Spring 2026 & Lewie's Junior Year of High School

I can say one thing with certainty--when you're working full time and taking college courses, time gets away from you. Lewie's junior year flew by and so did my first year of studying at KU. We did get a chance to celebrate important moments, of course, but I've been terrible about recording them. Here is my snapshot of a year that was difficult yet full of milestones.

1) Lewie kicked butt in his studies.  This kid took four AP courses--Physics, Computer Science A, Precalculus, and English Language and Composition-- passing them with As and high Bs.  This year, he was also inducted into three national honor societies - the National Honor Society, the National Fine Arts Honor Society, and the RHO KAPPA National Social Studies Honor Society. (I didn't think you could have a favorite honor society, but Lewie sure does. He LOVES the student leaders in RHO KAPPA as well as the teachers. They are his tribe.)

2) We laughed! For Christmas last year, I surprised the family with tickets to see Tom Papa at Foxwoods and Nate Bargatze at the DCU Center in Worcester.  Going to see our two favorite comedians helped break up our monotonous routine a bit and gave us something to look forward to. When I bought tickets to see Nate Bargatze in Worcester, I immediately thought we could use the opportunity to visit Worcester Poly Tech. Unfortunately, I never realized the April 4th date this year fell on the Saturday before Easter!!!  Hence, we did stay over night in Sturbridge Village, but we were in a rush to get home to be with my mother for the holiday. Visiting the campus didn't make sense with most of the students, faculty, and staff away. 

Besides enjoying Nate Bargatze, however, the trip to Massachusetts was fun for another reason. We stayed at an historic inn called the Publick House, which we are sure to visit again. Not only did they decorate the inn with beautiful flowers for Easter, but they had live little chicks in their main building. On Easter Sunday, we had a chance to enjoy some of their yummy baked treats before heading home. (PS - They have the cutest permanent tent set up for garden weddings--I may have told Lewie he is required to have his wedding there!)

Chillin at the Publick House on Easter Sunday morning.

3) We ended junior year with several hospital visits--first Lewie and then my mom-- but Lewie was able to resume tennis and participate in his end-of-the-year banquet  He also attended graduation to watch his three best friends (along with some tennis pals) receive their diplomas.

"I'm sorry this had to be such a rough year for you, Lewie," I sighed, thinking about the struggles he had with homework, his physics teacher, and the surgery he needed in late May for his blocked urethra. I expected him to agree with me, but instead he said the opposite: 

"This wasn't a bad year," he exclaimed. "This was the BEST year because I got to spend lots of time with my friends." He was right. Almost every course he had this year was with at least one of his three amigos. He also had the same lunch with them. Still, watching these boys cross the stage was bittersweet.  Their graduation truly marked the end of an era.

Currently, we are spending our days this summer taking care of Grammy (who's still recovering from three broken bones in her foot) and working on college admissions and scholarship projects.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Lewie is also taking a virtual driver safety class to get his license by mid-fall or winter.  I am getting teary just thinking about Lewie's senior year quickly approaching, but it's not here yet... 

We still have another full month of summer to enjoy before the whirlwind begins!!!

The Four Milestones of 2025

This year, although not spectacular, was relatively peaceful for our little family. Lew spent the year on the mend from his knee surgery in late 2024; I spent most of the year trying to balance out my diet and hormone levels; Little Lewie learned about his lung limitations after his collapsed lung in 2024 (two more doctors' appointments confirmed Lewie would need an inhaler and to understand the "weird feelings" from his lung would be his new norm); and my mom, despite her bouts of tiredness, IBS, and neropathy in her feet, would still be relatively active. Thus, we were grateful that our immediate family and the four of us remained healthy this year.

We took trips to Rehoboth Beach, DE; Manchester, VT; and Sleepy Hollow, NY in between work, school, and our everyday routines. However, I cannot discount 2025 as another humdrum year...  In fact, this year, we had four major milestones...

