Kindin caught wind of a Smash Room once and thought it sounded like a great time. For her birthday, she asked a few pals to join her. The girls were a bit hesitant at first but eventually warmed up and loved getting some aggression out. Afterwards, they repeated, "I feel so relaxed", "I'm tired", "I'm calm".
Dad's fancy enough at work now that he can slip away for a quick weekend during tax season (aka spring break)! With a chance to get away, mom quickly reaches for a map and consults Tripadvisor for a new destination to see. Oklahoma City was particularly enticing because it was a few short hours away and there is an olympic park on the river with high adventure opportunities. We invited grandma and grandpa and rented a van so we could all drive together. The National Memorial was a must see; Mom requested the lighthouse; we played in the underground; ate waffles for lunch, a fancy dinner at Vita & texas style phillies; took the water taxi; and shopped in Bricktown. We had a good time but were tortured by heavy winds throughout!
Tortured by heavy winds!
...Unfortunately, it ended up cutting our trip short because some must-sees were closed.
We were able to participate in the Eichmann family Christmas exchange this year. Typically, we're out of town so we haven't been able to see some of these relatives for quite some time. The Eichmann crew isn't particularly tight either so it can be difficult to keep track of everyone. But, this year, all siblings were together with grandma... so I forced a family photo!
Standing behind the lens, I was struck by the realization that I will likely look a lot like my grandmother when I age. Her height, knuckles, and quiet manner stuck out most. Luckily, I think she's pretty cute!
Kindin was part of a really dynamic diving team this year. She and her 3 varsity team members all placed within the top 15 at state! (Kindin, as the youngest, placing 15th and her teammate finishing as state diving champion.) It was a rewarding but challenging season. Diving is already a tough sport - with very few opportunities to practice outside of practice and associated safety risks that she's experienced and constantly worries about. On this particular team, Kindin felt a lot of pressure to perform with such powerhouse teammates and experienced it all with a brand, new coach. There were sometimes tears about giving up but she persevered. I'm proud of her for tackling the mental game of it all and I truly enjoyed watching her fly.
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