Skiing with friends

Ian did this during art class at our co-op (Nathan, Joel, Toby, and Andrew playing poker)

From 2021 to 2024 the kids only went skiing once per year because WVIA stopped offering free passes to Ski Sawmill. Last year I discovered that Montage Mountain has a good deal ($45 per person for lift ticket plus rentals) if you arrive before 4:00 pm Monday-Wednesday. Nathaniel had skied with the kids at Elk Mountain in January 2025 and loved it, so he also joined us at Montage last year. Abby skied with the kids last month at Elk Mountain. She also loved it so today I took six kids skiing - my three plus Nathaniel, Abby, and her brother, Joey. It just so happened that the day I chose for this outing is also Nathaniel's sixteenth birthday, so I asked him to choose where we stopped for dinner after skiing. He picked Chick-fil-A. Overall things went well. It was the first time Joey went skiing, and he said he definitely wants to do it again. Abby only fell one time the whole day, but the one time she fell she bruised her left arm near her elbow, so she stopped skiing a couple of hours before we left. Nathaniel forgot to bring a coat, but I was able to loan him my coat as I was in the lodge much of the time. Nadia forgot her ski goggles, and the snow from the snow machines was irritating her eyes so I bought her a pair of sunglasses at the shop. The kids played a card game in the van on the way there, and they mostly slept in the van on the way home. Some kids played a little bit of Skyjo in the afternoon in the lodge. 

My last gratitude post was on January 25. Here are some things I've been thankful for over the last month.

1. Ian had his piano recital on February 1. His teacher had two recitals that day. She asked Ian and Josh to play in both recitals. Paul's dad came up for the recital, which we appreciated. Now that Ian is done with the Rachmaninoff, he's working on a beautiful piece by Bach. He also played the keyboard for the youth worship on February 11. 

2. On February 3, Nadia and I both got a haircut, and Nadia also got a manicure in preparation for Jenna's wedding. Given she will not be living at home many more month, I want to seize the opportunity for making memories together while we have the opportunity. 

Homeschoolers are being included in the MCS yearbook this year. Here's Ian's photo.

3. All has gone smoothly over the last almost seven weeks with Nadia driving our new car. I'm enjoying a temporary reduction in the amount of chauffeuring as she takes herself to and from work and takes she and her brothers to and from art classes, youth group/Bible quizzing, and musical rehearsals.  

4. I had been praying for months that I would get some good pictures at Jenna's wedding. I wanted to get some photos that they could treasure for years to come. The Lord answered those prayers! Her brother, Andrew, has already asked if I will be his wedding photographer (if his future bride agrees). Thankfully, he's not planning to have a winter wedding, lol! 

5. Oliver and Nadia enjoyed ice skating to celebrate Abby's 17th birthday on February 8. Ian was behind in physics, so he had to take a test while they were ice skating. Our kids plus Faith and Xandir spent some time at the Seiberts house in between the ice skating and the youth group Super Bowl party. I made deviled eggs for the party.

6. Ian and Paul attended a Williamsport Symphony Orchestra concert on February 10 so that he could complete one of his assignments for his Humanities class through Cedarville this semester. He particularly enjoyed Gershwin's piano concerto. 

7. On February 12 Ian had his first chance to sing his Le Poisson solo at the musical rehearsal. He did an amazing job. He received positive feedback from other students and the directors that day and when he sang it at another rehearsal on February 21. For example, Lydia told me it gave her goosebumps. I can't wait to see the performances! 

8. On the rare occasion that Nadia isn't at a musical rehearsal, one of the directors (who lives in our town) has been giving a ride home to one or both boys at the end of the rehearsal, which is greatly appreciated! 

9. Nadia was able to babysit the youth pastor's kids on Valentine's Day so that he and his wife could go out for a date. 

10. We haven't had Peacock for a while, but I paid for one month so we could watch the Winter Olympics. That was a well spent $11. Nadia has enjoyed watching many hours of figure skating. Paul and I really enjoyed watching the replay of the gold medal men's hockey game. 

11. We've attended our current church for 12 years, but up until this year Nadia and I never attended any of the mother/daughter events. Usually, we had a schedule conflict. This year I thought we had another schedule conflict as Nadia planned to work at Camp Susque last weekend, but they didn't need her to work so we signed for a painting pottery event that took place on Saturday afternoon. Most of the events over the years were held in May (near Mother's Day), and that is often when we have gone on a vacation. I never would have guessed that I would have to wait until I was almost 54 years old to attend my first mother/daughter event as a mom. I'm glad that Abby and her mom encouraged us to attend this event with them.

One of the kids in the photography class (co-op) took this photo

12. Oliver came down with a stomach bug on February 14. Ian came down with it on February 17, and Nadia followed suit on February 18. Ian and I were the only ones to attend church on February 15, and all of us stayed home on February 18. Paul and I didn't get sick, but Pastor Eric cancelled our small group that night as he was away. I'm thankful that Paul and I dodged the illness and that all three kids are as my mom used to say "back to the land of the living." They didn't go to art class on February 19, and Oliver was the only one who attended the musical rehearsal that night, but Nadia worked a shift on February 20 and went out for coffee and Bible study with her friend, Maddie. 

13. Last November I decided to pay for one year of Walmart+. Paramount Plus didn't have a Black Friday special like they usually do, and you get a free year of that (or Peacock) with Walmart+. I joined when there was a 50% discount on Walmart+ so I paid only a little more than I usually have paid for a year of Paramount Plus. I have to say I love having Walmart+. I have only used it for delivery service (groceries) twice because you need to tip the driver, but I did the math, and between the two orders I paid only about $1 more towards the tip than I would have paid for gas for two roundtrips to Walmart. If you order items that are considered "shipping" they still typically deliver it the same day you order it, but there isn't any tipping involved even if you just have a small order. For example, one time recently I ordered the generic version of Imodium, and the total was less than $4, and they delivered it that same day without charging for shipping/delivery. I also discovered they come to your house to pick up returns at no charge! I ordered a pair of sneakers for less than $11 after I discovered the shoe I had been wearing was making one spot on my foot bleed. I ordered size 8.5. They were too small. They picked up the size 8.5 and brought me a pair of size 9 without any extra charges. I think they could improve the efficiency of their system though as they sent two different people to my house the same day (one to pick up the return and a different person to bring the other size - why waste the time and gas to do that?!?). Anyhow, I'm definitely a fan. We shall see if I like it enough to pay full price if I can't renew it at the 50% off price in November. We don't have Amazon Prime right now, but honestly if I had to pick between the two, I'd choose Walmart+ although I'm sure we'll pay for one month of Amazon Prime after they release the next season of The Chosen.