4. I started my Doctor of Education at the University of Kansas (KU)--home of the Jayhawks. So far, I have taken a class in the summer and two in the fall, for a total of 9 credits, earning As in all three. I made a pact not to pressure myself to get As, so I am over the moon to know I still have what it takes to be a good student. The research papers and keeping up with the readings have been difficult, but the work is fun when you enjoy the subject matter! This has been a huge milestone as I never thought earning an Ed.D. would be in the cards for me. I have several more years to go, but at the very least, I learned I have the willpower to do this. I love my professors, my classmates (we meet virtually once a week), and the program!

3. Lewie received his Driver's Permit. In August, Lewie took the written exam at the DMV and passed with flying colors. Since then, he's been practicing on the road with Daddy Lew and me. The furthest he's traveled so far is about an hour and a half, round-trip, to bring me to my favorite restaurant for my birthday. I signed him up for driving lessons at a local driving school. Before his first lesson, I told Lewie the instructor would most likely have him do a few back roads in the country until he was more experienced. Boy, was I wrong! When we picked him up, he had quite the story to tell. "Guess where I was? You know the hospital I went to for my lung surgery? I passed by that, and I passed by the Peabody Museum!"

"Say what?" Daddy Lew and I both asked in astonishment. The driving instructor basically took Lewie to one of the hardest places to drive in Connecticut--downtown New Haven! Between awful drivers, trucks parked on the side of the road, traffic congestion, and one-way streets, Lewie was subjected to the worst of the worst. (Even I avoid driving in this area like the plague!) "Yeah, there were lots of people that swerved around us and even drove through red lights," he exclaimed. I thought that was a challenging route for a new driver who had been on the road only twice before, but in the end, I was grateful he had the experience. I was surprised by my mom's reaction when she heard the news. "That's one great driving instructor!"

For Christmas, Lewie received the whole "driving package." For $899, he will have virtual class sessions and eight hours worth of lessons. The bonus to spending this money, I learned, is that we will get an insurance discount when he officially gets his license. Many of his friends have had their licenses for over a year by now. Some even have their own cars and drive to school. I feel lucky that Lewie hasn't argued with us about getting it sooner.

2. I turned 50, or as Lewie likes to say, half a century old. I wrote about this milestone in a previous post, but I didn't write about my husband's gift. Only a few days after my birthday, I went to see the Broadway musical Hell's Kitchen at the historic Shubert Theater in NYC. My hubby bought the ticket, and my sister-in-law, Missy (with her best friend, Melanie, and daughter, Sarah), took me out for a day of fun! We picked up Sarah at Fordham University and had a delicious late lunch at an Italian restaurant a few blocks away. From there, we took the subway into Manhattan, where we walked through Times Square before ultimately getting to the theater. It was an outstanding performance, and the best part was that all three of us--Missy, Sarah, and I--were celebrating October birthdays. We didn't get home until well after 1 a.m.!

1. Lewie started the college tour.  As a junior in high school, Lewie is quickly approaching college application time! He's confident he wants to major in computer science and engineering with a possible minor in music. (As a higher education professional, I know we cannot place too much weight on majors at this age, but Lewie is fairly confident his future will be in computer science--gaming and computers have been his passion since he was six years old!) 

So far, we have visited three campus Open Houses this fall — at Sacred Heart University (my alma mater), the University of Connecticut (UCONN), and Quinnipiac University (QU) — in that order. To my surprise, UCONN is his first choice so far, though we won't completely discount the others. After all, I remind Lewie all the time that our ultimate decision will likely hinge on scholarships and financial aid packages. 

We still have a few more college visits to go, but I will write about "the college tour" in the spring after we visit the others — unless we decide to visit a few more during the summer. For now, we are looking at colleges within three hours of home. I don't think that will change, but then again, I never thought Lewie would love UCONN as much as he did either. 

