Heading to High School

 

First Day at Bentley High School,  8/26/2021.

This past August, Amara began high school.  Yes, Amara is a freshman! What a huge milestone for her and our family. But before I get into that, I have to share how she worked her tail off during her entire time at Montessori Family School, with the goal of getting in the high school of her choice. Amara has always been a committed student, who is also a gentle but strong leader amongst her peers. Even when times were (very) tough in Middle School, she persevered. Her goal was to get into a high school where she could continue to learn, ask questions of her teachers to help her learn, do sports and to have a bigger social network so that she could make new friends.  It was a tough application year for independent schools but Amara did make into her top school of choice (and was also waitlisted and later offered a spot at her second choice). I cried tears of joy, my heart full of pride for this young being who strived to make her high school dream a reality. Because the path to getting there was fraught with so much tension and stress, the reward of her acceptance was so much sweeter. 

Prior to the first day of school, there was an equal mixture of excitement and nerves.  That was understandable. Amara being Amara, well there were some dramatic moments, where she expressed both the thrill and the terror. I hate to remind her, once again. that all new things take time to adjust too. That it was exciting but scary too. We bought new clothing, shoes and got haircuts, which helped fray some nerves. I took off the first day to drive her and cried when I drove away.  I just couldn't comprehend that Amara was going to High School. By the end of that first day, Amara was absolutely certain she made the right choice for high school. She'd been practicing for cross country for the two weeks leading up to the first day. This allowed her to get to know some peers. And within the first few weeks, she and a group of others students formed their own circle that was welcoming and inclusive. It was a breath of fresh air for Amara. No bullies, no exclusion.  I have had to remind her that it will take time for her to find her true peeps but for now, there have been social outings to Berkeley, Walnut Creek, swimming at friends houses and more. All the things she longed for but was not attainable in a much smaller school setting and then with the pandemic hitting. Amara has had some bumps getting up to speed with Algebra and Physics but she is acing Spanish, English and History.  Her peer advisor told us during conference that in most classes, Amara is speaking up. That is a huge step for her. In MFS, the only feedback we heard consistently over the years is that Amara did not speak up that much. Well, she seems to be coming into her own at last.

It's too early to tell how things will go moving forward but I suspect it won't be that much different. Highs and lows of high school are sure to follow but overall I think she will continue loving the academic environment, sports and social aspects of her high school. And I can't exclude art, which she loves. I have heard Amara say many times that she loves her school. I not not seen her this happy about school in several years. My heart is very relieved.  So here's to a pretty good start of high school, the last years of her childhood. It is bittersweet but I am going to relish each moment with her.

Norcal Road Trip~Part 1

We returned home from our SoCal road trip late on Sunday evening.  We all unpacked, crashed and spent the next day doing some things around the house for school and work. We then packed up again for an early morning drive up the coast to our first stop in Gualala. A two night stay at a friends Airbnb nestled in the peaceful redwoods allowed time to rest and explore the coast a bit. A long days drive up to Ft. Bragg followed including traversing over a very windy highway 1 to 101. We felt like we were actually in the world of Harry Potter. Huge, thick redwood forests, moist and deep green. It felt like were were in a different reality. We made it to Humboldt tired and ready for food and rest.  We met Uncle Mark (my oldest brother) for dinner before crashing for the night. We spent a day hiking in Fern Gully, exploring some quaint coastal towns and navigating some grumpy preteen energy. We had a great time even with those bumpy moments. 

My dear friend Holly (we go back to 1988) joined us for our adventures and then treated us to a splendid morning Kayaking on the Humboldt Bay. that was a most wonderful and meaningful gift. We saw seals as we made our way around the Bay, under the fog that is a fixature on the California coastline. 

Along the ride home, we made a spontaneous spot along the river for a jump in the river. It was hot, the river cool and it was a good time for all.  I had many memories come flooding back while passing through my hold hometown in Southern Humboldt. It made me pause and reflect on how my life looked then and how it looked now. Some things have change drastically, while others remain the same. Traveling, spiritual practice and time with loved ones, those are things that have only grown stronger over time. For that, I am thankful.  

