces and torsos began in 2012 will continue as long as is necessary…hopefully 2022 will see our Green Bay Packers rise to the top once more.

2021

2020

2019

2018

This is our "official" 2017 photo...

...but this one - in which Hallie somehow looks even scarier
with a unilaterally flared nostril - is worth sharing as well.

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

Hallie's range of emotions is one of my absolute favorite details to capture in photos. As you probably know, she's has never had any trouble flashing a turned-down mouth and furrowed brow - staged or sincere - for the camera. Will, on the other hand, has to work really hard to make an angry face the rest of us can take seriously. He almost always bursts out laughing as soon as he hears the camera click. 

Lastly, here are a couple of fun outtakes from our photo shoot.