Next year, we will be placing a hyperfocus on scholarships. It will be difficult while I'm attending college myself, but I remind myself every day that Lewie's success is most important. I'm not done being a parent yet!!!

On December 2nd, I had a fun surprise. The UCONN Huskies played the KU Jayhawks in the Big 12 Men's Basketball Conference. Of course, the UCONN Huskies were favored to win, and they did, but I showed Lewie the highlights. If he becomes a Husky, we'll essentially be on opposing teams, since my college is the Jayhawks.  We will see what the future brings!

Back-to-School Traditions

This year, Lewie started 7th grade!  Since he was a distance learning student last year, August 30th was his first official school day as a middle schooler.  There would be bells ringing to change classes (seven of them), a locker combination to learn, and a gym uniform to change into.  

Since this is the age of COVID, there would also be a mask to wear (even though he is vaccinated) and the possibility of going into quarantine if anyone in his class tests positive.

Yes, the day was fraught with anxiety, but for me, not for Lewie.  If he was nervous, he didn't show it, and when he came home from his first day, he was all smiles.   His teachers were nice, he had "aced" his locker combination (at least two times out of three), and he had seen some friends he made last year (from being online) in the hallways.

On August 30th, we also started a new tradition, too.  Bruce will run up to the bus with Lewie to watch him get on and then run up to the bus to greet him when he gets off.  Yes, Lewie has an official pal, and Bruce will whimper every time he sees Lewie get on the bus.  We both whimper to watch our boy go away.

After seven years of watching Lewie get on the bus, I should be used to the routine, but last year the pandemic created a new one.  Instead of watching Lewie get on the bus every day, I had the joy of seeing him learn from home in the kitchen, and since I was working from home, too, I could eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with him.  This year would be back to the "norm" or "new-norm," and it felt unnerving.

The second tradition for us is that we make a trip to Lake Quassy every year on the Friday before Labor Day.  (We didn't last year because of COVID.)  Since school always starts before Labor Day, I always have to call the school/notify teachers that Lewie will be missing a day of class.  I'm sure it doesn't make for a good first-impression, but tradition is tradition, and we like having this day off because we get the entire amusement park to ourselves.  It's also a reminder to us that in this crazy world, family still comes first.  Education is next, but family is first.

Our Quassy Day was sunny but breezy.  The weather made for a gorgeous day to go on regular rides, but it was too cold for the water park and too breezy for any of the paddle boats or the Quassy Queen (our tradition within a tradition).  Still, Lewie had a blast going on the Pirate Swing six times, the train three times, and many of the other rides at least once or twice.  Daddy, of course, made him go on the only adult rollercoaster in the park, The Wooden Warrior.

We had lunch and ice-cream and came home feeling refreshed instead of tired from a long first week of school.  Yes, it will take some time to get settled into this "new normal" of school and work away from home.  So far Lewie seems to like it, especially seeing his friends.  As for me, only time will tell...

Puberty

 I wasn't sure if I was going to post about this topic; the concept has me blushing like a thirteen year-old girl all over again.  And yet, if this blog is supposed to be about motherhood, about raising a son, and about our family time over the past eleven or so years, I can't really skip over it.  It's a part of life, and this year, especially, it's becoming a major part of ours.

Last year, in 5th grade, Lewie's school was going to separate the boys from the girls and have "the talk."  I didn't exactly know what "the talk" was, so when COVID happened, I felt relieved.  "Phew," I caught myself saying, "that was a close one."  Truth be told, I've not been very open with Lewie when it comes to discussing biology.  For instance, we don't call body parts by their respective names--we have "cute" names like wash your "birdie" or your "twig and berries."  I certainly don't discuss my female anatomy either--ever.  

During Lewie's last week of fifth grade, I decided to reach out to his school counselor: "Um, Mrs. Hanover, do you remember the video the school was going to show the fifth graders back in April?  You know, um, the one about puberty.  Is there a link to it, so maybe Lewie can watch it over the summer?"

