Sunday, December 7 - Wednesday, December 10

Sunday, December 7

Today, in the middle of the afternoon, we all got dressed in holiday-tastic outfits and headed to the Carnegie Museum of Art for a family photo shoot. The museum offers these photo shoots every years, but this was the first year I've had the wherewithal to snag a slot. The photographer took us all over the museum and posed us in a variety of spots--the Christmas trees, the Sol DeWitt wall, the Grand Staircase, the Hall of Sculptures--and in a variety of single, pair, and family arrangements. I can't wait to see the photos. 

Sunday evening we all gathered in front of the fire to watch The Christmas Chronicles, always a favorite. 

Monday, December 8

Monday I worked from home. Lucia stayed home from school with a cold/cough. She was feeling well enough by the end of the day to go to Target with me after work to pick up a few groceries and gifts she needed for a friend's birthday.

Monday evening, Lucia shocked me by asking me to read her "place essay" for her English class, which she's been working on--and resisting my repeated requests to read--for a couple of weeks. I had to stop myself from crowing with excitement. Writing about place is a particular passion/fixation of mine. And I was thrilled to find she'd written an amazing essay--thoughtful, poetic, structurally inventive, with a few vignette-memories peppered throughout. She appreciated--even seemed inspired by--my feedback. It was so lovely. 

Although for the past few years I've been vocal about my children selecting a solid, lucrative career path via a reasonable college major instead of majoring in something like fiber arts; and understanding the difference between a career and a hobby, and that a good life can incorporate both; and that maybe earning a living wage should factor into the equation if one is contemplating whether to major in fiber arts. I read once that majoring in art history shows the same concern for one's professional prospects as getting a face tattoo, and this stuck with me. But! My entire worldview has shifted, for so many reasons, and I'm back in the Humanities For All camp. I can't think of a better way for the girls to spend their college years than studying literature, or art, or philosophy. I say all this because it does seem like the kids are leaning this way--Greta, with her teacher's recommendation that she submit her short stories to contests; Lucia, with her thoughtful and lovely essay writing. I think it's inevitable that they'll end up in the humanities. Don't be fooled by Andrew's successful tech / AI / robotics career. He was an English and Spanish major and talks at least once a week about leaving partnerships / business development / whatever he does and getting a PhD in Spanish literature. The girls are doomed. Or blessed!

Tuesday, December 9

Tonight, despite the busyness of an ordinary weeknight, Andrew and I arranged for the kids to have their piano lessons via Facetime so we could go to the symphony for the Messiah. It was beautiful. The soloists were incredible. We got a subscription for the symphony this year and have a handful of performances coming up, forcing us to make time despite the churn of pickups / dinner / tasks. 

Wednesday, December 10

Lucia ran with the team after school, and Greta went to crew. The kids are busy with homework during the week, but that doesn't mean Christmas movie viewing has to stop: Andrew and I watched a Hallmark movie ourselves tonight. It was a cute one called Single on the 25th--young singles (a heart-of-gold Finance Bro and a lonely, whimsical romantic) facing Christmas in the big city alone after family members cancel their plans to visit. (Of course, they're not alone for long!)