Most of the family activities are revolving around Zach these days. Being an almost-high-schooler is a very busy time, and it makes us excited (and a bit apprehensive) about what the next few years will be like. This week he is picking classes for 9th and 10th grade!
Swimming practices continue, despite us needing to fit them in around his other commitments that are all higher priorities. He likes to see his friends when they are there, but he doesn't enjoy the practices as much as he anticipated and will not continue year-round swim. We went to a swim meet on one of the few weekends that was free and enjoyed cheering him on. We have yet to decide about swim over the summer.
March kicked off training for the 9-day Philmont trek this summer, and Frank and Zach joined other members of the troop for a 10-mile hike. Over the next few months they will work their way up to longer day hikes and three to five day backpacking trips.
Zach has also been practicing with his robotics team since the school year started, and they have their competition next weekend. Unfortunately they have not allowed visitors to the events because of Covid so I have few pictures...I'll see if Zach will take some. It sounds like it has been a lot of fun with his closest friends also being on his team and has been a highlight of his 8th grade year.
And, if all that were not enough to be proud of, Zach was chosen for All-County Band, which meant a couple of evening practices and then a concert. After thinking at one point that middle school was the end of his trombone journey, he is excited, nervous, and committed to high school marching band.
Gabe does not appear in any of my current pictures, but he's doing well. He continues to go to scout meetings, work on merit badges, and attend campouts, with less gusto than Zach but successfully nonetheless. He has his own group of friends in the troop, some of whom are the ones he is on Minecraft with daily. He still plays games with Charlotte sometimes when they are on computers, and he plays with Zach with their stuffed animal menagerie. I think they still have grand adventures, but the rest of us are not usually privy to those "story lines." However, I am amassing quite a number of videos of the monkeys (etc.) that Zach continues to record from time to time. And when I forget how big Gabe is getting, he walks in the room and I remember that he's catching up to Zach (we think he will be taller). I ordered him new shoes, and they are the same size as Frank's! He will also get his braces on in the next couple of months.
Charlotte continues to go to ballet and Girl Scout meetings. She is rocking third grade and learning the entire multiplication table. She is a good sport about getting her shots every afternoon. By my informal measurements she grew an inch between Christmas and the end of February, so we are very curious to see if that continues and hear what her doctor thinks in June.
It's been warm here, then it's been cold here...typical end of winter. Frank and I have mostly kept to our usual exercise schedule, but we've added in walking some evenings while Zach has swim practice. We're working our way through what's trending on Netflix. I'm starting to read travel books about Japan and thinking about making another Disney video clips movie. I think the kids may have forgotten we have a fire pit, but I'm looking forward to s'mores again soon.
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He is super excited to have saved up his money for an Oculus.
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Gabe's new shoes
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Learning about Pakistan on Girl Scouts World Thinking Day and doing a henna tattoo
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Cookie booth at the mall
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