My heart pounded fast again as if I was asking the school counselor for a sex manual.   Why was I feeling like I was having an anxiety attack?

"The maturation video?" she asked me.

"Yes," I answered, realizing that the term maturation sounded way more scientific and less embarrassing.  She sent it to me, and that was that.

Fast forward to March of this year, and I still hadn't shown the video to Lewie. Bad mommy!  One day while he was downstairs in a Google Meet with his class, I discreetly went upstairs, closed the door and watched the video--finally.  After watching it, I felt both ashamed and relieved at the same time.  Ashamed because I had really made this video out to be "dirty" when it was really quite innocent.  I felt relieved because it truly was a well crafted video made for fifth graders.  The video link, created by P&G, can be found here.

When I realized how immature I was being, I finally chose a weekend for Lewie and I to watch the video together and talk about any biological changes he might be noticing right now.  I then thought it would be fun to watch my favorite movie Big with Tom Hanks as the whole premise of the movie is watching a twelve year-old boy turn into an adult over night.  (Lewie is twelve years-old right now.)

The "Puberty Weekend" ended up being a big hit.  We laughed about some of the changes he would be experiencing, and we confirmed that some of them, like zits, were already happening.  Certainly, his sweat glands were already pretty active as just a few months earlier, I explained to Lewie that he needed to start using powder for his feet and deodorant for his underarms.   He told me he thought his voice was already starting to get deeper to which I laughed.  "You're dreaming," I replied.  "Don't rush it!"

Lewie also loved my favorite movie, which warmed my heart.  "I would have chosen to be a kid again, too," he said during the final part of the movie.  Certainly "the kid" experience of Josh Baskin (the main character in the movie) is very different from Lewie's experience as a kid.  (I can't believe how much my childhood from the 80s is so different from his.)  Still, he related to the joy of being a kid, growing up with his family, and having a best friend.  In the end, Lewie, like the character, Josh Baskin, decides that he doesn't need to be in a rush to be "big" after all.  My husband and I both cried at the end when Josh Baskin returns home, and his mom can be heard crying tears of joy.  (If you haven't seen this movie from the 80's, it's awesome, even if I already gave away the ending!!)

Yes, at age 12, Lewie is getting taller, and there are some signs that his body is changing.  His sassy attitude, at times, also casts a hint of what I can expect during his teenage years.  I'm not sure I'm happy about this period of transition, but I must remind myself that Lewie can't stay small forever.  First I had to say goodbye to the baby, then the toddler, and now the little boy in grammar school.  I've been told that seventh grade (next year) is when Lewie will have the "big talk" in school.  I might have to volunteer Hubby to be the champion of that discussion.  For now, I'll still hold onto the innocence of childhood a little bit longer.  If only I could freeze time.

This (12 Year-Old) Kid!

This kid, my twelve year-old Lewie, is AMAZING.  (A mom can brag, right?)  Where do I begin?

My 'tween' turned twelve during the pandemic.  Like most kids, he was stripped from having a traditional birthday party, and instead, we celebrated quietly with just our immediate family at home.  When it was time for school, we made the joint decision to keep Lewie as a 'distance learning' student even though most kids his age were heading back to the classroom.   Indeed, Lewie's twelfth year was looking rather grim...  no birthday party; no friends' birthday parties; no school days, activities, or functions; no sleepovers; and only a few sparse playdates with friends outside.  (We had to keep our family safe and that included my 77 year-old mom!!)

Still, life works in mysterious ways, and while it seemed like 2020/2021 would go down in history as the worst year ever, I, instead, watched my son grow into a responsible, compassionate, and thoughtful young man.  Here are just a few reasons why he's made me so proud!

He thinks of others.

I was prepared to have a difficult conversation with Lewie when it was time to talk to him about him NOT going back to school.  Similarly, I thought battles would ensue when I told him he couldn't go to birthday parties or sleepovers.  Instead, he surprised me by saying Grammy was more important.  

