Wednesday, October 22 - Friday, October 24

The focus on the second half of this week was Thursday, Lucia's big XC final at the WPIALs in White Oak. Andrew managed to sprint through Newark after landing from Lima that morning, and got on an earlier flight to Pittsburgh--getting home in time for the race, which he otherwise wouldn't have. I took the afternoon off from work, and we drove together to White Oak. It was a freezing day--perfect for running. The parents were all very nervous, since the teams' performance at WPIALs determined whether they'd go to States next week.

And the kids all did amazingly well. Lucia PR'd again--21:16, dropping another 18 seconds!--as did the other top-five girls on the team. The lead runner set a school record. The girls' team came in 2nd overall, their States slot secured. We stood at a different place than we usually do in White Oak, but Lucia spotted us--and when she saw Andrew there, she gave him a big smile as she ran past. (He teared up.)

The boys also did extremely well, coming in 1st overall. They, too, will go to States.

Our Halloween in Hershey is certain now. (Good thing we already booked a hotel and a pet sitter.) Everyone was just so excited. What a great end to the season.

Friday, Andrew and I went to the opera (La Boheme); Greta stayed home to relax after a busy week of musical rehearsals; and Lucia went to a party. She's peak high school now. This party was a mix of friends, boys and girls, from WT but also Alderdice, at the home of an Alderdice kid she's gotten friendly with through other friends. She had a great time. It was ostensibly a costume party, and she dressed (kind of) as Lorelai Gilmore, which I think was just an excuse to wear her faux leather jacket from the Taylor Swift concert. (And if you're wondering, yes, I did I reach out to a parent friend who knows the host kid's family to confirm that this was a party our freshly turned sixteen year old should attend. There will soon come a day that I can't, and shouldn't, do such vetting. But not yet.)

Friday was also "visit up" day for Greta, where she spent most of the day in the Upper School, shadowing an Upper School student. That student was Lucia--at both of their requests. Unfortunately, at some point during the day they had to go into a "secure hold" (go and stay in a classroom) because of a "suspect in Point Breeze" (this was all coming from Lucia by text after the threat had past; I have no idea what the story is). What a time we live in. 

Later Friday, once we were all back home, Lucia was telling me her plans to get up early on Saturday but knew she would not actually be successful in doing so. She's been putting her phone-alarm in her bathroom so she has to get out of bed when it goes off in the morning--then she gets back into bed and falls asleep. "I need a Rude Gomer machine," she said. "A Role Gopher. With a wire I trip over that sets a lot of things in motion." 

"A Rube Goldberg machine?" I offered.

"Yes! I need a Rube Goldberg machine that will lock me in my bathroom."

Of course I suggested she engineer one, but she was no longer listening. Friends were texting her photos from the party and she was already gone.