Beach Week 2023

It was a very different beach trip this year. Instead of our usual Sunday to Sunday, the rental was Friday to Friday, which meant less traffic, a full beach weekend and some forced time off of work for travel. We were later in the season which resulted in celebrating Owen's 17th birthday two days into the trip (complete with a birthday banner but sadly, he left his rock & roll pajama top at home). Katherine, Lee and John skipped out (though Lee did pop in for an afternoon) so there was more seafood and fewer mandated activities (though we still got in a lot of marbles, walks on the beach, bocce, and sunrises). And because we had so much extra space, we invited Owen's friend Adam to join us.

We managed to fill our week well. The boys got in a golf trip (Don won but Owen dominated the back nine). Allen taught Adam how to skim board (though Adam did sacrifice his glasses to the ocean gods to do so and it took a few days for FedEx to get his spare pair there). Noa and Mom Mom made chocolate mousse. There was a Duck Donuts run and weirdly a Lego run. We played bridge and drank cocktails (which might explain why we lost the ace of diamonds). We watched the premier of Ahsoka. While the early days involved a lot of seaweed jellyfish and the later days were too windy for floating and boogie boarding, the middle days were quite lovely. And then we capped it off the week with a college tour of William & Mary (which just happened to coincide with freshman orientation) on our way home.

So while it wasn't the beach trip we had planned, it was the beach trip we needed this year as we prepare to start Owen's senior year and Noa's first year of high school.

(To see all of this week's pictures, click here.)

The Edge of Seventeen

Sixteen was a really good year for Owen, which makes writing this post a little bittersweet. Because while this year Owen did a lot - first chair cello, driving permit, college visits, the SAT, AP tests, law school camp - with the exception of the driving permit and maybe his cello development, all of it was to advance his pursuit of higher education. This inevitably means that this time next year whilr we're posting about the trials and tribulations of 17, we will be preparing to move Owen into a dorm somewhere across the country (money is on either Colorado or the Mid-Atlantic). And while we are really excited for all that is in store for him, it's hard not to start thinking about all the things we will miss when we don't have full Owen access.

So, this year we've been trying to savor our time with Owen, and squeeze in special moments with him even while we help with his college essays and schedule college tours. This has involved a spur of the moment trip to NYC to catch one of the final performances of Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. And side trips to Garden of the Gods and a Rockies game while on a college tour. It's meant risking freezing temperatures (and aggravating a potentially debilitating hand injury) to ski down the Symphony Bowl for Owen's last DCPS February break. It's included taking him to his first official rock concert and letting him go to performance of his friends at the Kennedy Center all by himself. We have watched proudly as he's been featured in Duke performances and watched anxiously while Owen took the wheel. And we have watched a lot of Doctor Who through it all.

And in these special moments, we've learned just how ready Owen is for his next big adventure and all that follows (even if we're not quite ready for it ourselves). So happy birthday, our not so little man. We know that you'll have an amazing year and are just glad we're just glad to have a front row seat for it all.

1. Skier's thumb = Cellist's bane
2. Ignorance of the law is officially no longer an excuse.
3. Some people enjoy being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
4. Estonia, now there's some quality vexillology.
5. Queen to Rook 5.
6. Sometimes in life, you just have to improvise.
7. Some projects are bigger than others.
8. Home is where the Washington Monument is, followed by a very sharp left.
9. When you're about to do something very clever and slightly against the rules of the universe, it's important to be properly dressed.
10. And in the immortal words of Doctor Who, I walked in universes where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a mad man. And I've watched the universe freeze, and creation burn - I have seen things you wouldn't believe and I have lost things you will never understand - and I know things. Secrets that must never be told. Knowledge that must NEVER be spoken! Knowledge that will make parasite gods blaze! So come on then!!! Take It!!! Take it ALL baby!!! Have it! You. Have. It ALL!!!!

Back to the Homeland

While Allen was in Iowa just a few weeks ago (dropping off his Dad for the month), the rest of us hadn't been back since Thanksgiving. Our departure was delayed since Owen was participating in the D.C. Summer Law Institute, which meant we didn't arrive until after the corn-easting contest was complete (congratulations Truman) and Allen wasn't able to defend his title. However, while Noa and I decided after the 14-hour drive to just crash at Grandma and Grandpa Z's, Allen and Owen decided to play catch-up and get in some quality corn-eating, s'mores and family bonding.

We made up for lost time. The next day we all got in some swimming and some Fawcett birthday time before Thomas's family had to depart. Fortunately, Leanna and her crew were still around and willing to join us for Barbie (though they demurred the double feature of Oppenheimer). While we missed Corn Fest, we were able to make all of Hoover Fest, including the luncheon at the library (with Steve and Olivia) and catching Grace (with the West Branch Marching Band) and Grandpa Z (with the National Park) in the parade (though sadly, Grandpa was out of candy by the time he got to us).

We celebrated Mom and Dad's anniversary at our favorite Iowa City eatery (aside from Main Street Sweets), the Iowa River Power Company. It was a little bittersweet, since they just announced they were losing their lease and are closing in November. The next day, Allen and the kids had a lovely day at the pond while Grandpa and Grandma Z and I went to Marshalltown to see Pete, Jeannine and Bernie. Somewhere in there, Grandpa Z secured his record as the oldest high diver at the pond, we all helped with harvesting some sweet corn, we finished (minus one missing piece) the puzzle that Allen and Owen had gifted Noa and I from their Whistler trip, and Owen even got some driving in.  Which was helpful for the long drive back before we headed off to the beach...

(To see all of the Iowa pictures, click here.)