14. I routinely take pictures of every receipt for several apps, and we also use the Upside app when possible when getting gas. Periodically I redeem the points I've earned in each of those eight apps for cash or gift cards. Last week I received about $325 back from those apps - some as PayPal payments that I then transferred to our bank account and others as Walmart, Amazon, Red Robin, Panera Bread, and Domino's Pizza gift cards. 

15. Cooper has been at our house since February 18, and he's going to be with us for 25 days. So far, it has been going fairly smoothly. 

16. Although I wasn't able to get tickets for the optimal day (even though I was clicking right at 5:00 AM when they became available), I am very grateful that I did get five tickets for us to tour Big Ben another day in May before they were all sold out. 

17. Nadia's math score on the SAT wasn't high enough for her to be able to take a statistics course in the fall that is required for her major, but thankfully, her score on the university's math assessment was high enough for her to be able to register for that class. Their math assessment cannot be used to qualify for taking calculus, which she's also required to take. She has completed part of a college algebra course through ASU (only costs $25) and also has been taking a free College Algebra CLEP test prep course. At this point she's planning to take the CLEP test as the completion of College Algebra is another way to be given permission to take Calculus. She doesn't need to take their English assessment because she already passed English Composition through GCU. The only other assessment she still needs to take is a technology assessment. 

18. Although we haven’t done so every single week, most of the time Ian has been helping me make dinner once a week. Nadia continues to bake on a regular basis. 

7th trip to Elk Mountain

The first time my kids went skiing was in February 2017 when my dad and I took Nadia and Ian to Ski Sawmill. We could have also gone skiing for free at Elk Mountain that year, but we didn't begin taking our kids to Elk Mountain until January 2020. Ironically, February 2020 ended up being the last time that WVIA offered a free ski day at Ski Sawmill. Our kids have been skiing 4 times at Ski Sawmill, 7 times at Elk Mountain, and 1 time at Montage. I'm planning to take my three plus Nathaniel skiing at Montage again next month. The last time I went skiing was on January 19, 2021. I broke my ankle later that year and decided to retire from skiing and ice skating due to the plate that is now in my leg. We get four free passes through WVIA which we had been using for 3 kids plus 1 parent, but the last four years we've been inviting a friend to use the fourth pass. Jill, Nathaniel, and Julianna all went skiing with us in the past. Of those three kids, Nathaniel definitely seemed to enjoy it the most. We had invited him to join us again this year, but he is on a mission trip in Honduras with his church this week. He plans to join us at Montage next month. When we found out Nathaniel couldn't come to Elk Mountain, we invited Nadia's friend, Abby, instead. She took to skiing like a fish to water! Maybe she will also join us at Montage next month? 

Here are some things I am thankful for today:

1. Paul's dad was able to spend several hours with us on December 19 to celebrate his 84th birthday and Christmas. 

2. The five of us were able to help with packing meals for a food distribution our church did on December 20.

3. Although it was hard to drop Milo off at the kennel, I was very grateful to learn on our return that we would get a 50% discount due to the fact Nadia works there. 

4. The kids had a blast spending time with their cousins while we were in Chicago from December 22-27. We were also grateful that the Benners were willing to host the large group and that we didn't encounter and snow or ice while driving there and back. They played a lot of games, went bowling, (outdoor) ice skating, and (indoor) rock climbing.

5. Nadia and Ian enjoyed their time at winter camp at Camp Susque. Nadia was able to go sledding and also do some ice skating while she was up there. 

6. We celebrated Paul's 56th birthday on January 3 by having dinner at Texas Roadhouse. 

7. I found out on January 2 that Liberty expects the fall 2026 semester bill to paid in January. That totally caught me by surprise. My maternal grandpa paid for all twelve of his grandkids to go to college, and his money is now being used to pay for all of his great grandchildren to go to college, which is utterly amazing to me. I've been the one helping with the paperwork of getting the bills paid for my nieces and nephews, so I know from experience that most universities expect to be paid in August or September. Nadia's roommate paid her bill on January 2 so she was able to request a room in the dorm they had selected, and she indicated that she wanted Nadia to be her roommate even though Nadia can't accept that request until the bill is paid. The girls found each other through the Bunky app. Thankfully, the trust issued a check to Liberty this week which means in the near future Nadia will be able to request her dorm and roommate. It also means she can take her technology and math assessments over the next couple of months as those need to be completed before she registers for classes in early April. Thank you, grandpa!!! Nadia and her roommate (Carolina) have been making various plans including picking out a rug for their room, comforters for their beds, etc. There will be a total of seven girls in their suite, and they have picked two of their five suitemates so far. I hope the girls have a wonderful year together! 

8. Nadia is starting a weekly Bible study with a friend (in our town) who is also going to Liberty next fall. She also has a friend from church who is going to Liberty next fall so we have carpooling possibilities. 

9. Oliver enjoyed roller skating at Faith's birthday party on December 30. Nadia and Ian weren't able to attend due to being at Camp Susque. 

10. Paul had bloodwork done at the end of December, and his cholesterol had dropped some from last year. PTL!

11. Everything went smoothly with our skiing trip yesterday. Milo was very glad that Paul stayed at home. We stopped a Red Robin on the way home for dinner. I had received a $75 gift card to Red Robin from the co-op parents in November. Because it was the first Wednesday of the month, Ian and Oliver's meals were free, and they also each received a free ice cream sundae! This meant that even including the tip, we didn't use the full value of the gift card yet, which was great considering five people ate at a sit-down restaurant. 

12. We test drove a 2022 Subaru Impreza on Tuesday and paid a down payment on it. We hope to complete the purchase today. Paul's car was totaled a little over two months ago, so we are very grateful for the prospect of having two cars and are praying that we won't need to buy another car for the foreseeable future. At least this car is NOT gray (for a while both our minivan and Paul's Mazda were the same ugly gray). This car is red. It already has a lot of miles on it, but we only plan to use this car for short drives so we're hoping it will last for several years despite how many miles the first owner put on it in a short time span. I'm looking forward to a little break in the amount of chauffeuring due to Nadia being able to drive herself to work, take herself and her brothers to art and Little Mermaid rehearsals, etc.  

