January 2025

 January started out great, and then soured. At Grid + Glam, our Membership launch started strong with 6,000 people signing up for our private Facebook experience. Of those, we expected 200 or so to join, but that's not what happened. So we're sunsetting the Membership, which feels sad but also the right thing to do.

And, on the political side, dealing with all of the executive orders from the Trump Administration has been incredibly stressful on a national level, but also to us personally. In addition to Lynn being impacted, so many of my friends work in the federal government. Lots of tears, confusion, and anger.

But, the kids are still doing great and are mostly unaware of what's happening in that realm. So, let's focus on them.

Lynx's Frosty Pentathlon playlist.

Nova's January Invitational Playlist. Unfortunately, the Sunday session was cancelled due to snow...though it never snowed. As a result, she couldn't qualify for the IMX tournament that we were all really excited about. But, alas. She'll go next year!

Nova is in the black suit and white cap. The two girls behind her are in her practice lane, but are at least a foot taller than her and her buddy (in the blue suit and white cap). So, us parents thought that was pretty funny/cute and took a pic. 

Lynx's swim team held a holiday party in early January. Lynx is here with his buddy Grady.

These three girls were all promoted together to the Advanced Juniors group this past summer. They continue to be the youngest in the group, and they're all blonde. So one of the coaches (Brian Camp) calls them the Three Blonde Mice. 

It snowed in Maryland! 

So the kids went sledding!! 

Winter is a great time to snuggle together while watching tv! 

More fun in the snow! 

Sledding with Daddy and our favorite neighbors!

ICE CWEAM! 

I took Nova to IKEA to buy a shelf for all of the LEGO creations! We also had a scrumptious Swedish dinner.

Same ice cream, new facial expression.

New LEGO bookshelf behind these crazy kiddos! 

Korean school celebration! 

The kids are really into this idea of "chubby cheeks" and "chubby tummies." It's a compliment, so if they tell you you're chubby, be proud. Here they are, showing you their best, chubbiest faces.

December 2024

Welcome to the December blogpost! December was a whirlwind. Lynn was in France (again) for a week, the kids had three separate swim meets, and Christmas came yet again! 

Lynx's Swim meet was a bit of a disaster. The officials were handing out DQ's (or disqualifications) like they were candy. In total, they DQ'ed 234 kids, which has to be some kind of record. As a result, our team won't be returning next year. In addition to this inappropriate DQs, they also have nonsensical rules regarding when and where you can film. An official put her hand over the camera of a friend of mine because she claimed he wasn't where he was supposed to be. It was...bad.

Anyway, here's Lynx's swimming playlist from the Reindeer Mini Meet.
Nova's meets were much less dramatic. Here's the link to the Christmas Champs + Riley Eaton playlist.

Every year, I let the kids purchase 1 decoration for Halloween, and another one for Christmas. This was Lynx's pick. I didn't pay nearly enough attention to its dimensions. I keep saying that we now need a bigger house to accommodate Santa.

This is for record-keeping purposes. The kids continue to make forts at every chance they get. 

Also for record-keeping purposes. Nova goes through phases of reading all the time, and finding some inconvenient times for it. Like at dinner.

Christmas gifts!! 

Lynx has made some really great friends at swimming. On the left is his swimming BFF Liam. The right is a sweet kid who is also a great swimmer, Casey.

Fun at the MLK pool prior to their practice.

Lynx's LEGO creations have reached a new level this fall/winter. This is his own creation and, as you can see, he's quite proud.

Christmas was a relaxing event! The kids loved their gifts and incredible generosity from so many friends and family! 

My friend, Julia, and her girls visited us on Dec. 27! We went swimming, had dinner, opened gifts, and had a great time.

So cute! 

Thanks for the cash Grancy + Scrampi! 

November 2024

November was awesome! The weather was lovely, Thanksgiving was so much fun, and their swim meets were great successes!

Here are videos of Nova swimming at the November Invitational!
Here are videos of Lynx swimming at the Autumn Mini Meet!

The kids will find time to read in almost any place. It's great except when we need to get somewhere!

The kids had so much fun in the backyard with our neighobrs and BFFs! 

They have so much fun together.

My buddy Emily was visiting from Switzerland! I was so happy that we got together! So nice catching up with her after our trip to Paris together last fall.

This is not posed! They just hug each other every now and then - it's the best.

We went to Harry Potter's Forbidden Forest experience in Leesburg, VA. It was awesome!!

They worked so hard on this nest! They wanted the animals to live in there.

Like many others, we decorate for Christmas on Black Friday. The kids LOVE it and look forward to it for weeks, even though it usually takes us about 15 minutes total.

For YEARS the kids have been turning my sunroom into a multi-layered fort. I thought I really ought to capture one of them! 

More reading! hah!

Here are some recent quotes from my kids! 

November
I asked the kids what they were passionate about. Lynx said Korean. Nova said Christmas presents.

October 2024
Nova: Do I have attractiveness? Because two boys have a crush on me. Gary and Devon.
I said: yes. You’re exceptionally beautiful so you’re going to have a lot of boys attracted to you.

September 2024
She got mad at Lynx for irritating her while they were sitting really close on the hammock.
She says,”I feel like I want to get Lynx in trouble.”
I said,”oh ya? Do you think you’re cranky?”
She said,”ya probably.”

August 2024,
Riddle:
Soft with soap
Always growing, always falling
With wind it blows, with sun it hotens (gets hot)
Have it short or have it long.
Every one is unique

Answer: hair

Nova is at a swim clinic. Last night, I read to her the tips that the clinic emailed me. They suggested that she write down her favorite parts of the clinic afterward.
She perked up and said,”I think my favorite part will be the snacks.”

“I like watching these Chip and Dale cartoons because they remind me of the good old days”

“Baby, don’t let anything stand in your way!”

July 2024
Nova: at night I get sad because I have to go to practice in the morning and it’s going to be hard.
Me: ya you’ve been practicing a lot this summer. And you don’t have an upcoming meet to work toward anymore. Instead what if you think about using these practices to prep for the fall?
Nova: no that won’t help.
Me: what would help?
Nova: candy

Me: Coach Carrie told me that never has a kid learned and then incorporated everything in a lesson like you did today.
Nova: I know.
Me: you do? Did she tell you that?
Nova: no. I just felt it.

March 2024
Me: I love you nova.
Nova: the thing I love is Harry Potter

April 2024
When asked to attend a sleepover with his friend Theo, he responded by saying, “I prefer going to sleepovers when my sibling is at the house…” 

Every night since forever, I go in bed and lay next to him and he always leans into me. He’s always asleep, but once I lay down, he rolls over or snuggles over to me, puts a foot or a leg or hand on me and snuggle.

Lynx’s favorite expression is: What matters?

July 2024

Lynx: I don’t like backstroke, but I want to work on it today to make it perfect for  the relay on Sunday.

“I don’t know why everyone keeps falling in love with me.” When told another little girl loves him.

Riddle he made up
You can feed on it, but you cannot catch it. It is gas is not liquid. You cannot see it or feel it
Answer: air

Another riddle
It howls, but does not speak.
It cowers but does not have a beak.
Answer: werewolf.

September 2024

This morning, laying in bed, links said that he feels weird. Not icky, just weird.

In the car, I asked him what he means by weird. Wondering if he was going to have a seizure for example. He said sometimes it’s weird to be a human. I would rather be an animal!

October 2024

They’re playing baby shower. Nova is having a baby, and Lynx works at NASA, is in charge of tons of satellites and is super smart.