BAMBINOS

Meera has been thriving in first grade. This shouldn’t be a surprise, except that it sort of is. Up until this point, Meera hasn’t been a kid who really loves school, and she’s always needed a lot of alone-time and down-time and at-home-time. But this year she’s just loving school, and really taking off academically, and I think it is in large part because her self-confidence is blooming and her social life is good.

She’s got some good girl friends in her class this year — the kind of girl friends a mom like me really appreciates: girls who don’t seem to be catty or cliquey or possessive or aggressive. This is huge (girls can be so hard). And I see the beautiful results of it in Meera’s sense of self and self-esteem.

She’s got a new friend this year who is just a great pal for her. Chloe does wonders for Meera’s love-of-school. These two cuties are two peas in a pod and they get in trouble daily for their shenanigans. They talk too much, giggle too much, and generally get-distracted-from-class too much when they are near each other. I went on a field trip with them last week and I got to see it in action. It is quite a hoot (as long as you’re not their teacher!)!

I hope they stay friends for a good long time. I have a hunch they might. So, I’m posting this for the sake of posterity.

Last year was the most amazing Halloween ever — as the students who live in Sayre Village with us put on an incredible night of trick-or-treating for our three bambinos, organized and orchestrated by the bambinos’ beloved Uncle Jon (aka our 2nd-year-on-campus-Head-Gryphon). [CLICK HERE.] Oh my word, was that Sayre Halloween 2013 ever fabulous. And the year before was absolutely FABULOUSO as well! Sayre Halloween 2012 we were dealing with a major weather event (Hurricane Sandy!), and yet somehow our bambinos received the most wonderful Halloween planned entirely by their beloved Aunt Sarah (aka our 1st-year-on-campus-Head-Gryphon). [CLICK HERE.] My, oh my, that was a wonderful Halloween.

There’s a pattern going here: Amazing Halloweens on campus!

Sayre Halloween has become my favorite night of the year as a faculty family in residence!

So, the precedent had been set, and a tradition had been established on campus, and 2014 did not disappoint! Our incredible community of students-we-love, and our 3rd-year-on-campus-Head-Gryphon-Jevin made — for the 3rd year in a row — an awesome and memorable and incredibly-inspiring Halloween for our bambinos yet again. This year the bambinos trick-or-treated throughout Sayre (150 students opening up their apartments in the three buildings that make up Sayre Village; the students love it— it is usually the first time they’ve been the ‘adults’ handing out the candy to kids from their own place). In addition, Kyle and Owen and Meera were invited to trick-or-treat at two other houses on “The Hill” — Umoja House and House 104. It was an AMAZING night! Amazing, amazing, amazing! Words just don’t do this whole thing justice. The students just amaze me beyond belief.

This year we planned for, and hosted, a Pumpkin Carving Party for post-trick-or-treating. We invited Sayre students to come over for cider, pizza, candy, and pumpkin-carving. The World Series was on… so there was some watching-of-that going on too. We roasted pumpkin seeds. We ate pizza (Man oh man, college students can eat! They devoured 8 large pizzas and several gallons of cider!). It was SUCH a GREAT night!!!

Facebook status post: “Tonight is trick-or-treating in our very own neighborhood (campus)! Incredible for me to witness this experience— totally 100% student-organized Halloween for our 3 bambinos (and only for our 3 bambinos; they are the only campus kids)! Trick-or-treating at the residence halls… An amazing thing for a professor to get to do. This is one of my favorite nights of the year of living on campus!— at Lehigh University.”

* * *

After Spooktacular 2014, and Sayre Halloween 2014, it was finally October 31st, 2014 — and by that time I was just about all Halloween’ed out. But, alas, there was still Halloween 2014 to do. There were the bambinos’ school Halloween parties and their school Halloween Parade…

…and then there was actual Halloween night.

