Mommy's Blog: October 2022

September, as it turns out, did not slow down. All of a sudden here we are in October, holding on to the last vestiges of summer light even as we soak up the crisp air and ochre leaves of a fleeting autumn. Liminal space, this time of year.

I have been living in that liminality on the water, thanks to Betty (I think that's her name, my new kayak). What a gift to be out on the waves, sky spread above, one with the air and the vastness of nature, even as the temperatures drop. These past few weeks have been hectic to say the least but I've managed to carve out some moments of kayaking self-care every few days and that time alone outdoors (with music in my ears and a drink in my hand of course) has been a sanity-saving. It's been a while since I have been this completely happy with a purchase.

A late-September beach day is always a gift. This one ended up (I think, so far) being my last swim of the season. Took Betty to Rocky River beach for a few hours of relaxation before choir rehearsal and it was amazing.

I've always admired this decrepit dock just down the shore from the beach.

In other news- this girl is excited about her tuba! We're now the proud borrowers of this baby, a baritone that takes up an entire corner in the dining room. Worth it though to see her practicing, of her own accord!!

Apparently the one she uses at school is so big she can hardly get her arms around it.

Another thing that I'm proud of about this girl: She is sticking with tennis. Even if she's not particularly great at it. She shows up and tries and supports her friends and is improving. As a perfectionist, I am envious of her ability to not give up the instant she's not great at something. That same tenacity that was evident as an infant is there in the core of her still.

No photos but it should go on record that Jack also did a great job trying a new sport this fall. Going to watch golf matches is apparently not really a thing, so I've not seen him fully in action. But I've seen his swing, and his confidence, improve at the driving range. And he's become obsessed with obtaining ALLL the equipment for this new hobby, a sure tell that he feels competent enough to enjoy himself. And he went into the end of season tournament seeded first on the Heights team and came in 3rd overall, so I'd say a successful season. It's a good thing he took to the sport or we most certainly would not have seen the end of the season. Ivy got the lion's share of tenacity in this family for sure- and Jack the brunt of the perfectionism. The problem with that boy is that he IS really great at so many things he tries, so it really only reinforces the perfectionistic behavior when he's not...

I never stop being amazed at how these children have been so completely themselves, since birth...

As we emerge from the pandemic, favorite events are coming back- including Ingenuity Fest. Nat and I left the kids at home and had a ball at this year's fest. In retrospect we wish we'd brought them along, but with friends, as there was so much great stuff to see and we could've just set them loose to explore.

I described the Fest to a friend as "all the weird art you can imagine, plus fire and music." We were not disappointed this year. We got to hear several different bands AND a comedian, play at a flaming carnival, and watch a tesla coil symphony. And we immersed ourselves in dozens of unique spaces. More than I can describe here. Favorites were the hot air baloon that moved when two other people used the nearby teeter-totter, the "rave room" with techno tracks and beanbags and a hynoptic light show, and the beautiful room of beads and flowers and the world's strangest harp music. We've decided that Ingenuity should just stay year round, open for visits and music every weekend. Once a year is not enough to really soak up this sensory experience.

Got in some time with Gram over the weekend. This is what it looks like when you take teens to visit relatives in 2022. Hi there masks and phones...

Gram is doing ok, but is still unsteady standing and walking after a fall and an ER visit on September 19th. Nothing was broken and she's doing PT and and feeling ok overall, for which we are grateful, but we are hopeful she can get her walking back soon.

Ended the weekend with a gathering of friends...

And a night on my own at our Rexwood getaway. Had this brainstorm that when it is empty SOMEONE ought to be using it and that someone should be me. I love this little place so much. Probably in large part because it is so CLEAN and not full of all sorts of stuff I have to deal with. Life is simpler here...

Betty and I hit the Cuyahoga River on a blessed day off (thank you Rosh Hashana) and just like every other place I have taken her so far, it was perfect.

Then we caught up on laundry and petting the cats before launching into my first concert week of the season for COC.

Dahlia break! These flowers have brought me much joy this fall.

We opened our COC season with Mahler 2 and it really was glorious. The week itself was... intense would be one word for it. We were at Severance every night Tuesday -Saturday, and Wednesday was double booked with my Ski Patrol written final and a dress rehearsal. I *almost* made it from Brandywine to severance in time to sing but ended up having to watch from the house... which turned out to be a real treat. Hi there, free concert....

We also fit in a couple of tennis matches for Ivy, eating dinner most nights, and I think we fed the animals all week?

Which is made more impressive when you add in going out for drinks with my chorus friends on 4 out of the 5 nights we were at Severance. lol I just can't resist these people. It feels so great to have these fun-loving friends, who are always up for drinks and shenanigans. On Thursday, after a tremendous opening night for the Mahler that included no less than 5 curtain calls during the standing ovation, we went over to the Jolly Scholar, the Case campus bar. These people actually got me up on stage with a microphone to sing an ABBA song at karaoke. We even collected two fanboy students who had been at the concert and thought we were amazing.

Saturday at Ski patrol I did not have the best morning. Passing the written test was one thing, doing on-hill scenarios when you are a perfectionist with stage fright and no actual experience in first-responding is a whole other thing. The struggle is real here, people. After spending the first part of the day furious at myself for not being able to control my emotions, I found some solace on the water. Betty and I can be on the water at Euclid Creek in 20 minutes from home. It's amazing.

Too many waves to paddle around to the beach but I walked over and enjoyed the still summer-warm sand for a few minutes too. I love this lake.

Then- off to sing at the Gala! It was such a delight to learn these relatively easy peices with this smaller group of singers. We rehearsed them to perfection at 7:30-- then proceeded to wait until almost 9:30 for the patrons to get to dessert, when we filed in and suprised them with our songs. Turns out a group of fairly drunk gala attendees are not quite the same caliber of audience as we had for Mahler. There were cell phones binging during Sure on This Shining Night, and the entire audience decided to stand (extremely loudly) during the opening bars of America the Beautiful. But Severance looked amazing, I was in great voice, and it was a magical experience nonetheless.

Of course I went out for drinks after- a different group of friends and a fancier venue and still delightful- then treated myself to another night of quiet and calm at Rexwood. This could be habit-forming...

Spent the entire day Sunday being a patient for the Ski Patrol refresher course. Actually kind of fun, and met many nice people. And by 3 pm I was as tired as I've been in a long long time. Woke up to no voice on Monday and dragged myself through the first part of the week.

By Wednesday I was much improved and ready to enjoy another day off (thanks, Yom Kippur).

We brought the whole fam to Holden Arboretum, where we'd planned to just take a short walk and enjoy the warm temperatures, and see the Stickworks before it is taken down at the end of the month. Ended up getting treated to lots of fun fall decor too.