January, the most dreadful month of the year

Apologies, in advance, to Randy for criticizing January since it's his birthday month, but I think it is a terrible month and this is why:
1. It's cold and dark.
2. We are broke from Christmas.
3. It feels really long.
4. It takes forever.  Wait, that's the same as #3.
5. It feels like spring will never come.

Pretty much, that's it.  But, I must say, this January was okay.  It's been a mild, albeit wet, winter, so we have had some balmy days (aka in the 50's) and the time has just been flying.  I have been enjoying the sunrises on the way to work in the past week or two (last week I called Randy on the way and said, "LOOK OUT THE WINDOW.  IT'S AMAZING!!!") and I have hope for nicer weather (as I type, the sun is shining in the window and it's supposed to hit 60 degrees this week!  I expect all Portlanders to be in shorts.).

However, with all that talk of nicer weather, we had a surprise snowstorm at the beginning of January which held off school for everyone in Oregon except for McMinnville.  Randy was a crazy man, as usual, and went went fishing, while Trey and I went sledding with our friends in the neighborhood.

Trey, Zack and Owen, two buddies from soccer and kindergarten 

Trey has been waiting a long time to do this. 

School started on January 4th and I will admit I was dreading it.  The dread was a little different from last year...last year I was dreading it because I was so depressed about my job.  This year I was dreading it because I knew how hard it would be jumping back into full time work and full time grad school after a blissful two weeks off.  While the anticipation of the unknown is hard for me, so is the known sometimes...but it must be done.

I got home on Monday night, after my first day back and Trey's extra day off, and received a special surprise package in the mail from my friend Beth.  She had knit me a hat which I have carried with me ever since, yet the weather has been pretty mild after our snowstorm.  Nevertheless, I was happy to be thought of by a special friend and am grateful for the gift.

Later that Monday night I had a pretty unpleasant meeting with some university staff from my grad program.  It really threw me for a loop, and I have not had an experience, either professionally or academically, like that in my life.  I don't mean to be vague, but I also don't want to get into details, yet I'll say it was a very difficult few weeks and the impact still lingers on my daily happenings in my program.  I share the following text exchange with Nyree because it not only encompasses how I felt that week but also shows how much I love Nyree and her support.

What I've learned this month is that I can pull through hard things, keep my dignity in tact, and relish in the support of my friends and colleagues.  While I have felt like I have bent over and taken it rather than defended myself in a situation that damaged my professional and personal reputation, I think I have made the right decisions for my future and my imminent path.  It sucks, and I know I'm being vague, but that's how it has to be on my blog.

Moving on...let's talk about the Broncos.  If you didn't know, my husband is a fan and he's successfully turning our son into a fan as well.  I think this is awesome because I want our son to be just like his father in (almost) every way.  The picture below was pre-playoff game, and the outcome was positive.  The Super Bowl starts in mere hours, and I can only hope that the outcome will be the way the Clark house wishes.

The night of the game there was a birthday dinner for Uncle Tim.  We had a good time celebrating at IBU, one of our new favorite places to eat and drink. I left feeling that my sister is super lucky to have such amazing family-in-laws.

Randy counting syllables for his haiku to Nicole 

What you see there is a key hanging from my mirror on my dresser.  My dear friend, boss, and mentor, Lee Ann, gave me that key at one of our meetings and said it was from her keyhole experience.  She described it as looking through the keyhole and not knowing how you'd get through to the other side with all of the stuff that has to fit through (I'm not paraphrasing it well).  What I love most about this key is that I have the support of Lee Ann through my grad school experience.  I have a lot of mentors in my special ed world (A LOT) and I am so lucky, but if I could be like Lee Ann when I grow up, I would be so lucky.  As I look at these words next to the picture of the key and me and my mom, I only wish that Lee Ann and my mom would have met.

I'm not sure what night this was from, but it is of Trey, Grady, and Case at Julie's house playing with the cushions and watching a movie.  Trey has been asking for a little brother lately,  and that makes me pretty sad.   Another baby is not in our future, but how do you explain that to your "only" child?  Any ideas from you readers would be welcome.

