reisz-family.net

I loved these pictures that Coach Lisa snapped.

Girls on the Run has begun!

Tom and I are sharing in some assistant coaching duties this year and, so far, it’s been so rewarding. I especially love how Cameron really takes in what we are talking about in these sessions and really is making conscious efforts to extend what she learns into the rest of her world.

After the first meeting where the girls gave each other props (“you are awesome”, “keep up the good work,” etc.), she and G. did this same exercise with the kids in their class, during a running session at recess! This past Monday, she and G. made up a little chant based on the lesson from that day: “Star power. I use it every hour!”

I can’t wait to see what the girls come up with in upcoming sessions! In the meantime, here are a few pictures from the first few sessions.

I loved seeing the family at the tail end of this year’s Santa Cruz Half! Their presence makes a difference!!

Afterwards, we had a nice brunch at Dharma’s where I caught these 2 cuties being themselves.

Same weekend, we went to the library to get a book for Cameron’s wax museum report. So much fun seeing them enjoy picking out books and enjoying the space. For me, so many memories of taking the kids to story times here.

Amazing photo of some of the Nutcracker 2017 cast, including Dylan as Fritz! I thought he looked so dashing and smashing in that costume!

Do I have more pictures of the production? Why yes, I do!

Auntie Christina gave us this super awesome, generous present of tickets to see Aladdin at the Orpheum in SF!

Wow, this was a fun show…and we had amazing seats, not that far from the orchestra pit and stage!

Yes, this picture is from way back (as I’m woefully behind on posts). This was the day after Christmas!

The holidays were amazing…we also went to Los Angeles (where I unfortunately got very sick), but the kids and Tom had a blast. More on that soon!

A couple of weeks ago, Chloe began piano lessons! She is starting out with identification of keys and reciting the musical alphabet. I am not always home in time to catch her turn at the piano, so I was very surprised that she started learning how to play “Mary Had a Little Lamb!” I was tickled! Also, I was very happy to see she was having fun!

Both Dylan and Cameron have been so good about helping her out with practice (as practice time happens with the sitters, not with us!).

So far, we’ve been pretty low-key with the pressure. The idea is to keep it fun so she stays engaged. She’s had 3 lessons so far and she seems to like it, although getting her to practice is not always easy!

Well, Cameron and I got a flu shot way back in August so I didn’t really catch on that she had flu until she had a relapse last Saturday. She’d vomited and had a fever, but then seemed to be better — well enough to head back to school for a couple of days… But then she started going downhill again.

This flu has been particularly bad and I’d read too many stories of complications and resulting deaths, so when she started vomiting again, I started getting worried. She also started spiking a fever, and she told us (on Wednesday) that she was feeling worse, not better!

So, I took her to the doc to make sure we didn’t have to worry about any secondary infections. At this point, I suspected flu! The PA did, too, and test results were positive.

Unfortunately, it was too late for Cameron to take Tamiflu. The next day, Dylan called me from school asking for someone to pick him up as he didn’t feel up to going to dance class — big alarm went off in my head: if he was willing to skip dance, he must really be sick!

Tom had also begun to go downhill (as he stayed home with Cameron on Monday and Tuesday), so I urged him and Dylan to head to the doc to get tested and, if positive, they could start Tamiflu.

Welp, Dylan tested positive! Meanwhile, Chloe came home from a play date with her buddy feeling worn out and feverish…Tom took her in and she tested positive, too. =(

Well, Chloe wouldn’t tolerate Tamiflu, but Dylan has been a trooper (as he so often is!). Cameron discovered a panda mask on an Amazon box and once we cut it out, punched holes on the sides and found some left over elastic we could use as the band, Dylan wanted to test it out!

Even though he felt miserable and hated the Tamiflu, he managed to make us laugh. He donned the mask and deadpanned that he was hiding from the horrible Tamiflu!

Cameron is clearly recovering–she was going in and out of fever, so we caught a picture of her during one of her better moments.

Love these little kidlets and I hope they feel better very soon.

We picked up a present for Chloe’s upcoming 6th birthday today and the girls immediately got to playing, despite not being at 100% quite yet (we are all still recovering from a brutal bout with flu!).

Cameron is so tall for her age and razor-sharp so it is sometimes easy to forget that she is still just 8! Seeing her playing with Chloe and their dolls was a sweet reminder that she is still a kid on the “littler” side!

I am definitely not in a hurry to see these kids grow too fast. Already, Chloe’s legs are getting longer and longer and her ability to express herself seems beyond her years! I am cherishing these moments of their sweet childhood… Time is flying.

Scored some sweet, light-up hats which arrived just in time for Christmas Eve festivities!