A glimpse into the work that Maggie is doing at school and the evolution of her handwriting over her fourth grade year. “Marsh” is the name of Maggie’s classroom. Click on the image to see a higher-resolution version.
Maggie’s Monthly Reflection
Tag Archives: Maggie
Luminary Loppet 2022
The 2022 luminary loppet took place on Saturday, February 5. It was a lovely evening of mild weather after a long, cold week. (Temps in the teens rather than hovering around zero plus wind.)
We’ve attended the event most winters, though it doesn’t always make it into the blog (see 2011 and 2017). It features a beautiful ski/walk/snowshoe trail that winds around the surface of the Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. The trail is lit entirely by ice luminaries (frozen columns, blocks, or spheres that contain candles). It’s otherworldly, to say the least.
Oliver wrote a book about the experience at school. Each page features an illustration and a caption (in the blue bar). I’ve added typed captions additionally in case you aren’t adept at reading Oliver’s calligraphy.
Christmas 2021
We decided to take the risk of traveling this Christmas after two years of staying put. We flew to Bethesda to visit Andrew’s parents (known to the kids as “Grummy and Grandpa Stape”). Andrew’s brother, David, also visited with his family (Nancy, Raven, and Max). We were nervous about COVID the whole time, but multiple self-tests have come out negative, so we think we made it.
We avoided indoor activities beyond the family, but had a great time skating and exploring the National Mall. Pictures below capture a bit of the spirit (click on them for larger versions).
And, a video of Raven and Nancy doing a spin on the ice:
Circus Show: Blizzard
After a break due to COVID, Maggie resumed her work with Circus Juventas this fall. She will be performing this spring, but we decided to go see their holiday show as a family. The show is called Blizzard, and is framed as a bunch of careless elves letting stories loose from the Big Book of Holiday Stories. Lots of snow and Christmas goofiness, but mostly a spectacular circus performance.
If you’re looking for something to do this month, the show runs through December 19. Only an hour with no intermission, it was a great time. Here’s a short clip of the flying trapeze:
Stop Motion
Griffin, Maggie, and Oliver have been experimenting with stop-motion animation with legos. This is a sample of one of their works-in-progress.
Maggie and Walnut
Maggie spent a week this summer at Camp St. Croix with a focus on horseback riding. She loved it enough that she signed up for continuing weekend lessons this fall. The video below shows her riding Walnut.
First Day at Cornerstone
It’s first day of 4th grade for Maggie, first day of pre-k for Oliver, and first day with everyone else in school outside of the house all day in over a year and a half for Mama. 
Roy Virtual Gathering
I found this screenshot while cleaning up my computer today. It’s from a Roy virtual get-together on March 14, 2021. Some of us were having fun with virtual backgrounds.
It’s odd to think that in the five+ months since this shot was taken, two of the three Roy-boy families have moved into new homes.
Improvisation
Today was mixed. I felt like I spent much of it looking for items that I couldn’t find (hidden in boxes I have yet to locate). Vegetable peelers, lotion, kitchen knives, sugar, etc. All minor things, but it is frustrating to reach for something simple and then realize that you have no idea where it is.
On the other hand, Maggie was a magnificent helper today. She tackled mowing the lawn, pumping up the pool, and using the central vacuum.
Progress
Grandma Pam spent the day with us in the new house today. She was a godsend, bringing us some delicious food, helping to unpack boxes in the kitchen, and spending hours rehabilitating our mangy couch.
Maggie is getting rather clever. Conversation this evening, starting with my question:
“Should we go exploring after dinner?”
“No!”
“We can walk down the sidewalk and see where it goes. There are some trails in the park up there.”
“That sounds long.”
“Not too long!”
“What about ticks?”
“The ticks won’t get us.”
“Hmm. But don’t you think mama would want to be with us for our very first hike at the new house? I think we should wait until she gets back on Friday.”