I've been knee deep in grad school, and while the above mentioned meeting was difficult, I still have to forge on.   It has been busy, and I have had to accept a messy house and not being able to cook normal food for the family.  I realized that not only have I hit midterm for winter term (scary since there are A LOT of big projects to do in the next five weeks), but I have hit the midway point for the full-time coursework I am doing.  THAT is encouraging.

What a normal night looks like in the Clark house 

Trey has definitely been missing the attention that he normally gets from me.   He wants to be near me whenever he can and constantly seeks my focus.  One night we had movie night, and while I'm working on the computer which is on the arm of the couch, he gradually worked his way into my lap and was holding my hand.  Super sweet.

Trey is still doing karate, and I think Randy and I enjoy it more than he does.  As I've said before, we enjoy the direction on focus, listening to your parents, and stranger danger.

Our first visit to Krispy Kreme after Saturday morning karate 

Getting some work done with Trey right next to me, of course 

Saturday afternoon playdate at Hopworks with Camille and Mindy 

You get the idea, right? 

There's a reason it's hard to get any work done around here... 

Sunday morning playdate at Pump It Up, Jr. with Trey's preschool friends.  We don't get to see them as much as we'd like, but our connection continues.  Here Trey is with Torryn, Ryland, and Everett.  Xander, Torryn's little brother, would not get in the picture.

Trey has been writing a ton and wants to be an author.  He likes to sit at my dresser in my bedroom and work on his writing.  As you can imagine, I love this.

Lastly, I wanted to include this picture of my Woodburn friends.  It showed up on my Facebook wall recently in their daily memories feed.  This was four years ago and includes Ardis, Susan, Shelley, Dora, Cindy, Stacy, and Steve.  I love that this group of friends continues to get together.  I continue to think about Shelley, who passed away this past summer, and miss her.  There are still moments where I want to text her (usually about the Bachelor or Top Chef) or expect to see her when we all get together.  I think I even had a dream about her last night.  

Time to stop procrastinating and start cleaning or doing coursework.  But I'm proud of myself that I got my January post done so soon after the month ended.  This is progress, people!

Reading Roundup

For those of you who read my blog, you know I love to write about a few things - my family, my friends, and books.  I feel like I have some loose strings if I don't do a reading roundup of what I've been reading for...the past six months.  Yes, it's been this long since I've written about books, but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading.  Yes, I have been reading more for school and less for pleasure, but my love affair with the library and booklists has continued, and Trey and I have also expanded our horizons for our read alouds.

One of my dreams came true over Christmas break and I started reading Charlotte's Web to Trey at night.  We are only a few chapters in, but he seems into it so far.  I am so excited to read him some of my childhood favorites.

Trey's favorite new series is Captain Awesome.  We have read all of them and he is very sad that the next one won't come out until March.  We just started reading Galaxy Zack, and that might tide us over.  His other favorites are the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems.  He can read most of the words now by himself, so that makes them extra fun.

I won't list everything I've read since June, but in looking at my book journal, the books seem to fall into three categories - historical fiction, young adult, and borderline grocery store fiction.  The grocery store fiction includes some chick lit, but it is mostly stuff you might buy at the check out stand, the book section at Fred Meyer, or maybe even the airport.  It's what doesn't take a lot of concentration and what I like to say "won't win any awards."  During grad school, my brain is pretty dead by the end of the day, so while I still like to read, I can't bring myself to put too much concentration into my bedtime reading - thus young adult and grocery store.

One of my favorite genres is historical fiction, and I've read some good ones lately.  I really enjoyed Circling the Sun by Paula McLain which was about Beryl Markham, the first female pilot who crossed the Atlantic, and was a great read.  It made me want to read West with the Night, her autobiography, but I haven't gotten around to that yet.  I also really liked Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan, who also wrote Loving Frank which I liked, which was about the wife of Robert Louis Stevenson.  Even though I had no particular interest in Stevenson or his wife, it was a really intriguing story.

