Last updated on November 26, 2023
Hello to 2023 and good riddance to 2022.
As we look back on the last few years, the curse “May you live in interesting times” comes to mind. Please, may we have a boring, uneventful 2023?
Our family is exhausted. We need a year that’s relatively mundane.
First, a reminder that for most of us, a “year” is marked by the school year or a fiscal year. January 1 only marks a calendar year, which doesn’t connect to our lived experiences quite like the first day of school or the last weekend of summer.
However, since we do mark calendar years, let us hope for a boring 2023 (and a boringly good 2023-24 school year).
Leigh’s 2022 included getting earrings, a back brace, joining School of Rock, and returning to public school. Anne had a less eventful year. She returned to public school for four days. Thankfully, Anne experienced no medical adventures.
The girls made two trips to California with Susan. They also continue in Girl Scouts. They ended the year with new bikes, a sign of how quickly they are growing.
We made at least three trips to Sea World, which is two hours away. They love seeing animals.
Anne and Leigh are my life. My hopes and goals focus on their futures.
We have some hopes and some goals for 2023. Some things are beyond our control, but they remain “hopes” aided by what actions we can take. By comparison, “goals” require action, without relying on any good fortune.
Our hopes include getting at least one daughter, and maybe both, admitted to a reputable charter school. Most charter admissions are by lottery, so we depend on good fortune. We had to enter the lotteries, completing the online forms for both daugthers. We also researched the schools. We took action, but now we have to wait for the lottery results.
Our goals include completing some creative projects. Leigh and I are collaborating on some young adult (YA) books for preteens and teens. We are also working on art-related projects. We will share when we acheive those goals.
When you set a goal, you need to set aside the time and energy required to acheive the goals. I’m writing as much as I can while homeschooling Anne through third grade. We’re approaching the third anniversary of homeschooling Anne. Although COVID-19 compelled us to try homeschooling the girls, we now recognize how much better Anne does at home.
This past year was the first year since 2004 when I didn’t teach at least part-time for a college or university. It was also the first year since 2006 without a monthly column appearing in print. For the last 18 years, I taught at least two courses at the college-level. For 16 years, I wrote the “Virtual Valley” column. Not teaching courses and not writing on deadline left me disoriented.
Susan remains the stable, calm, foundation of our family. She deserves a calm and boring new year most of all.
The girls helped me through 2022 and into 2023. Susan, the girls, and I, will continue supporting each other as a family.