13. When the kids were little, I remember how Paul would laugh and laugh when I'd read a Ramona the Pest book aloud. We have discovered another author (Gordon Korman) who makes us all laugh, and his books are more geared for teenagers than the Ramona books. He's written over 100 books, so I doubt we'll read/listen to all of them, but we've enjoyed the seven we've finished so far. I think my top three so far (in no particular order) would be The Unteachables, Old School, and Slugfest. I used to read aloud to my middle schoolers in the early 90's. I'm confident my students would have adored his books if they existed back then. I'm glad we found another author we really enjoy! 

Thankful Thursday

 1. Paul took Oliver to a free maple sugaring educational program at Montour Preserve on February 22. We had taken the kids there in the past, but it had been quite a few years. Oliver has been studying botany this semester in science, and he was too young when we went in the past to remember the program. It's an outstanding program which is free and at a location about 20 minutes from our home.

2. One of the families in our small co-op came over for dinner on March 1, and another co-op family came over on March 9. We enjoyed eating and playing games together with both of these families.

3. Our Montage ski trip was postponed by one week, but I was able to take my three kids plus Nathaniel skiing on March 4. They had a great time and want to go back there again next year!

4. Paul took Ian down to see the ENT for a follow-up appointment. Thankfully they didn't charge us anything for the appointment, and she said the surgery was a success! One nostril is now wide open. The other side has a narrow opening, but air can flow through both nostrils. Hopefully this will alleviate his sleep apnea. 

5. Although it made it hard to get up for church on Sunday morning in light of staying up past midnight on the night we lost an hour due to DST, the kids had a great time with the youth group at Winter Jam. Some of their favorite artists performed that night (Anne Wilson, Colton Dixon, Skillet, etc.), and they had fun with friends.

6. In the middle of February, I paid for one month of access to Angel. We saw several excellent movies including Faith of Angels, Brave the Dark, Lost on a Mountain in Maine, and Between Borders. 

7. We recently discovered that one of Oliver's friends from church lives very close to our home! Oliver has ridden his bike over to James' house a few times so far. Due to his autism, his mom doesn't trust him to ride his bike to our home, but I'm hoping I can provide transportation so that James can play over here from time to time with Oliver.

8. It feels like SPRING this week!!! I am not a fan of cold weather, so I am very, very, very grateful when it starts warming up outside. 

9. Cooper was at our house from the morning of February 21 to the evening of March 9, and he was healthy. Given his age and the fact that he had a stroke 13 months ago, it was an answer to prayer! Milo was looking all over for Cooper in the morning on March 10. He misses having Cooper here.

10. Nadia took the SAT on March 8. I decided to do some grocery shopping and get a haircut in Lewisburg while she took the test as then I took her directly for the last hour of a three-hour Wizard of Oz rehearsal. We will find out on March 21 how she did. I hadn't gotten a haircut in 7 months. I made the mistake of getting a shampoo while I was there. It had been years since I got a shampoo at a hair salon. It added a lot to the cost, so I definitely paid more than usual for this haircut, but I like the way she cut my hair. 

11. Next week I'm going to be taking five girls plus two moms to Cinderella's Closet at the YWCA to shop for prom dresses. The dresses there only cost around $20 each. Hopefully the girls will find dresses they love! The price is definitely right. 

12. Nadia finished her worldview course on March 7, and she earned another A. She's still in the middle of a New Testament course, and she'll begin an American Government class on Monday. 

13. A couple whom I have been friends with for 29 years sold their home that they had lived in for 57 years and moved to Indiana several months ago. They are in their late 80's. I enjoyed chatting on the phone with Kay this week, and we made plans to visit them in June as they live less than an hour from where the kids' Bible quizzing nationals will be held. 

14. After a two-week break, our small (15 kid) co-op resumed at our home on Tuesday. Our kids love spending time with their friends. 

15. I'm thankful for *some* of things Trump has done so far. I do not agree with a lot of his foreign policy (ex. referring to Canada as a 51st state, making Ukraine out to be the villain and Putin the victim, the way he talks about Greenland, talking about taking over the Gaza strip, etc.) or making a priority out of renaming things like the Gulf of Mexico/ Denali, but I am grateful he's trying to reduce the debt and size of the government, pardon some people who were in my opinion treated unjustly (ex. in jail for praying near an abortion clinic), releasing classified documents (and in general increasing transparency), trying to level the playing field when it comes to tariffs, and protecting women's sports. One positive thing as far as his foreign policy is that he's definitely not a "war hawk," which is a good thing. I think in general most Presidents have gone WAY too far with executive orders, so I'm hoping that the Congress will be more involved in many of these changes if for example the Post Office and/or Amtrak become privatized, or the Department of Education is eliminated. I actually debated with my roommate back in 1994 in favor of privatizing the Post Office. We shall see if that ever actually happens. My hope isn't in a President or anyone else in government. My hope is in the Lord! 

Thankful Thursday

 

1. On January 30 we visited Cairn University, which is near Philadelphia. Paul and I were very impressed with the computer science professor. This is one of the colleges Ian is considering. We are planning to visit Cedarville in June, which is currently his top choice since his cousin Nathan also plans to go there. Cedarville is my alma mater. I'm hoping he'll make a decision this summer as I'm planning on enrolling him for dual enrollment classes starting in the fall. 

2. On January 31 the kids participated in the living history fair for the fourth time. They answered questions for an hour as parents and grandparents walked around to see each of the displays. I bought the display boards in 2018. The first time we used any of them was for a science fair at a Children's Museum. 

3. Oliver and I were able to help at a food packing event at Experience Missions on February 1.

4. Ian was unable to participate in the piano recital on February 2 due to having a 101-degree fever that day, but Nadia and Oliver attended a roller-skating party hosted by our church that evening. 

5. Our spring session of co-op began on February 4. At least 7 of the 10 high schoolers in our co-op are planning to attend the homeschool prom together, and four of the girls have an appointment to shop for dresses together at the YWCA. On February 18 twelve of the fifteen kids stayed for lunch and games. The kids had a blast playing Outburst and Telestrations together. After some of the kids left, a smaller group played Bubble Talk. 

6. The kids enjoyed attending a Super Bowl party hosted by the youth group. The Towfighis are Eagles fans, so they were very happy with the outcome to that game! 