I also enjoyed the Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy which was about the Civil War and the Underground Railroad.  I did read Nightengale by Kristin Hannah which I thought I would like more than I did.  I just don't think Hannah is that great of an author and I felt pretty judgy as I read it.  I also thought it lasted too long and I was dissatisfied with the ending.  Why it is on the New York Times list I have no idea.  Lastly, I just finished the third of Jane Smiley's trilogy which included Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age.  It spanned over 100 years with the same family, and I found it really enjoyable.  I liked the third installment best, but the other two were also good.

A few other novels I read that don't fit into my three categories but are worth mentioning are the Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman, which I thought was excellent and I just read is being turned into a movie.  I loved the story, albeit sad, and couldn't put it down.  I read Kent Haruf's last book that was completed before he died but published after called Our Souls at Night. I have read most of his novels, and he was a favorite of my mom's and mine.

Ann Packer is another of my favorite authors (Dive From Clausen's Pier is one of my all-time favorites) and her newest, the Children's Crusade, came out this spring.  I promptly bought it but read it over the summer.  I thought it was okay.  A memoir that I enjoyed (and Michelle Obama said was her favorite book of the year) was the Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander.  It is a story written about the death of her husband and her grief, and while the topic is clearly sad, the book was beautifully written.

I recently read Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff which has been on several Best of 2015 lists and I was a little disappointed.  It is a story of a marriage; the first half is told from the viewpoint of the husband, and the second half is told from the viewpoint of the wife.  I'm not totally sure why everyone loved it so much (it was actually President Obama's favorite book of the year - but not why I read it) and moments like this make me question my judgment as a reader.

In terms of my grocery store books, my favorite was the Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan.  It was a super fun book that was a spin on Will and Kate, and I really enjoyed it.  It is a perfect read for something that is decently written but doesn't require deep thinking.

I liked the new book called After You by Jojo Moyes okay.  I was a little disappointed because I have liked her others a lot.  This was the sequel to Me Before You, which I really loved.  Now that I'm writing about it, I can't even remember what happened in the book, which tells you something.  A friend of mine recommended a Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan, which was about the woes of a working mother, and while I finished it, I really didn't like it.  I'm not even sure why I finished it.  I think so that if my friend asks me about it, I can tell her I read the whole thing.  But then we get into that tough spot where someone really likes a book and you do not, and it feels a little awkward...luckily, it hasn't come up yet.  I have read a few others that fit into this category, but I don't even want to mention them...yes, that bad.

Young adult books are my new favorite grad school genre.  There are some really good books out there that are well written which fill my overstressed overwhelmed overtired reading need.  They read quick, but they are quality.  I really liked the War that Saved my Life by Kimberly Bradley and Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead.  I also enjoyed the Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin.  I think I can fit in a few more grown up books at the beginning of this term before jumping back into young adult.

Right now I'm reading Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson, which just won the National Book Award, and then I'm going to try to read Purity by Jonathan Franzen before the term gets too heavy.  I just read that Richard Russo has a new book coming out this spring that is a sequel to Nobody's Fool, so I think I'll get that on my list, and I also am looking forward to Curtis Sittenfeld's new book that is a take on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  I love following book blogs, and reading about new titles is one of the things I love best about Twitter.  I've been listening to some good audiobooks too, but I think I'll save that for another post.  Happy reading, everyone!  Any suggestions - send them my way!

Holiday Fun!

Christmas is so much better when viewed through the eyes of a child!  Randy and I have so much fun celebrating the holidays with Trey, partly because he gets so excited!  He has been counting down to Christmas (well, he's been counting down to Santa and getting presents) for the past few weeks.  Every morning he wakes and tells me how many more days until Christmas.

On Christmas Eve morning, we went to JJ Jump to meet Mindy and Camille.  Julie and the boys came too, and it was a great way for the kids to burn off some energy and kill some time before Christmas Eve dinner.

a blurry pic of the boys in the bounce house 

Trey and Camille, friends forever

Christmas Eve night we Facetimed with Doug and Carmen.  We went up to see them after Christmas, but this may have been the first time in quite a while that we weren't actually with them on Christmas Day.

