Here's to Good Friends...

When you have a child that hates documenting their life, you really appreciate them being close friends with a documentarian.

School Days

While Owen started his senior year of high school weeks ago, private schools are a little more leisurely with their academic start dates. So after an all-school picnic, the Labor Day break (is it a break if you haven't actually started school yet?), orientation and a placement/picture day, Noa finally started high school at Burke. And while the high school application and admittance process was a bit traumatic, we're optimistic about where Noa ended up and what lies ahead for them. Go Bengals!

Play Ball!

 When the Nats post-season prospects aren't looking good, at least there's always EPA Softball.

Because we can, can, can...

Not every family marks their youngest's birthday by taking the gang to a musical about sex workers and tuberculosis, but we're not most families. And while the kids weren't particularly enthusiastic about the movie version of Moulin Rouge (despite it starring a young Obi Wan Kenobi), they genuinely enjoyed its staging at the Kennedy Center (particularly in the front row with a full view of the pit), despite the elephant in the room.

The Fourteenth

Thirteen is a hard year to talk about. We had hoped that it would be a balm for all that had passed during Noa's twelfth year, and in a lot of ways it was. At their new school, Noa became engaged in an array of activities (theater, chorus, art, student council, Friends of Dorothy) and seemed to be in a better place. But in addition to all the highs that eighth grade brought, there were also some lows that were sad and painful and not something we really want to revisit. It's enough just to know that Noa got through it and for that we're incredibly grateful.

Noa found their people. They starred as Lady MacBeth and had a winning poem published. They finally started playing with a full orchestra. Noa was worshiped by a fifth grade cult. They officially outgrew me. They played an organized sport. Noa promoted composting for their school, jumped into freezing waters for the environment, debated ways to incentivize voting, and made sandwiches for the unhoused. Noa commuted. They slept in yurts. They organized a school dance that they even attended (however briefly). They were memorialized on a brick. 

And Noa spent much of the year visiting, applying and eventually getting into high school, where they will begin the next chapter of their life. And while it's maybe not the chapter they expected, I think their story will be a pretty amazing one. 

So happy birthday my not so little one. We love so, so much and are so thankful that you are in our lives. You've got this, Noa, and we've got your back.

1. If your day starts in Bethesda, your day isn't starting off well.
2. "Flannel is lesbian rice."
3. Middle. Always the middle.
4. "Look like th'innoent flower, But be the serpent under't"
5. Don't turn your back, don't look away and don't blink. Good luck.
6. Un, deux, trois... cat.
7. You can't second guess ineffability.
8. Step 1: Drink coffee. Step 2: Do things.
9. Any LGBTQ+ flag fan can tell you about the evolution of the Pride Flag, but only a true Queer Vexillologist has dug into decades old Tumblr discourse to opine on the perfection of the Neptunic flag.
10. And remember, always be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn. Then always be a unicorn.