7. Nadia and Oliver attended a homeschool roller skating party in the morning on February 12. 

8. Our family celebration of Valentine's Day this year included buying some brownie batter donuts from Dunkin' (something we do only once a year), I made heart shaped food for lunch on February 14 (heart shaped pancakes and toast with an egg in the middle shaped like a heart), and we saw the play A Wrinkle in Time together that night. Nadia worked on Valentine's Day, and she received some chocolates from her boss and a $5 tip from a customer.

9. On February 16 we attended a potluck after the second service at church. This was a new concept for everyone in our family except for me. 

10. Nadia spends time almost every day working on a jigsaw puzzle. Typically, she does 1,000-piece puzzles by herself. I purchased some puzzles at the library (the prices ranged from 50 cents to $1 each), and one of the puzzles I bought had 3,000 pieces. Nadia asked for help with that one. Oliver and Julianna each helped a tiny bit. Paul, Nadia, and I did the lion share of the puzzle. It was a great feeling when we finished it!

11. I'm planning to take four kids (including Nathaniel) skiing at Montage on Tuesday. They've been to the outdoor water park there many times in the summer but never gone skiing there. I found a deal that the lift ticket plus ski rental is only $45 per person! Paul is going to stay home because we're dog sitting Cooper starting tomorrow and didn't want to leave the two dogs home alone for that many hours. 

12. Oliver has adjusted to wearing glasses, so I decided to order him a new pair with his new prescription. Ian saw the eye doctor earlier this week and got a new prescription. At the eye doctor they told me I could just buy new lenses and use his existing frame, but when she said that it would cost $300 AFTER a 25% discount, I said no thank you. Then as I was paying for the appointment, she said if we got a new frame plus lenses there is a special for $125 as long as we didn't get the blue light blocking on the lenses. How does that make any sense whatsoever? I am thankful that there are websites like Zenni that make it so much cheaper to buy glasses. I got two pairs of glasses (one for Ian and one for Oliver) with the blue light blocking for about $108, which included paying extra for a warranty. I almost never purchase a warranty. The kids haven't broken any glasses recently, but they have certainly done so in the past, so it seemed worth the small fee to do so in this instance. Ian chose a green frame (which was what he had been wearing prior to getting the frames he's had the last 2 years), and Oliver went with an aviator style (like Tom Cruise, ha ha). 

Thankful Thursday

 1. I'm thankful for Nadia's two employers - Camp Susque and Warrior Run Petcare. Nadia has an opportunity to make some money, learn new skills, and be a blessing to others. Her boss gave her a very generous Christmas gift.

2. I'm thankful for the Bible quizzing program at our church. In addition to studying God's Word, this group has been where they have developed friendships at church. We're not planning on allowing Oliver to compete in Oklahoma this summer, but he did compete at a competition at our church last month and will do so again this weekend. I served as a score keeper at the quiz in December.

3. We appreciated being able to spend time with extended family in December. When I asked the kids what was the most memorable thing that happened in 2024, Ian's response was spending time with cousins in Maryland as we celebrated Christmas. We were able to celebrate Christmas with my dad, my sisters, their husbands, and their children for the first time in ten years, and no one got sick! 

4. The kids enjoyed having three friends join us as we celebrated Ian's 15th birthday with an overnight trip to Camelback Resort's indoor waterpark. 

5. The kids were able to participate in the Christmas program at Meadowbrook Christian School. 

6. Paul was able to take each of the boys on a date to see a movie. Oliver chose the newest Lord of the Rings movie, and Ian chose the newest Sonic movie. 

7. Nadia, Cheri, and I enjoyed a Christmas concert by Tasha Layton. 

8. Cheri recently purchased a home and some furniture through an auction. She gave Nadia one of the dressers that she didn't have use for. It's gorgeous! I think Nadia now owns the nicest dresser in our house. She needed a second dresser to store her clothes. 

9. Oliver and Xandir enjoyed spending a couple of hours at Kaos at an event for homeschoolers.

10. The Van Horns had us over for dinner on December 22 at their home. 

11. The small group Paul and I have been in on Wednesday nights since September 2023 came to an end recently. Paul and I discussed various options and finally decided that I'd see if I could lead a small group Bible study. Most of the midweek groups resumed yesterday, but our group's start date is January 22 due to skiing yesterday and Ian's surgery next week. I'm enjoying studying Zechariah!

12. The kids enjoyed ice skating with their cousins in Maryland, and Paul took Oliver to a free ice-skating party on December 29.

13. Ian and Nadia enjoyed Freeze winter camp. It was Ian's first time. Nadia really enjoyed working during Blast camp. Next year she plans to work during Freeze and attend Blast. 

14.  Since 2017 we've been taking the kids skiing at least once a year for free through our membership with WVIA. The first three years we skied at Ski Sawmill. In 2020 we took the kids skiing twice as we also went to Elk Mountain for the first time. 2020 ended up being the last time WVIA had a ski day at Ski Sawmill. We receive four free rentals/lift tickets. Sometimes we've invited one of Nadia's friends to use the fourth one. Jill and Julianna both went skiing with us once. This year we invited quite a few different people to use the fourth one, and in the end, it was Nathaniel who said yes. He learned how to ski very quickly! Paul and I played games in the lodge. Nadia and Ian joined us part of the time because it was VERY cold out yesterday. We had dinner at TGI Fridays. It seemed to me that they lowered their prices compared to the last time we were at one of those restaurants which was a pleasant surprise! We hadn't been to one since September 2022. We are hoping to ski one more time this winter with the Towfighis.

54 Years Old!

 

Yesterday Paul turned 54 years old. We met and started dating shortly after he turned 27, so that means we've been together for half of his life. Since I was 24 (almost 25) when we met and started dating, I had already hit that milestone of having been with Paul for half of my life a couple of years ago. WVIA usually has the free ski day at Elk Mountain in the Poconos the week of his birthday, and sometimes (like this year) it lands on his actual birthday. Because he had a trade show in early January in Baltimore each year, he often wasn't able to go to Elk Mountain. The last time that I skied was in January 2021 at Elk Mountain. I haven't skied since I had a plate and screws inserted in my ankle. In January 2022 I took four kids skiing. Nadia's friend, Jill, joined us that day. Last year, the WVIA day at Elk Mountain had to be rescheduled due to the weather. This meant that Paul was able to go skiing because it didn't interfere with the trade show. Since he sold the company, he is DONE attending trade shows. Woohoo! He feels like that's a Christmas gift to not be going to Baltimore next week. I asked Paul if he would rather ski or rather hang out with me in the ski lodge. He opted to hang out with me, so we invited Julianna to use our fourth pass from WVIA. Julianna had never gone skiing before. Paul and I played a game of Scrabble and a game of Rummikub while we were at the ski lodge. The six of us packed lunches, and we stopped at Red Robin for dinner on the way home. Because it was the first Wednesday of the month, we got two free kids' meals and two free ice cream sundaes. 