Sure he was sad about not going back to school, and he told me he was worried about his "socialization skills" because he wasn't seeing anyone in person anymore, but in many cases, he made some of these tough decisions on his own.  For example, in August I really wanted to see if we could have our annual fun day at Lake Quassy Amusement Park:  "We'll be outside," I explained, and "we'll wear masks.  I'm sure we'll be safe if we keep our distance and use hand sanitizer."

"That's okay, Mommy," Lewie replied.  "I can wait until it's safe again."

Lewie and my mom on his birthday.

His light shines through.

Lewie is a super friendly kid.  When we walk, he tells random strangers to "have a nice day," and he's quick to compliment his friends and family.  As a distance learning student in a new school (Lewie started middle school this year), I was afraid he would be easily passed over by his teachers and classmates.  (After all, do kids in the classroom really pay attention to who's on the computer screen from home?)

Well, Lewie made it his mission early on to say "good morning" or "hello" to everyone when he signed in to class, and when his classes ended, he'd tell everyone, "Have a great day!"  His cheery attitude didn't go unnoticed.  Lewie was the first kid in 6th grade during the 2020/2021 school year to be recognized as "Student of the Month."  The teachers awarded him for his "kindness" and then said he was also the very first "distance learning" student to receive the honor.   We were all so surprised!  A few days after the announcement was made in school, his certificate arrived in the mail.  We couldn't be more proud of this kid that was recognized just for being authentically, Lewie.

Lewie's first day of school.

He loves deeply.   

In October, our sweet, silly, loving aunt (Aunty Kiki) passed away from Cancer.  Her decline was rapid, and Little Lewie couldn't see her when she was in the hospital because of COVID restrictions.  Once she was admitted to hospice, COVID protocol was less strict, so Lewie would be able to see her (if he wanted to).  I forewarned him: "Lewie, Aunty Kiki is not herself anymore.  She's sleepy and confused and very, very sick."

He didn't care.  In his eyes, Aunty Kiki was like a best friend.  He needed to see her to say goodbye, and he helped roll her bed outside by the ocean while we visited with her.  (The hospice center is located right next to the shore.)  It was painful to watch her slip in and out of conciousness, and yet, this kid sat by her side and stayed so brave.  We cried like babies driving home, but he still had no regrets.  "I will always be thankful for having Aunty Kiki in my life," he said.

During her funeral, Lewie was offered a chance to say a few words about her during the wake.  He wrote a beautiful tribute by himself  and read it so eloquently to everyone in the audience.   His words were pure and straight from the heart.  Even now, he's very sentimental. Any chance he gets, he still likes to wear the shirt/s she's bought for him over the years. 

Our last picture of Aunty Kiki--two months before she left us.

He's responsible.

It's no secret that kids, high school students, college students, and even adults have a difficult time navigating the world of "distance learning."  To be effective at online learning, students need to pay attention to schedules and deadlines; they need to be willing to ask questions and advocate for themselves when they don't understand an assignment; and they need to be motivated to get their work done.  I know the challenges all too well since I teach online college students, and many lack the self-discipline to stay on track.

When we signed up Lewie for "distance learning," I was worried.  Would he learn as much as the other kids?  Would he stay motivated?  Would he be old enough to handle the responsibility?  Finally, how could I help him stay on track when I had my own Zoom meetings and work to get done?  During the first two weeks, I spent time with Lewie to make sure he understood his schedule and helped advocate for him when he was having difficulty signing into his classes via Google Meet.  (It turned out that not every teacher remembered to send a valid Google Meet link to their distance learning students.)

