Five on Friday (November 11)

1. So the election was weird, right? Brian and I were not with her or for him, which leaves us in a strange position. Obviously, someone had to win, but I feel an odd sense of sadness. In the few days since Tuesday, I have personally seen the ramifications of someone in power using angry, harsh, and offensive language. I have seen it embolden young people to speak their mind, and it hasn't been pretty. It's all well and good to push away the crazy you see on social media and decide those situations must be extreme, not the norm. It's entirely different when people you know and love are experiencing racial tension made worse by the words of our president-elect. It was one of my proudest moments when Camden spent several hours working on a way to address racial slurs in his classroom. It was one of my saddest moments as a parent when he cried in frustration after talking to other 7th graders in his homeroom. Instead of making headway, they turned their ridicule on him. Standing up for right against the crowd is not easy for anyone. Standing up for right when you are 13 years old is almost an impossible task.

2. Camden's first basketball game is tonight (just an in-school scrimmage to gear them up for the bona fide first game next week), and he has officially declared baseball to be dead to him. Basketball now holds his heart. Late practices are less than convenient for family life, but we're making it work. Instead of basketball practice wearing him out, Camden comes home from 13-hour days invigorated, chatty, and full of more energy than when he left. Aunt Liz coaches the girls team at school and, because of scheduling, he has been participating with the JV and Varsity girls (sometimes having an aunt at school is a very good thing). If you're counting, that's 4 hours of practice per day. And he's loving it. Rory? Not loving that he's gone every waking moment.

3. I don't think I mentioned it here when it happened, but in September my CA125 went up significantly. This week I had an endoscopy, scan, and bloodwork. I'm sure I will hear results today, and I'm hoping it's all much ado about nothing.

4. My stance on Christmas music is firmly in the camp of only after Thanksgiving. However, this week, I've found myself listening to new Christmas music from Christy Nockels (The Thrill of Hope) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Simply Christmas). Both albums are beautifully mellow. They also remind me just a bit of our day at the silos last weekend (which had lovely Christmas music piped throughout the space).

5.  Brian is off work for Veteran's Day (but our kids have regular school) so we're going to take the opportunity to go out for lunch, begin sprucing up our bedroom (hurray!) and making Christmas lists. I am looking forward to a weekend full of family with some birthday cake and Mexican food thrown in for good measure.