I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner on Tuesday night because it's one of Paul's favorite things to eat. I had bought him a cheesecake, and we ate some of that tonight. I got him a big box of Middleswarth chips and a few candy bars for his birthday. The kids chipped in together to buy him a jigsaw puzzle featuring WW2 tanks. My dad gave him some money and a book. Paul recently ordered a new desk and a REALLY big computer monitor that he plans to use as his new home office in our bedroom. I got pizza for dinner tonight which is another of his favorite foods. I had won a prize pack from our local Christian radio station last week, and one of the prizes I received was a gift certificate for a free large pizza. I used that today. I'm planning to make him Heath bar cookies on Saturday, which are one of his favorite types of cookies. Hopefully he's had a good birthday week! 

WVIA used to have two days we could ski for free each year. The last time that happened was in 2020. It seems that WVIA days at Ski Sawmill are now a thing of the past. Ski Sawmill is much closer to our house. They have three homeschool days where they give a 50% discount for the lift ticket and rental. We're accustomed to skiing for free, but we'd like the kids to be able to go skiing twice this year so we're planning to pay for them to go skiing on a homeschool day on January 19 at Ski Sawmill. Knowing that our niece, Susie, tore her ACL when she went skiing a little over a year ago, we're very thankful that we all came home without any injuries yesterday. 

February

The kids enjoyed skiing with two of their friends - Isaiah and Micah

We didn't have any field trips or special outings in January, but the kids did begin their weekly ice-skating lessons, art class (Nadia and Ian), and drama class (Nadia) last month. Field trips and such have resumed this month. Our first was the Living History fair that the kids participated in on February 3. On February 10th we drove down to Maryland to spend the night at my friend's home prior to spending a day in Washington, D.C. The last time the kids and I were in DC was November 2018. We had planned to return in the spring of 2020, and we hadn't attempted any trips back down there since then. On this trip we visited the World War II, Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean War Memorials before seeing a production of A Horse and His Boy (C.S. Lewis) at the Museum of the Bible. Nadia and Ian attended a Super Bowl party at church last Sunday, and all three kids attended a homeschool Valentine's Day party at a roller-skating rink this past Tuesday. Despite the fact that the temperatures got into the 60's, the kids and Paul skied at Elk Mountain on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the other annual WVIA ski day won't be happening this year at the ski resort closer to our home. The kids had never taken off their coats while skiing before! It was a first for them to ski when it was that warm outside. Today we participated in a service project for three hours packing hygiene kits for people in Ukraine for the first time since October. Special activities over the last ten days of the month will most likely include seeing a production of Freedom Bound (about the underground railroad), a board game gathering at another homeschool family's home, Nadia and Ian attending the Winter Jam concert with the youth group, and Nadia attending a birthday party at a bowling alley. I was planning to take the kids to a maple sugaring program next Saturday, but in light of the birthday party Nadia is attending and the fact that my new oven is supposed to be delivered that day, I don't think we will be attending that after all. 

Oliver had two teeth extracted at the dentist on January 25th at the request of the orthodontist. Ian had an x-ray at the dentist this past Tuesday in preparation for having teeth extracted at the dentist next month, also at the request of the orthodontist. Ian has been wearing a retainer since June 2021, but the orthodontist told him on Monday that his time wearing it will be coming to a close very soon. 

I read two books that the library had gotten me through interlibrary loan while the kids were skiing on Wednesday. I also worked on a database for Experience Missions this week. I've either read or listened to a total of 19 books so far this year. The last one that I completed was The Book Thief which I selected because Nadia is currently reading it; if I had started listening to it before she read it, I wouldn't have assigned it to her given the language in the book. Lesson learned (hopefully). I'm currently listening to Find Your People by Jennie Allen and A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin. The kids and I have listened to 21 books so far this year (some of them I read aloud). The last two that we completed were Red Falcons of Tremoine by Hendry Peart and Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr. We're currently in the middle of A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park and Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. We also finished watching the third season of The Chosen earlier this month. The season finale was excellent! 

This month I ordered a new range, which was something we've talked about doing since last summer because one of the burners can no longer be used. I had two contractors give me estimates for installation, and one of them is scheduled to do the work on March 3. The total cost is going to be much higher than I was expecting, but hopefully I will really like the new oven. It does have some features that my 14-year-old oven doesn't have. It's the first time in our lives that either of us have purchased an oven. 

I also purchased airfare for the first time since 2018. Thankfully, I was able to spend less than I was expecting for those tickets as I got them for about $130 each (per person per one-way ticket). We are planning to fly from Pittsburgh to Seattle near the end of August and then fly back from San Francisco a little over two weeks later. I haven't worked out all the details yet, but we plan to spend the first few days in Washington state, followed by two days in Oregon, two days in northern California, three days in Nevada with my Aunt Janet, and our last three days in San Francisco before flying back to Pittsburgh. At one point I considered including two days in British Columbia in this trip, but I've scratched those plans. If we do attempt to visit all or most of the Canadian provinces, we can visit Yoho national park which is located in the eastern part of British Columbia and is only about 20 minutes away from Lake Louise that I thought we'd visit in Alberta. Other things that have been eliminated either due to the cost or because we shortened the length of the trip include North Cascades National Park, Yosemite, a whale watching cruise, and Safari West. I also have scratched our plans to spend a day in Toronto in July because Paul's brother is going on vacation that same week, so Paul needs to be at work. 

I've also begun working on lesson plans for the next school year. Additionally, I've been researching what college classes Ian and Nadia might take while they're in high school. I'm not sure if Oliver will go to college, but I've told Ian and Nadia that the plan is that they each earn at least 30 college credits while they're in high school so that it will only take them three years to finish their college degree. This will save us a lot of money because colleges charge MUCH less for tuition if the student is still in high school, plus the kids will naturally still be living at home while they are in high school. 