We made it home, once again late in the evening, tired and a ready for our own beds but thankful for living in a such a glorious state. One where we could just get in the car, hit the road and amazing adventures. We are fortunate and we are grateful.

Amara & Holly in a shop owned by a local tribe family. It was pretty cool in there.

My big brother Mark & I.

Two Sisters in Summertime

 

Two Sisters. Two years & three weeks apart. Similar in many ways. Different in many ways.

They fight. They fuss. But they watch each other's back & they ask each other's opinions, alot.

They enjoy each other's company & do many things together. 

They are best friends. Even if they won't admit it. 

Two Small Gems. Two Sisters. Friends for Life.

SoCal Road Trip~Part 2~Universal Studios- (A Very Late Hanukkah Present)

 

During the pandemic, our family, like all others had to put holiday celebrations on hold.  We are not a religious family. We know that religion is archaic and in many cases, does more harm than good to the heart and soul. We are however aware of our spiritual nature. That is quite different than religious dogma. And still, we enjoy celebrating some traditional holidays with family. It's more like meaningful family get togethers, than honoring some outdated religious practice. We enjoy Christmas Eve with Don's family and we also celebrate Hanukkah and Passover (where we modernize it with more more spiritual inquiry) with our  family.  But in 2020, we had to nix all of that.  We had quiet time at home, which to be honest, which was a nice change of pace. But, we did not nix the Hanukkah gift giving. Like years before, we opted to do one big gift instead of 8. Since we normally celebrate Christmas at home and Christmas Eve with Don's family (which means a lot of loot for the girls), we have long come to realize that the girls don't need more stuff from us during Hanukkah.  For the past few years,  Hanukkah gifts have included one big event, like tickets to the Lion King,  Shin Lim, things that have the kids would enjoy much more than if we gave them small tchotchkes they'd soon forget about.  This year was no exception but there was an exception. We gave them a day to Universal Studios. They were besides themselves, running around, jumping up and down.  They were going to go to Universal Studios where there was Harry Potter world. Yippee Yahoo! But....we were in a pandemic.  When the heck would we be able to actually go? That was the million dollar question.

When we planned our Socal road trip, Don thought it might be a good time to surprise them by cashing in their 9 month old Hanukkah gift. While we had been traveling during the summer, Covid was still a big deal (still is) and we were never in crowds like those we might encounter at Universal studios.  So there was some concern.  We were all long vaccinated,  but we did not want to wait in long lines so close to others.  After a couple of days of whispered discussion, Don and I opted to go for it .  We told the girls and they got loud!!  We ended up doing the express pass to make things a little better. It would be an added expense but we were aware we were fortunate to splurge and it just felt that it would be safer and much more enjoyable to not have to worry about those close quarter lines as well as wait times. It turned out to be a wise investment.  We were able to enjoy the park much more than had we not.  It turned out to be very hot as well so not waiting was great. And, we went on multiple rides multiple times. 

The girls and Don were especially excited about Harry Potter World. They had read the books (Amara not all but Don and Havana had together) and all I had heard about for years was Harry Potter World.  I was not too  interested in reading the books or Mr. Potter in general,  but once we go to Universal Studios, I too got hooked. It really was magical. The girls and their dad had to try butter beer (I opted out) and Havana who once dislike roller coasters, went on the  Harry Potter one about half a dozen times with her sister in tow. We explored all the shops, with all the decorations and the girls (and Don), were over the moon. Just watching them was the best part for me. 

We enjoyed the other rides as well, the studio tour and I especially LOVED the Hello Kitty store, complete with Hello Kitty outside for photo ops. One ride was too scary but the little kid ones were not too little for any of us.  We also got to meet Scooby Doo, Homer Simson and a host of others.  In really was a magical day, one for the soul (inner) child to let lose and have fun.  We left tired, hungry and with sore feet but with smiles and very happy hearts.