That night we went to our friends, The Reeds, house — they live in a perfect trick-or-treating neighborhood right on the edge of campus. We had pizza and hung out with them and by the time it was dark and trick-or-treating time I was just about 100% spent. I took only one picture that night, but it pretty much sums up the entire experience:

Facebook status post: “This Elsa costume got a LOT of use over the past couple of weeks. And this mama is officially done with the whole extravaganza that is Halloween “season.” Sugar highs. Sugar lows. Done and done. Halloween 2014 over and out!”

The next morning — November 1, 2014 — I went to work and rid every square inch of our entire apartment of everything-and-anything Halloween-related. Including the HUGE amount of candy that the bambinos had acquired over the entire Halloween season. This, for sure, is a perk of living in a dorm with a Residential Fellow family:

It was amazing how fast that candy disappeared!

A few weeks ago, we had the students of Kappa Delta over to our apartment for a Mocktail Party. It was a great event, and — among other things — I ended up being asked by the sorority to be their faculty advisor (to which I agreed), and they also reciprocated our invitation by inviting us to their house for dinner. I decided that Meera and I would take them up on the dinner invite, and leave the “boys” of our family at home for the evening.

I had never (in my life!) been inside a sorority (although, Meera has actually been in a few!), and I was so excited for the night. Meera and I decided to bring them a painted canvas, just like the ones they had brought us when they came to our apartment. I got Meera set up, but she did the entire thing herself, and was really proud of it. We gave it to the Kappa Deltas upon our arrival to their (beautiful) sorority house — and then we had a delicious dinner (seriously, they have an AMAZING chef!). After dinner we were treated to a tour of their house (which I, of course, found absolutely fascinating!).

The funniest part was that Meera was very distressed that none of their beds were made— so she went through the sorority room-by-room making their beds for them! Soooooo funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We later received an email from the sorority president with a photo of Meera’s canvas (along with her 1st grade school photo, which we had also given them), displayed in the entrance foyer of the sorority house! Too cute!

The second half of last week Heather was out of town at a conference for work.  The kids had Friday off from school and I took the day off too.  We watched a family movie on Thursday night to kick off the weekend.

On Saturday morning, I had planned to have lunch in the treehouse. When the rest of our plans got switched around it turned into breakfast. And breakfast meant the muffins Heather had made.

The funny thing was that in the morning, all three kids had no interest in going to the tree house and actively resisted.  Now, I say it was interesting like that’s somehow unusual that they would resist a suggestion.  It’s not – it’s only unusual that I would be the one making the suggestion and putting into action. I did eventually drag them out there and guess what?  They LOVED it.  Every second.  You can see it.

***

In our life, Heather has the role of Program Planner. That means she takes on all the coordination of what we do – socializing, activities, things like packing breakfast for a tree house picnic. That’s layered on top of her overwhelming work (I saw her calendar for the last week – 30min-2hour meetings back to back, without break from the start of the day until the end – oh yes, and teaching 200 students, serving on committees, and planning her next book). That layered on top of being responsible for our food and school care.  It’s truly the second (and maybe third and fourth) shift that she takes.  I don’t even know if that really captures it.

I am very lucky.  I am lucky that I get to have the whole package – a wife with an important career (I love that) and I a wife who gives us a rich, filling, healthy life (and I love that too).  On the off-occasion that I am the program planner, I get a little glimpse into her world.

When I look at this picture, and I see the delight of these three of having that breakfast in the tree house, what I see is how lucky I am for what Heather has given us.

A day in the tree house having muffins is so much more than that. It’s the accumulation of effort of 10 years of love. A brief note of recognition and appreciation.

There is no particular reason I posted this, other than sometimes, for those of us who are less expressive than we should be, it needs to be said.

Yesterday was Lehigh’s Spooktacular, a major event hosted by Lehigh’s Community Service Office, and spear-headed by our friend Carolina Hernandez. It is such an amazing event! The bambinos have looked forward to this all year, and it did not disappoint! Games, crafts, food, trick-or-treating, haunted houses, pumpkin-carving, and lots and lots of attention from so many awesome Lehigh student volunteers. A spectacular Spooktacular 2014!!!