Thankful Thursday

1. I took four kids skiing at Elk Mountain today. It was the third time my three skied at that resort. It's 2 hours away from our home whereas Ski Sawmill, where they've gone skiing more often, is only 1 hour from our house. However, WVIA (PBS station) hasn't offered free tickets to Ski Sawmill in 2021 or 2022 due to COVID. The only year the kids ever went skiing twice in one year was in 2020, as they skied once in January and February before everything ground to a halt in March. Maybe they will be able to ski twice next year? It depends on what happens with COVID between now and then. It was Jill's first-time skiing; Nadia had her skiing on both the bunny slope and also a slope that came down from the top of the mountain! The last time I skied was in February 2020, and that might end up being the last time in my life because of my ankle surgery. Oliver's skiing ability has greatly improved over the last few years. He is now as confident as Nadia. Ian still prefers the bunny slope. All the times I've been with the kids when they've skied, I've brought my good camera. I didn't today, but I did get a few pictures and videos with my phone. Last year, Paul took the kids to Elk Mountain, and he didn't take a single picture. So, I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do when we go skiing, but I took more than Paul did last year. 

2. Ian went a full year without going to a doctor, which thankfully has been normal for him since he turned three. He saw MANY doctors (psychologist, urologists, gastroenterologists, allergists, etc.) during the first three years of life. Thankfully he didn't need any vaccinations this year, so it only cost $50 to have his annual physical thanks to the self-pay discount the local clinic offers. It was Ian's first time being seen at that clinic. Aside from it being a lot cheaper, it's closer to our house, and we did a lot less waiting than we have always done at the pediatrician's office where we used to go. Ian is 4 foot 9.25 inches tall, which puts him at the 30th percentile for height, and he weighs 77 pounds, which puts him at the 20th percentile for weight. He gained seven pounds and grew two inches over the last year. He's 3/4 of an inch taller than Nadia was when she turned twelve, and he weighs 14 pounds less than she did.

3. Ian and Oliver enjoyed the cookies and popcorn balls activity at the library on December 18.

4. The kids and Jill enjoyed ice skating on December 19, which was Nadia's half-birthday date, and they enjoyed skating with Wendy and her kids on December 26. We paid for the kids to skate on the 19th, but admission and rentals were free on the 26th - even hot chocolate, hot dogs, popcorn, cookies, fruit, and door prizes were free that day. 

5. Paul's dad turned eighty on December 20. He wasn't feeling well on his birthday, so he didn't come up to our house as planned. He's the first of our parents to make it to 80. Since both of our moms passed away in their 70's, we don't take this for granted.

6. Milo had his vet appointment and got his immunizations. Next year the appointment will be cheaper as two of the three immunizations he got this time he won't need to get again for three years. He got a third vaccine this year which means he can stay at a kennel, and we put that to use today. The longest he's stayed in his crate by himself has been a little over 9 hours. I called two kennels and found one that only charges $15 for daycare, which can be up to 11 hours long. This meant the kids weren't able to go to their first ice skating lesson today as we would have been gone longer than 11 hours, but at least they were able to ski. Part of the reason I took him to the kennel today was to test that option out in preparation for our vacation in May. Emotionally I'd rather leave him at someone's house rather than the kennel, but it's nice to have another option when necessary.

7. My dentist appointment went smoothly on December 29. Although we no longer have health insurance, I'm grateful we still have dental insurance through Paul's business.

8. Last night the kids and I attended a Pizzapalooza event at church. I have joined a ladies Bible study on Hagar that will begin next Wednesday night. 

9. Since we didn't see any relatives in December 2020, it was lovely to celebrate Ian's birthday and Christmas with some extended family in 2021. We were able to spend time with Paul's dad, brother, nephew, and sister-in-law plus my dad, Margie, Wendy, and Wendy's four kids. 

10. We're thankful for the gifts we received! The kids finished writing the thank you notes on January 2.

11. Paul turned 52! Considering Maurice passed away at the age of 35, I don't take any birthday for granted. 

12. Margie was able to get a monoclonal antibody infusion. We're thankful that neither my dad nor Margie have needed to be hospitalized due to the fact that they have COVID.

13. Paul had a safe trip to Baltimore on Tuesday. We're praying that the snow that is forecasted won't cause any problems with the drive back home tomorrow. He thinks that the show will result in some new customers.

Date with Daddy

For the past 12 years we haven't had a routine as far as taking our kids out on individual dates. Years ago Paul took a child with him to the Watson Inn for dinner on his birthday, and I did the same on my birthday, but it's been years since we've done that. Nadia has had the most dates with a parent since she is the eldest and also because sometimes she and I have done something that was for girls (like getting our nails done) or seeing the Nutcracker ballet. Oliver and I have had outings together when Nadia and Ian were attending something like history camp when he was too young to join them, but in general Oliver has had the fewest individualized outings with a parent. I read a book last fall that really emphasized taking your children out on dates. I came up with the plan that each child would get to plan a date in the month of their birthday and half-birthday so that they will each have at least one date per year with each parent. Oliver's half-birthday was yesterday. He decided that he wanted to go bowling and eat dinner at Bonanza with Paul. We never went bowling in 2020 because of COVID. Oliver had a great time on his date with his Dad. We shall see what Oliver will plan for he and I to do in August! I hope this is a tradition the kids will eventually have fond memories about when they are adults. It's possible we could expand it to each child having 3 or 4 dates per year with a parent as even if we did 4 per year we could arrange it so one parent had one date with a child per month, but six dates a year is at least a good starting point!

Since I stayed home with Milo when Paul took the kids skiing last month, we won't have any skiing pictures to include in any photo books this year. Paul did take two videos with his phone which I finally got around to uploading. 

We're supposed to get more snow tomorrow. I'm VERY ready for spring to come. Nadia has her first voice lesson for the spring semester tomorrow, but since they take place via Zoom, snow won't cause any problems. 

ABC's of 2020

Doing a puzzle in January - long before I knew we'd do MANY puzzles in 2020.

I decided to do an alphabetical "year in review" post and include some of my favorite photos from over the past year.