However, once he became acclimated to the format, it was smooth sailing for Lewie.  Before long, he was signing into his first class at school and all his consecutive classes without any guidance from me.  He was keeping tabs on all of his assignments that were due for the day, making sure to submit them before their deadlines.  Even more, he was earning As in his classes with some classes earning a perfect score!  I was amazed at his motivation, his time management skills, his ability to participate and advocate for himself, and his eagerness to learn.  It was as if "distance learning" became a natural fit for him, and as a result, he made high honors with teachers praising him for his work ethic.

   

He's funny.

Lewie loves to laugh, and he'll often entertain us by showing funny videos (usually of Minecraft) made by his favorite YouTubers.  He likes to experiment with being the 'class clown' on his own, too.  One day he told me he had his entire English class (including his teacher) in stiches because he could make his voice sound funny in Google Meet using the microphone.  Not too long after, the 'funny microphone voice' started to come out while playing with his friends online, too.

The other day, Lewie was getting ready to record himself doing ten good pushups for his gym teacher (a requirement for school).  He said to me, "Okay, ready?  I''m going to do one good pushup for the camera.  Then, I'll just loop it nine more times."  He made this comment with a dead serious face, and we both crackdc up.

 Another day, he came downstairs quite perturbed that 'puberty' might have hit overnight.  "Why?" I asked, "your voice doesn't sound any different."  

"No, but I found a hair under my armpit."

"Oh, is that all?" I asked.

"Yea, I plucked it out."

He's creative.

This kid enjoys coding in Minecraft, graphic design, and video editing.  Once upon a time, he practiced these skills using free software on his computer, but this year, I agreed to pay for Adobe Creative Cloud after I saw that he really had a talent.  I don't know if it's normal to be self-taught in this area, but Lewie seems to have no problem using visual effects and editing on his own.  In fact, for his money class, Lewie had to develop a skit to show how to save money.  Rather than just writing the skit, he asked his dad to record it while he acted it out.  (Daddy had a few 'one liners' in the short film, too.)  A few hours  later, Lewie used his editing prowess to produce a masterpiece for his teacher.  We were all super-impressed!

                                                                   *     *     *

I guess I come across like a gloating mom in this post.  My intention was just to write about my twelve year-old kid, and yet, as I started to write this post, I realized that so much of this narrative is influenced by COVID.  Would Lewie have been a different kid at this time if he had a regular year of school?   Would he still have been named 'Student of the Month'?  Would he still have been so thoughtful about keeping his grandmother safe?  Would he still have excelled in his school work?  

A year ago to this date, no one could have predicted the unthinkable--a pandemic!  No one could have predicted that the lockdown or this strange "in-between" would have lasted for so long.  No one could have predicted how much the pandemic would impact our daily lives and our mental health.  At first, I was terrified--not just from the potential of getting my mom sick but from 'a lost year' in Lewie's schooling.  Surely, the pandemic was going to impact him intellectually, social-emotionally, and everything in between.

Instead, the opposite happened.  We grew closer as a family, and through the hardship, Lewie learned how to be a survivor.  In fact, we all learned how to be survivors.  We worked, we took breaks, we laughed, and sometimes we cried, and yet, we got through it.  It built character, and in Lewie's case, it taught him how to be flexible and resilient.   Did COVID make my twelve year-old grow up faster than he would have?  Maybe.  But, then again, maybe it just brought out the best parts of him that have been there all along.  Either way, I LOVE this 12 year-old kid!!

It's Puppy Time!

For Mother's Day, our family did the unthinkable, the unimaginable.  That's right.  We adopted a puppy!!  We have had a puppyless family for more than 20 years--not beccause we don't love dogs, but because we haven't had the time for them.  With my mom, hubby, and I working full-time, our attention was placed on finding after-school activities and camp to keep Little Lewie supervised; we didn't have the time or money to have to worry about activities for a pet, too.

The first few weeks of the pandemic, hubby and my mom started to have "side conversations" about getting a dog.  Before speaking with me, they worked out a schedule where (when we return back to normal), he would stay home with the dog in the mornings, and my mom would be home for Little Lewie and the dog in the early afternoon.  I was chopped out of the conversation because well, quite honestly, during the week, I'm always at work, sometimes not coming home until 9 p.m. at night.