P.S. This year Kyle is Percy Jackson; Meera is Elsa; and Owen is a Star Wars Sith!

We had the Sayre Gryphons over for dinner tonight. Allie took this selfie. Too cute!

We’ve been hosting a ton of events at our home since we moved back in for this academic year. The renovation of the apartment has made the space so perfect for inviting people in, and we’ve been really maximizing it. In the past 7 weeks, we’ve hosted 8 different events.

Tonight, though, we had what I think was my favorite event in our entire time of living on campus. I know, for sure, it was Meera’s favorite. We invited the wonderful young women of Kappa Delta sorority for a study break/“Mocktail Party.” It was so enjoyable and lovely and warm and fuzzy and inspiring and uplifting. We have relationships with a bunch of these women (some of whom lived in Sayre with us last year; some of whom have been students of mine), and I’ve always been super impressed with them. But it was awesome to have them all together in our home. I cannot tell you how inspiring it is for me to see these smart, ambitious, beautiful young women taking on the world. I loved every minute of the event!

Meera was thrilled-beyond-thrilled to have a home full of “girls.” For a long stretch there was serious drawing/coloring going on. Meera was in heaven!

But the cutest thing of all was the hostess-gift they brought for me/us:

It was such a fabulous experience! I haven’t been blogging, but I don’t want to forget about this one.

Oh goodness gracious! I have been flooded with email requesting that I post about the apartment renovation!!! You all, my dear readers, are such a wonderful and loyal bunch! Thank you for caring. Yes, ok, yes, at some point I will do a big post on the apartment renovation! (I have about a million photos of the whole thing; it will just take me a while to work my way through that project.) But yes, it will happen. Thanks y’all!

Well, folks, I’ll be honest: I’m having a really hard time blogging this academic year.

You know, I started this blog on October 11, 2006. That was exactly 8 years ago yesterday. It was also, not coincidentally, the exact month that my first book came out in print. I say, “not coincidentally,” because I had finished that project and was needing a major creative outlet. The blog became that for me in many ways. A lot has happened since then (including a second edition of that book, due out later this year).

I’ve had ebbs and flows in my blogging over all these years — times when I’ve blogged a lot, and times when I’ve blogged a little less, but I’ve been pretty consistent at it, and I’ve found myself compelled to do it, and I’ve enjoyed it. But these past couple of months — in particular, these past couple of weeks — I just don’t have it in me.

And I know why it is. It is because I’m working on some other things that are consuming my creative energy. I have a couple of projects going right now that are really acting as my creative outlet. I can’t say how long this will last, but I have decided that I’m going to (for once in my life!) cut myself a break and not beat myself up over it. I know I’m disappointing a lot of readers by not being regular with my blogging. I feel really bad about that. But right now, I need to devote my energies to some other things. I’m sorry.

But the thing is — these other things I’m working on are really exciting for me! I am really needing to focus on them. So, for the time being, I’ll just be frank: my blogging will be spotty at best. I won’t be consistent. My posts may be few and far between. But I will hopefully put some stuff up from time to time for the sake of keeping it going and not ending it entirely. I don’t know if maybe sometime soon I’ll have the compulsion to blog regularly and frequently and consistently and in-depth again (Braydon thinks I will). For now, I just don’t want to feel badly about my lack of doing it. So, I’m trying to take the pressure off by just letting y’all know what is going on here in Never-A-Dull-Moment-Land.