Randy and I hosted Christmas Eve dinner with my family.  Julie, Tim, Grady, Case, and my dad joined us for a "fancy" dinner.  Randy made a ham from the pig we bought that was DELICIOUS.  We also had some of our customary Christmas food (e.g. raspberry jello casserole and glog), and it turned out to be a really good meal.

Trey had been counting the minutes to opening some presents since he woke on Christmas Eve morning.  The kids opened the family gifts, and they all seemed pretty pleased with their loot.

Randy packed my gifts with packing peanuts, which turned out to be one of the hits of the night.  The kids had a ton of fun playing with the peanuts, and Randy had a ton of fun vacuuming them up.

After presents, we went to my second cousin Erika's house for her Christmas Eve party.  This is a family affair, and it was nice to see some relatives who we have not seen in a while.  We did not stay long because we wanted to get the kids in bed, especially since I knew Trey would wake at the crack of dawn, if not before, to see what Santa brought him.

For some reason, Grady found himself a spot hidden away to eat his snacks. 

And for some weirder reason, Case did the same thing.  

When we got home, Trey and I put out cookies, milk, and carrots for Santa and his reindeer.  Trey wrote a note to Santa and went right to bed (ha).

I tossed and turned all night because I was afraid that Trey was going to wake at 2 or 3am and freak out that we weren't going to let him open presents that early.  I was hoping he would make it to 6, but at 5:40am he was up and ready to go.  We all trudged out to the living room, and Trey was happy to see that Santa and his reindeer enjoyed their treats and filled the stockings (and then some).

Reading Santa's note back 

After present opening, the Clarks spent a good portion of the morning on the couch.  It's exhausting to be awoken so early by an excited five year old!

Later that morning, we went to Julie and Tim's to hang out for a bit with my dad.  Grady (aka Batman) was having fun trying to build with his new Legos.

The day after Christmas Curt and Ana came over for another Christmas dinner.  I made a yummy Tuscan white bean soup in the slow cooker and we enjoyed a nice bottle of wine, after more Lego building, of course.

Trey's reading has exploded over Christmas break.  It has been so awesome to watch.  He loves it when I write him little stories and then he reads them back.  In this story below, he gave me the words "save the world from evil doers," but the rest of the words he was able to read on his own.

On Sunday the 27th, we drove up to Port Townsend to see Grandpa Doug and Grandma Carmen.  We spent three nights with them and also took a daytrip to Anacortes to see Great-Grandma Alice.  It was a relaxing trip and nice to spend time with Randy's family.

 Doug and Trey reading about dinosaurs

Checking out the lights at the casino in Sequim 

Trey trying to be a stealth ninja and blending in with the post 

More reading 

Some family Lego building bonding time... 

That didn't last long... 

But Randy stuck with it and finished the project. 

 Julie bought me a new book light which I used every night as I fell asleep.

The family on the ferry on the way to Anacortes 

Visiting with Great-Grandma Alice 

Stopping for ice cream on the way home 

On New Years Eve we had the Kopplins and Witteveens over for dinner and drinks.  Luckily, we all have kids, so they weren't offended when I asked them if they would leave by 10pm since I didn't want Trey to stay up until midnight.   We had haystacks for dinner and lots of laughs.  The kids played great together and the grownups got to talk.  It was a fun night!

Yesterday, New Years Day, Julie came over with the boys for a bit so they could play and we could have some mimosas.  I just love that they live so close and that we can see each other so frequently.

Case, a surfer in the making, just like his daddy

Overall, 2015 was a great year.  As I reflect, the things that stand out most are the summer beach trip we took with my family for my dad's 70th birthday, Trey starting kindergarten, and my decision to go back to school to be a school psychologist.  We have also witnessed some hard times - watching Madi go through cancer treatment (successfully, thank god) and the loss of my friend Shelley to cancer stand out most of all.  I have been practicing gratitude, and at the end of 2015 I am most grateful for the health of my family, the opportunities for Randy and I to take new career paths, and the joy of my child.  I'm also grateful for the relationships in my life and the support I get from people, near and far, who make each day a better one.  Happy New Year and here's to another great year!