Hallelujah - School's Out for Summer

A (small) part of me is glad this school year has come to an end. It was, for the most part, a good year, but the past few weeks have felt like (what I imagine) the last mile of a marathon feels like: borderline impossible. 

The kids need a break. I need a break. And we all need to celebrate, even if it's just our traditional last-day-of-school "surprise": summer baskets and cookie cake. (Will and Hallie are of course not at all surprised anymore, but I love this tradition and I'm keeping it alive, surprise or not.) Hallie and I will also grab Starbucks with friends after getting out of school early on the last day, because apparently during COVID we started this tradition and according to the girls it must continue until high school graduation.

We have quite a few things on the calendar for the summer: two weddings; two college visits (hold me); short field trips to Washington, IL, St. Louis, MO, and possibly Ann Arbor, MI; longer visits to see our families and friends in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois; high school workouts and club soccer practices and tournaments for Will; ballet intensives and dance classes for Hallie; working as a futsal referee for Will; and working as a dance assistant and volunteering for VBS for Hallie. We're also trying to build in plenty of run-of-the-mill summer activities, like sleeping in, night walks (a favorite of mine and Hallie's), ice cream for dinner, swimming, water balloon fights, movie marathons, reading books, and lots of time with friends.

We'll have a few rules and responsibilities, but we won't have bucket lists or activity calendars or school fun guides or chore charts or job jars. We've been there, done (all of) that, but with each passing year this organization and these "systems" have slowly faded into the background...which makes sense given my kids' ages. I still like to document our summers though, so a couple of years ago I started using an approach borrowed from Emily Ley (the founder of the Emily Ley Simplified Planner and the Simplified brand): a summer memory list.

"Do the fun thing. Write the fun thing down. Pressure off."

I hope your summer is full of fun things.

~

This kid just wrapped up 10th grade. It's truly mind-boggling to think he's halfway done with high school and only has two years left before going away to college...

End of Kinder

End of 1st Grade

End of 2nd Grade

End of 3rd Grade

End of 4th Grade

End of 5th Grade

End of 6th Grade

End of 7th Grade

End of 8th Grade

End of 9th Grade

End of 10th Grade

He only agreed to be photographed if he could hold Plié. Scroll to the end of this post to see how they both really felt about our photoshoot... 

~

And this (once) pipsqueak is somehow off to high school herself.

End of Kinder

End of 1st Grade

End of 2nd Grade

End of 3rd Grade

End of 4th Grade

End of 5th Grade

End of 6th Grade

End of 7th Grade.

End of 8th Grade

It goes SO fast...

~

Note #1: I say this every year, and I'll say it again - I should have started with a bigger or less fitted cut of shirt for my girl...not sure why I went with the baby tee. 😂

Note #2: I'm not sure what it is about putting on this teeny tiny shirt - it makes her want to do tricks. So here are those she wanted me to save for posterity. 

Note #3: These two don't love doing tricks. I feel like they're both looking at me with disdain...

High Five for Friday (5.26.23)

 

Anyone else drowning in May...ness? Sometimes I think May is worse - schedule-wise - than December. Just one more weekend of complete crazy though, and then we can settle into our slightly more relaxed summer schedule!

One

Hallie spent two of her last days of school on field trips: NJHS to the movies, a picnic lunch, and ice skating* and 8th grade to Grand Station for bowling, miniature golf, laser tag, and arcade games. Both were fun ways to celebrate the end of middle school!

* I picked up Hallie early from this field trip...with recital this weekend, there was no way she was going ice skating. This was her decision - she preferred to go back to school rather than risk a fall that could result in an injury.

Two

Apparently bucket hats are making a comeback these days. Will is VERY into wearing his...I wonder if he'll feel the same way once he sees this picture? 

Circa 1996 or 1997: that's me on the right, and
my sister is in the purple shirt with the black hat. 

Three

Shockingly, these babies are still available for adoption! They are DELIGHTFUL and would make wonderful additions to any family. Let me know if you'd like to meet them!

Four

Paquita is this weekend! If you live anywhere near BCS and enjoy ballet, I encourage you to come see this beautiful show. 