Speaking of creative outlets…

Meera continues to draw/paint/color every single day. And I love that about her. She’s a girl after my own heart — a girl who needs to express herself. I am happy for her, and I’m happy to see her expressions. Above is a drawing she did yesterday. This marks a major milestone in that, for the very first time, she’s drawn something with 3-dimensional perspective. The person (who is, as labeled, [spelled phonetically by Meera], Sacagawea) is standing in the foreground with the mountain peaks behind her. This is a big step for our girl. [Note: she also signed her name both “Meera” and “Maira,” which is, according to her, her “Spanish name.” ???] Anyway…. I wanted to post this drawing because it is a big deal for our little Artist. She was 100% unaware that she had done this special 3-D thing… which is, really, the coolest part of all. She’s just developing, without being too self-conscious of herself. I wish I could say the same about me.

Thanks for reading everyone. Please keep checking back. I am here, just slightly pre-occupied.

~Heather

Part III — the final installment of the Brown and White series — came out today. Here it is:

http://thebrownandwhite.com/2014/09/29/family-living-in-sayre-part-3/

Today, after school/work, I was making dinner in the kitchen while Meera sat at the counter coloring and talking to me about her day. She was telling me about something really mean that two girls did to her at lunch today (classic girlie exclusive behavior where the two were purposefully leaving Meera out of a snippy-nasty little game they were playing). After telling me her achey-heart lunchtime story from today, Meera waited for my reaction~~~

Heather: Girls can be so mean.

Meera: I know! And that’s what I’m gonna have to live through for the rest of my life!

Despite the fact that I know (both from direct first-hand personal experience growing up as a girl myself, and from all the research I’ve read on the topic) that this sort of thing is — unfortunately — totally typical, it nonetheless makes my heart ache for my girl. First grade is tough stuff. And the actual school work is just the tip of the iceberg.

I am still trying to play catch-up, with so much still to post about. In the meantime, I have to post this photo (above) today, specifically per Kyle’s request.

During a day-trip to Philadelphia on Sunday, walking down the street (after having stopped for the most delicious gelato), Kyle stopped me and asked me to take a photo of us together, “for the blog.” Owen overheard this, and jumped right into our selfie (bunny ears over his brother and all), in order for me to capture the shot above. Unfiltered, unedited, I love it for the moment that it captures: the boys vis-à-vis the blog.

I had always thought that as the bambinos got older I’d eventually stop blogging for their sakes. I figured that one or all three of them would reach a point where they wouldn’t want photos of themselves plastered online for all the world to see; or that they’d become embarrassed by their mother’s blogging; or they’d decide it was time for their online presence to be fully within their own control…. or something like that. Instead, strangely enough, and much to my surprise, it has — at least so far — been quite the opposite. While Meera, at age 6, is still pretty much oblivious to the blog, Kyle and Owen, at age 10, are fully aware of it and embracing it more and more with the passing of time.

Kyle and Owen now frequently talk to me about their ideas for blog posts I should write (or not write), or point out photos I should take (or not take), or tell me stories of their experiences in regard to the blog (“Hey mom, did you know that Suzie’s mother reads the blog?!” or “Hey mom, Joey’s dad makes that recipe you posted on the blog!” or — the latest, from today: “Hey mom, we showed our whole class the blog today in Tech Lab!” um, what?!?!!!). It is all very bizarre actually. But it is what it is: the boys are seemingly leaning into the blog rather than pushing it away.

I’m not sure what exactly made Kyle want this photo so much, or why it is important to him that it is posted. I wouldn’t have taken it, and I wouldn’t have posted it. But we seem to be turning some sort of corner with blogging, or maybe turning the page to a new chapter in it. My hunch is that as time marches on there will be more material here that is more and more heavily influenced by what the boys want to see posted (or not). Never a dull moment.

Part II came out today. Here it is:

http://thebrownandwhite.com/2014/09/22/family-living-in-sayre-part-2/

Lehigh’s student newspaper, The Brown and White, is doing a three part series of articles about our family’s experience with living on campus. The first installment came out yesterday. Here it is:

http://thebrownandwhite.com/2014/09/15/sayre-home-to-lehigh-professor/?utm_content=buffer2d71a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=plus.google.com&utm_campaign=buffer