A - One of our two stops on the first day of our vacation was to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. This was a highlight of the trip for Paul, Ian, and Oliver! Nadia and Ian had taken art classes at the Christian school the past three years, but due to COVID we didn't pursue that for this school year. The kids are enjoying taking art classes online through our membership with Creating a Masterpiece; Nadia has done 25 art projects over the past few months and the the boys have done 21. We love to listen to audiobooks! Not counting the ones we're in the middle of right now, the kids and I listened to 143 chapter books together this year!  We've begun saving one book for just when Paul is able to listen with us (usually Saturday night and all day Sunday) - typically a biography. I paid for some through Audible, but the vast majority we got for free through Hoopla or Overdrive via the library. Nadia has been enjoying playing Among Us the past two months online with Ava.

B - In January Nadia joined a Bible Bowl team at our church. At that point she was on a team with three seventh grade girls, and they were memorizing the books of Hebrews and I and II Peter. Because of COVID, the annual competition wasn't held. In September Nadia joined a team with two fifth grade girls and one eighth grade girl, and they are studying the book of Matthew. Because she turned twelve years old in June, Nadia is now allowed to babysit. She and her friend Evanna babysat a preschooler together for several hours once, and I have paid her to babysit Oliver on multiple occasions. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, she has been able to babysit more than I anticipated. She likes being able to earn more money! All three kids got new bikes this year. Nadia sold her 24" bike and claimed my bike as her own. Ian and Oliver received new 24" mountain bikes this year, and Pop Pop built Oliver a bike ramp. Birthdays were very different in 2020. For the past 12 years we've had extended family at the kids' birthday parties. No relatives came to our house for Nadia or Ian's birthdays. We spent Oliver's birthday at Aunt Janet's house, and we saw Grandpa and Margie a few days later. 

A field trip to Gettysburg in February before I had any idea we'd go on very few field trips this year!

C - Although COVID-19, coronavirus, and cancelled are probably the first three "C" words that come to mind for 2020, I'm going to pick Cincinnati because we enjoyed our time that area in October. The playgrounds along the riverfront, the IMAX movie about dogs, the Ark Encounter, and the Creation Museum were among the top six experiences of our family vacation this year. In January and February the kids took a computer hardware class for four weeks, Oliver began learning how to write in cursive in August, and as always friends and family have been fighting cancer. One of my friends died of cancer in October, and two of my friends lost their spouses to cancer in August and November. Margie was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery on November 9. Once Nadia finished watching all the episodes of Full House, she switched to working through all the seasons of the Cosby show. I've sung in an adult church choir consistently since the fall of 1986. COVID brought an abrupt end to our choir season at the beginning of March, and it looks like the choir break will last at least one full year.

D - We paid for a subscription to Disney+ in December 2019, and due to COVID-19 some movies that were originally going to be released in the theatres went straight to Disney+ instead. Paul and the boys have also really enjoyed watching two seasons of Mandalorian this year. Baby Yoda is so cute! Last year I assumed we'd only have the subscription for one year, but we paid for another year earlier this month. One of the reasons we made this decision was because we usually pay for at least four months of cable tv each year to watch the NFL, but we didn't do that this year. The kids get a new privilege and a new responsibility each time they have a birthday. Nadia's new chore now that she is twelve years old has been to do the dishes at one meal each week. Thankfully, the five of us rarely see the doctor aside from annual physicals. This year we spent more than usual in the "medical" category of our budget ($1,500) because Paul saw the doctor a lot more than usual. Thankfully all the test results came back normal (aside from showing he has carpal tunnel). He had a colonoscopy, stress test, upper EMG, and lower EMG. 

I had no idea when I took this photo that the rabbits would only be in our house for two months.

E - We are finally making progress with learning a foreign language as the kids and I are speaking more and more Español!  Hopefully we'll make even more progress towards becoming bilingual next year through our subscription with Talkbox.mom. The three topics which I think were in the news the most in 2020 were COVID-19, riots and protests related to the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Election. As usual, the candidate I voted for didn't win. I'm praying about the special election in Georgia that is taking place in a few days. 

F - Paul turned fifty years old this year! We have been wearing face masks or face shields for the first time in our lives. Paul wears a face mask far more than the rest of us because he wears it at work. We hope that sometime next year they will no longer be mandatory. Nadia completed a personal finance class online this summer, and she also finished watching every single episode of Full House. We got our first chest freezer this year, which was somewhat of a miracle given the shortage on them due to COVID.

G - Four different guinea pigs lived in our home this year. Jenna is four years old. Sadly, we experienced the death of a pet for the first time this year as Ian's first guinea pig, Patches, suddenly died in February at the age of three. In April we brought home two more guinea pigs - Peppa (Nadia's) and Buttercup (Ian's). Unfortunately the younger ones sometimes wake me up in the night with their loud chirping. Nadia has Peppa and Jenna out a lot. They are accustomed to being held and purr quite a bit.  - - This year we also got new garage doors, and Ian got new glasses because his second pair of eyeglasses were broken by another child at Bee's Backyard in February. During the quarantine, the kids and I played 74 different games at least once! 

H- is for hoverboards! Grandpa and Margie gave Oliver a hoverboard for his birthday in August, and Nadia bought one during a Prime Day sale at Walmart in October. 

Two of Nadia's friends who came over for sleepovers several times this year.

I - The kids and I spent a week on Long Island with Aunt Janet the first week of August. It was different than our previous three trips there due to COVID and also a lengthy power outage, but we still had a great time. All three kids participated in group ice skating lessons this year, which was a first for Oliver. 

J - Although MANY our trips to National Parks were cancelled this year, the kids have earned 72 Junior Ranger badges altogether, and 50 of those were earned this year. That would never have been possible if it weren't for the fact that some can be earned from home without actually visiting the site.

K - Although some science museums have been closed since March due to COVID-19 and others have only partially reopened, the kids had a blast at the Kentucky Science Center. We also enjoyed visiting the Kentucky Derby Museum. 

L - It was a shock to have all the libraries closed for four months this year. This fall I got another library card and switched to using the Lycoming county library system as our primary library. 

M - We got a Bichon Frise puppy on December 12 named Milo! On the first day of 2020 we had two pets, I would never have guessed we would have six pets in our home by December 12. Because Nadia began studying Matthew in September and we opted not to have the boys join AWANA by Zoom this fall, the kids and I have been memorizing the Sermon on Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7). So far we have memorized chapter 5 (which has 48 verses). Ian and Nadia have been playing Minecraft lately.

N - We have had very brief shortages at other times in my life due to a snow storm or something like that. I can't ever recall any other time in my life where we had SO many national shortages this year. The list is lengthy and contains a wide array of items such as: toilet paper, napkins, pasta, bicycles, freezers, bread, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, etc. Thankfully the grocery stores have been close to fully stocked lately. 