When I was finally included in this conversation, I brushed off the idea.  We're a traveling family.  We like to go places and do things--we don't want the extra worry of "what do we do with Fido?"  But, as I started to think about it some more, I realized that Fido could come with me for walks (which would make me feel safer), and Fido could be home with my mom to keep her company when we travel.  Plus, wouldn't Little Lewie enjoy growing up with a family dog?

Once I started my search on Petfinder, I was hooked.  I quickly formed a list of all of my favorite dogs, and just as quickly as I was adding these precious pups to my list, they were being removed from the site.  It was clear that everyone was/is deciding to adopt pets during the pandemic.  Only the doggies with the health problems were sticking around, and I was getting way too emotional as I read their stories. I wanted to find a good home for all of them!!  The adoption process--filling out the long applications, not hearing back, or hearing we were "second" on the list--was taking an emotional toll.

As we told more and more people about how we wanted to adopt a puppy or a young dog, we started getting "inside" information about how we could get to the top of the list.  As it turned out, a place in New Milford, CT, http://www.because4paws.org/, was bringing in lots of rescue pups from down South all the time.  My sister-in-law knew a "foster mom" for one of the puppies, and my work colleague knew someone that volunteered there.   We were encouraged to fill out an application, and within four days, we received news that we were pre-approved.  That same day, an email blast was sent out saying approximately 30+ puppies were arriving in Connecticut that Saturday (May 9th).  They sent pictures, and we'd have to call (first-come, first serve) to put a deposit on a dog right away.  Our hearts were focused on these two pics:

My husband's first pick was little Reisling (above), but we soon learned that because she was part Shar-pei and Austrailian Shepard, she would be a handful and not necessarily an easy-going family dog.  We then focused on the Lab mixes from Sulpher Springs, TX.  By the time we received a call-back from our voicemail, there was only Pat Benetar and Bruce Dickenson left.  We quickly swiped up Bruce and felt lucky he hadn't been taken yet.  The meet-and-greet would be that very same Saturday, right before Mother's Day.

Saturday, May 9th felt more like Feb. 9th.  It was cold and windy (in the 30's most of the day), and there were sun showers, except instead of rain, sleet and hail came down while the sun would peak out from between the clouds.  Everyone commented on how weird the weather was...  With our masks, we were asked to stand outside in a caged in area while they brought Bruce to us.  I volunteered to hold him and place him inside my coat as they forewarned us that having come from Texas, he wouldn't be used to this freezing weather.  They handed me this shivering 8-week old pup, and he looked at me with his big brown eyes and gave me a few doggy kisses right on the nose.

I was enamored.  The rest of the meet-and-greet--the adoption paperwork, the visit inside the facility (with masks), and the car-ride home--were a blur.  The rest of the day, the next day, and the week, now have been about helping this little peanut get acclimated to his new home while learning the boundaries...   Welcome to the family, Bruce!!   You sure are a handful, but we're so glad you're now part of our pack!!

A List of Favorite Christmas Memories (from 2019)

In our home, the holidays came and went so fast that I never had a chance to write a post about them.  Still, seeing that our Christmas tree is still up (I know, I know--having a live tree in the home is a fire hazard), I thought I could get away with writing one post about Christmas 2019 before the memories were lost forever.  Plus, I just learned that people tend to be the most depressed in the month of January.  Why?  Because we're still lamenting the fun we had at Christmas, in addition to the bills we have to pay after overspending.

So, while it seems obnoxious for me to post about Christmas three weeks after it's over, consider this post, instead, a therapy session--a pick-me-up, if you will, to counter the most depressing day of the year, Blue Monday (said to fall on the third Monday of January each year).