Paquita would be a great "first ballet" for new or young ballerinas - the caliber of the production is high, but the show is abbreviated making it perfect for shorter attention spans. (i.e. Will's) Tickets are available here.

Five

School's out for summer! (As of 12:20pm today, that is.)

First day of 8th and 10th grade...looking forward to
comparing it to the photo I'll take of them later today. 

Happy weekend, friends!

Cat Whisperer

I go for a walk outside almost every day, and while I'm walking, I like to keep walking. I'm not much for slowing down or stopping (because doing so makes it that much harder to start again), and I do so only for things like taking a rock out of my shoe, running into a friend, or - most importantly - petting a cat.

I have a series of steps I take when approaching a cat (assuming it's behaving in a civilized and socialized manner) to determine if said cat would like a little affection from me. I speak to the cat in my "cat voice," walk slowly and smoothly toward the cat, squat down to make myself smaller and less intimidating, and reach one of my hands out toward the cat. This process works and the cat approaches me about 75% of the time; when it does, the cat gets to enjoy a few pets - and I get to feel good about coming across as trustworthy to the cat - before I continue on. 

On one particular walk down a familiar street, I encountered an unfamiliar cat. He (I'm just assuming gender - he seemed like a boy to me) emerged from the backyard of a house that had recently sold, so I assumed he was new to the neighborhood. I started my series of steps - saying hello to him in my cat voice - and he immediately trotted toward me. And then, before I could walk slowly and smoothly, squat down to make myself smaller and less intimidating, or reach a hand out, he LEPT off the ground, into the air, and onto my shoulder. He was SO thrilled to be there, and spent the next two minutes loving on me while I took pictures and tried to explain to my mom - with whom I was on the phone - what was happening. 

As I mentioned above, I'd never seen this cat before, and interestingly, I haven't seen him since. (I suspect he's actually an indoor cat and he had gotten outside without his people knowing.) But he made my day that morning - I like to believe he knew I was an animal lover, and that I had love to give.

High Five for Friday (5.19.23)

 

One

Will was invited to spend his junior year playing soccer - while attending a soccer-focused high school - in Italy. He's not going (he doesn't feel ready for that significant of a leap, nor do I feel ready to send him overseas for nine months), but he put it best when he breathed a sign of (what seemed to me to be) relief and declared that, "it feels really good to be asked."

Two

We survived the epic Saturday that is (studio) dress rehearsal! I dropped Hallie off at 8am, ran home for a quick walk (in the pouring rain), a shower, and to check on the kittens, and then returned at 9:45am to the theater...where we stayed until almost 9pm. It was a LONG day, but we had fun and the dancers are all but ready for their recital in a couple of weeks! 

(That's Hallie up in the air.)

We also survived our Paquita dress rehearsal, which took place on Tuesday evening. This production is going to be lovely - if you live in BCS and are at all interested in ballet, I highly encourage you to attend. This would also be a great show for young ballerinas, as it is a shortened version of the full ballet. Let me know if you'd like more information!

Three

After spending all of Saturday dress rehearsaling (Tom and Will spent their Saturday working at home and working at the soccer fields respectively), Sunday felt pretty chill. It rained for half of the day, which allowed me to feel much better about taking my sweet time to get up and moving. And even though I still had multiple loads of laundry, a moderate amount of housework, and a few "administrative tasks" to tackle, the day felt leisurely comparatively.

I'm not much for making Mother's Day a big deal. All I really want is for someone to go get me donuts or kolaches ✔, to have help getting the house in order for the upcoming week (since Sunday is our family's day for "jobs," as the kids call them) ✔, and to not make dinner ✔.

 

Four

On Monday evening we attended Hallie's last choir concert of the year, and then later that night we celebrated her success with a (school Spirit Night) takeout meal from Harvey Washbangers. (Takeout was required because she - of course - had dance both before and after the concert.) She's ready to say goodbye to middle school choir and skeptical about what high school choir, but I have high hopes she'll find her people and (renewed) joy in singing next year.

Five 

These sweet babes are soon-to-be posted for adoption! As soon as I have their official bios I'll share them here; in the meantime, let me know if you'd like to come meet Milton, Wooloomooloo, and Kirawee. They are the cutest (Will has declared them the most adorable litter we've ever had) and sweetest babes around, and we'd love to introduce you!