O - We had to attend church online for three months. Church still isn't back to "normal" - no choir, for example, but we're very thankful we can attend in-person again. We also picked an orthodontist for Ian this fall. He will begin phase one (expander) in January.

P - Puzzles is the "p" word that first comes to mind. We spent FAR more hours doing puzzles this year than ever before. I spent FAR more money on puzzles than I had ever spent before. Oliver has moved beyond 100 piece puzzles. With assistance, Nadia has done up to 1,000 piece puzzles. We listened to audiobooks for many hours while doing puzzles together during the spring. The kids couldn't attend Camp Susque this summer as they usually do, but they were able to attend Pocono Mountain Bible Conference instead. Ian continues to excel at playing the piano, and Nadia has been enjoying taking an online photography class.

Q - It's usually challenging to come up with a "q" word, but this year it's easy. In 2020 Q is for quarantine and Queen Esther. The kids and I were quarantined for three months this year. Paul continued to go to work, and he took over the grocery shopping during that time period. We originally had tickets to see Queen Esther at Sight and Sound in April, but due to the lockdown we actually went in December.

R - Nadia didn't make it to any of the WGRC skate nights in 2020 for a variety of reasons, but the boys dramatically improved in their rollerblading skills this year. All three kids own their own pair of rollerblades, and I've been taking the boys to a roller skating rink once a month. 2020 is also the year when Ian enjoyed rock climbing for the first time. He learned to enjoy ziplining in 2019. I love seeing him conquer his fears! We also had two pet rabbits for two months this year. Unfortunately, we had to take Cocoa and Coal back to the SPCA as they were spraying pee on each other and our house as well as chewing baseboards and such. We all love to READ. I'm not sure how many books Paul and I read, but I can say that both of us read more books this year than we had read in one year in quite awhile. Ian and Nadia each read at least 60 chapter books this year. I tried a lot more new recipes than usual - 87 over the past four months. We usually go to several concerts each year. This year Paul and Oliver didn't attend any concerts. Ian, Nadia, and I were able to attend The Roadshow (put on by Compassion) in Wilkes Barre in early March. 

S - We went skiing twice in one year for the first time this year! I took the kids to Elk Mountain (first time any of us  had ever been there) in January, and all five of us skied at Ski Sawmill in February. 2020 was the year Oliver learned how to ski! Probably the words that come to most people's minds for 2020 that start with "s" are safe, social distancing, six feet, and hand sanitizer. I signed us up for a Six Flags membership in early January thinking that we would visit five different Six Flags parks this year. Because of COVID we only made it to two of them, but the kids and I did spend five days at Six Flags this summer, and Paul joined us for one day. Because the parks opened later than usual, we will be able to go to Six Flags for free through the end of July 2021. Ian and Nadia received scooters for Christmas last year, and so all three kids rode their scooters quite a bit during the lockdown. We started the year without the use of either of our showers. In November we agreed to hire someone to finish the master bathroom shower which was been a project Paul began in May 2016. I  believe that project will be completed in early January. So in early 2021 we will likely have the use of TWO showers for the first time in years!

T - I think we all would agree that we've had our temperatures taken FAR more in 2020 than any other year of our lives! In past years we've seen Paul's family the most (since they only live an hour away) and the Towfighis the least (since they lived in Turkey for 15 years). This year we haven't seen Wendy's family at all, whereas usually we see them 1-2 times a year. So in this upside down year, the kids and I saw the Towfighis more than any other extended family member (I'm not counting Paul as he sees his brother and dad at work). They came to our house in June, we met at least some of them at Six Flags (MD/NJ) on three occasions, and we saw most of them at Refreshing Mountain in September and again at our house for a couple of hours in November. Finally in November we were able to spend time with Paul's extended family after not doing so for more than 10 months.

U - 2020 was Nadia's seventh and final year of playing Upward Basketball. The first several years my parents would come to at least one game, and Paul's parents would attend several games. 2020 was the first year that we didn't have any extended family members attend any of the kids' games. Thankfully their season ended right before the lockdown began. 

V - Nadia took one semester of voice lessons this fall for the first time ever (by Zoom). She was motivated to complete her piano books so that she wouldn't have to pay for the voice lessons. Originally I thought that the kids and I would be going on five vacations this year - three without Paul and one with Paul. Three vacations were cancelled (to Chicago in April, to MD/DC in May, and to Canada in August), but the kids and I did go to Long Island in August and our eight day family vacation in October to Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania DID take place although it certainly was far different than what it would have been if we weren't in the middle of a pandemic.  I prayed for a vaccine this year more than I've ever prayed for a vaccine before.  Paul and I had never paid a bill at a veterinarian  prior to this year, but we visited three different vets this year -in February for Patches (guinea pig), then for Cocoa and Coal (rabbits), and finally this month for our puppy, Milo.

W - In previous years we haven't had a plan for regularly incorporating current events into our curriculum. This fall I subscribed to a year of World Watch News, which is an approximately 10 minute show that is aired M-F. I expect we will continue to keep this subscription, as the kids and I find it to be enjoyable and informative. 

X - Although we have belonged to swimming pools in the past, we hadn't done so recently and didn't plan to join one this summer, but in light of everything that was cancelled this summer, we joined the Exchange pool in June and swam there for quite a few days this summer. 

Y - Nadia joined two youth groups in January. She attends First Baptist's youth group on Sunday nights and CWC's youth group on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. Nadia has participated in a theatre camp every year from 2013 to the present. She participated in two this summer, and Ian participated with her in the second one called Youtheatre. It was his first time ever participating in a theatre camp. It was NOT his idea, but he loved it. 

Z - Oliver asked for a pet for the first time this summer. In early August he received two zebra danios. We enjoy watching them swim around when we're sitting at the kitchen table. He named them Henry and Zuma. Sadly, this morning we discovered they had both died. Probably the "z" word that comes to mind first for 2020 is Zoom. I had used Zoom previously to participate in faculty meetings from home, but Nadia used Zoom a lot this year - to just chat with a friend or her cousin Rachel OR for Bible Bowl and youth group meetings during the lockdown, and she even participated in a play that was performed on Zoom in October.  Nadia usually is on Zoom, Facetime, or Kids Messenger video from 8:45-9:30 each night, and she stays on it until 10:00pm one night per month.