Christmas 2019 was spectacular.  First, we had a chance to go to Walt Disney World and Universal Studies in early December, which were decorated magnificently for the holidays.  (What better way to begin celebrating than with family, fun, and fireworks!) 

When we came home, it was "go time."  There were only two weeks left to pick out our Christmas tree, decorate, buy gifts, wrap, send out cards, and begin attending holiday parties.  Thankfully for us, we used our Halloween costumes to make Christmas cards this year, and we made sure to schedule our photo session before our vacation; here's what some of our pictures looked like...

The message on our Christmas cards stated very simply: "Merry Christmas, Happy St. Patrick's Day, and May all Your Teeth be White."  My husband, of course, was the tooth fairy, but later my mom thought we could have gotten away with saying he was dressed as an angel!!

A week before Christmas, Little Lewie then surprised me by saying he needed to write his letter to Santa.  (I wasn't sure if he believed anymore.)  "Okay," I said casually. "Would you like me to get the special "Santa" stationary?" 

He wrote out his letter (always straight to the point), and then mentioned the gifts he was asking for..."Mommy, I asked for a $50 Visa Gift Card to buy games, but I only need $25.  I asked for $50, so you could have the other $25."   I was speechless.  That's my Lewie--always thinking about others besides himself.

Family, of course, is what really makes the holiday special.  Aunty Irene, my mom's sister, came up from Delaware, to spend a full week with us.  The weekend before Christmas, we went to see "A Christmas Story" live on stage.  It made us laugh just as much as the original movie from 1983.

Their younger sister, Aunty Kiki, also came to sleep over for two nights.  With a full house, we got out our board games and had a few fun nights playing games like Uno Attack, Gas Out, and Slapzie.  Of course, we also exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve, attended mid-night mass, and saw each other on Christmas morning for breakfast. 

On Christmas day, it was time to go visit my husband's family and Little Lewie's four cousins (Sarah, Brooklynn, Lily, and Elijah).   Our Cub Scout pack had just finished playing the "Oven Mitt Christmas Game," and I decided to see how it would work with the kiddos.  I saw the original Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine in a store and decided this would be a fun gift for everyone to share.  I wrapped it up twice with wrapping paper and then brought two oven mitts and two dice.  For anyone that has never played before, the object of the game is to try and be the first one to unwrap the present using the oven mitts.  However, when the person after you rolls a double, you have to stop trying to open the gift and pass it along to the next person that rolled the double.  Then, that person has to pass the gift along to the next person by him or her that rolled the double.  The game continues until someone can actually unwrap the gift. 

The game was a success and so was the gift!  The girls spent hours afterwards taking turns and making everyone snow-cones. 

Christmas morning, before visiting the cousins, was special, too.  Santa, as usual, came with a variety of gifts.  Some were from Lewie's list, but some were useful items that Lewie had been requesting all year long--an alarm clock, a music stand, a bluetooth speaker...

Finally, if this year's Christmas hadn't been memorable enough, we also had a few milestones that led us into the celebration.  First, Lewie had the honor of being asked to read for this year's Children's Christmas Mass.  In years past, children didn't actually "read" at the mass; they just put Christmas ornaments on the tree.  This year, however, our new priest called for students to read, and Lewie was selected.  He did an AMAZING job.

The very next day after the mass, Lewie performed in his first Christmas concert.  The Chorus (required by all fifth graders) went first followed by band (which was optional).  Lewie played the trumpet, and although the stands hid his face from view, we certainly knew he could play those songs.  He had been practicing them for weeks, plus he played a private concert for the two aunts in our family.

Yes, this past year's Christmas was an exciting whirlwind of family, fun, entertainment, gifts, and milestones.  It's hard to believe we fit everything into one month, and while it was very busy, I wouldn't have changed a thing. 

Now that a brand new year and decade has begun, and life has slowed down a bit, I pray on the ultimate message the season brings: "Peace on earth and good-will to men."