Catch Me If You Can

Maddux returned to cross country this fall, after opting for volleyball last year instead. When she started practices, she had to work back up to running the whole 2-3 miles at practice, but quickly her stamina returned. And her speed was always there. 

That girl was born with amazing form and efficiency with her running, which is another reason I was so glad to see her revisit this sport.

The season was without issue: Maddux participated in at least half a dozen meets, finishing first for her team in all but one of them, and finishing in the top 10 a few times. She would beat her previous time, only to beat it again the following week, again and again. 

It was such a joy to watch Maddux run, and to be challenged. She appeared to glide through each race without effort, but in talking to her afterwards, she was developing mental toughness to stay ahead certain competitors and finish strong. I hope next fall finds her on the course again.

Still in School

We are still in school, three weeks later, which is GREAT news of course. And, as expected by parents of school aged children everywhere, there is a (re) learning curve when it comes to 'how to be' at school.

Ruby is really enjoying school, her teachers, and the friends that are in-person with her. But she is having to be reminded how to line up, how to find and use the proper restroom, how to maintain energy/stamina all day. And also, she is having to learn how to wear a mask all ding-dang day. We worked on mask wearing for at least a month before school returned, and Ruby had built up to 2+ hours (no breaks) before we sent her to school. But, as it is for students of all ages everywhere, wearing a mask in school from 7AM-2PM is hard, especially when you don't really understand why. 

Despite all of that, Ruby's teachers have been amazing with working with her to do all of the things they know she can do. She has about 1/2 of her class in-person with her (the rest are still working from home), and she is still rocking the carpool line in the morning.

For now I think that's all I can ask for!

Back to School

Almost seven full months after leaving the routine of school, Ruby was able to return to the classroom this week. Academically, digital learning was fine because at least half of the time we turned the screen off and worked on our own. But the regression I saw in the areas of socialization and Ruby's ability to work independently was concerning to say the least. All of that to say, this last Monday morning couldn't come fast enough!

Honestly, pulling up to the school and having Ruby get herself out of the car - ALL INDEPENDENTLY - is my new most favorite thing. She had a great first day. She was totally excited to get out of my car, greet the principal and walk into school. She wore her mask pretty much the whole day and loved getting to buy lunch (to eat in the classroom). Day two started great: I teared up as I dropped her off in response to her 'big girl' display in the carpool line: she took off her seatbelt, put on her mask, put on her backpack (all independently) and then waited for me to stop before opening the door on her own, hopping out, turning around and saying, "Bye, Mommy. Love you!". She then shut the door and walked towards the school (like every other student!!) Big time proud moment. The rest of the day had a few challenges (basically testing the waters and figuring out how to be in a school/public place again). 

Day three was amazing with GREAT behavior and engagement. Ruby was so proud of herself too, telling me 'I had a happy day!' when I picked her up that afternoon. Day four was more of the same. She came home with new library books, and she was happy to tell me about her good day again. She's so excited to see so many friends and teachers in person!