2017 was such a year that it took all 365 days to take place.
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| Peters in Germany |
Upon our return, our house threw down, in the combination of a broken sewer line and increasingly tight quarters (our New York selves are rolling over in their graves!), an ultimatum: either we move to a different house or it becomes a different house. In love with our neighborhood, we decided on house renovations, which will continue into early 2018.
Kourtney continues to thrive as a math instructor, where she delights in the curiosity of fourth- to eighth-graders, runs the chess club, and tutors on the side. A talented politician, she also managed to welcome into our family a new member—an adorable and smart puppy named Sophie—despite what some thought was an airtight no-dog-after-kids policy.
Ben received tenure and a promotion at the university where he teaches as a media scholar and now also directs Russian studies and digital studies programs. His work took him to Russia, Germany, Switzerland, and both coasts this year. He also enjoys teaching Sunday School and continues to voluntarily toil away on book-length projects, despite what some thought was an airtight no-books-after-tenure policy.
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| Aaron and ice cream in Paris |
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| A dog and her boy: Sophie and Elliot |
Elliot (11) continues to find his way while developing new friends in fifth grade, where he especially enjoys math (Kourtney is occasionally his teacher) and reading books such as Penelope March is Melting. Taller than most peers, he recently began playing basketball with a school team and has promising rebound instincts. He enjoys billiards, magic tricks, riddles, writing stories and songs, and is starting voice lessons.
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| Libbie in her native habitat with book and hammock in hand |
Libbie (8) continues to level up her craftsmanship, recently adding a Leatherman and sewing machine to her growing art toolkit. She leads in her Spanish-immersion third grade class, practices violin like a resistance fighter, enjoys soccer, rock climbing, and books like A Series of Unfortunate Events. Libbie gets ready for and bikes to and from school as well as manages her homework all on her own.
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| No caption needed: Maya is five! |
Maya (5) now converses with the best of them. She enjoys pre-kindergarten, drawing, coloring, asking hard questions (e.g., where do trees come from?), koala-bear hugging, early reading, and being among her friends and siblings. She often really thinks about and processes things. She too is a delight!
Come visit us (think Route 66) and be the first to enjoy our new guest bed!
Come visit us (think Route 66) and be the first to enjoy our new guest bed!