Happy weekend, friends!

Tourette Association Awareness Month

May 15 - June 15 is recognized as Tourette Association Awareness Month. (Yes, it's weird that this month of awareness starts midway through May and ends midway through June instead of just taking place throughout one complete month.) During these 31 days we aim to increase awareness about Tourette syndrome (TS) while advocating for those suffering from this disorder. 

For those of you who are new here or who may have missed the posts in which I've touched on this information, Hallie has TS. We started seeing tics around her seventh birthday, and she was officially diagnosed the summer before second grade. I wrote a little about that time in her and our lives here on Chasing Roots, in her eight-year-old birthday post.

TS is constantly changing, which means some hours, days, weeks, months, and even years are good...and some aren't. Hallie tries her best not to complain (my mom told me that in seven years she's only ever heard Hallie complain ONCE), in part because she knows she's one of the "lucky" ones, but there are days when the weight of TS becomes too much.

What does it mean to be "lucky," when it comes to TS? For Hallie, it means a few different things. First, she has never had any vocal tics, which usually draw more attention than motor tics. I know that as much as she hates her motor tics, Hallie is glad she doesn't have vocal tics. Second, she has learned how to use dance as a coping mechanism - or even "treatment" - of sorts. Moving her body so intentionally quiets her tics and helps her feel in control of what her arms and legs and hips and shoulders are doing, at least for short periods of time. And third, she has wonderful friends who love and support her no matter what.

Most people don't know much about TS, and many people have an inaccurate understanding of TS. So to set the record straight, here are a few facts about TS:  

• TS is a neurological disorder that causes tics. Tics are sudden, involuntary, repetitive movements and sounds.
• TS does not affect intelligence.
• TS affects around 1 in 100 children, more of which are boys than girls.
• The cause of TS in unknown, but it is believed to be genetic. 
• Tics come and go, and increase and decrease in intensity.
• TS is different for every person who has it.
• Corprolalia (the swearing tic) is very rare - only about 20% of those with TS experience it.
• There is no cure for TS.

For most people with TS, tics tend to increase during times of excitement, stress, or anxiety and decrease during times of calm or focus. Talking about or drawing attention to tics only makes them worse, as does asking someone to stop or suppress their tics. In fact, suppressing tics can lead to uncomfortable and even painful severe rebounds of tics along with additional issues like migraines, anxiety, and depression.

So, how can you support someone living with TS?

• Don't stare or draw attention to tics, and don't ask your friend not to tic. Though it can be difficult at times, try to pretend the tics aren't happening.
• Don't try to fix your friend, but do pay attention to subtle signs of distress and offer support. (Just like you would do with friends who don't have TS.)
• Don't joke about TS, and if necessary, stand up for your friend if others are bullying, taunting, insulting, or making fun.
• Follow your friend's lead with regard to TS and tics. Some people feel comfortable talking about it, while others do not.

Ultimately, awareness, understanding, and kindness are the greatest tools we have to help people with TS live productive, successful, and happy lives.

Speaking of...my girl is productive, successful, and happy. (Well, most of the time. She is a 14-year-old girl, so she has 14-year-old girl "moments" just like the rest of us had, have, and/or will have.) She has the tenderest of hearts and is an ally for all, likely because she herself has been treated unkindly and understands how horrible it feels to be laughed at for something she cannot control. She has fragile moments, but is otherwise made of steel - exceptionally tough and resilient. We talk regularly about how "everyone has something," meaning that everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Some people, like her brother, cousins, and sweet friend, Morgan, have dealt with life-threatening food allergies. Others, including multiple friends of hers, have dealt with anxiety and OCD. Others still have conditions like dyslexia, ADHD, or autism or diseases like diabetes and cancer. For Hallie, knowing that everyone has something makes her something an easier pill to swallow and reinforces her mission to go out into the world and make everyone - regardless of their "something" - feel accepted and supported and loved. 

I always think of this picture as her "Tourette syndrome" picture. It was taken before we received her official diagnosis but after we had accepted what was coming, so it feels very transitional to me. Both before Tourette's and after Tourette's, when the world felt very dark but there were glimmers of her light shining through.

Questions? Ask us!