2021 Happy Holidays from the Carlson Family!

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2021 started off very similarly to the whole of 2020. Still struggling through remote learning, but really getting our “steps” in due to the frequent request for snacks from our students. They. Eat. So. Many. Snacks.

Thankfully, not too far into the year, everything started to gain more normalcy. Both boys are finally in an actual school building and sports are back!

Both boys have started basketball and were most excited to return to the flag football fields. Kiefer began pitching at baseball this year and it has been great to see his confidence soar and see him excel. That little guy can really zip ‘em in there!

In 5th grade, Chase can join clubs and sports at school, so we became fans of cross country and his group (grade 5/6 boys) made it to the City Championships, where they placed 9th out of 25 teams! Tracy foolishly thought she was gaining a running buddy…but Chase quickly surpassed any speed she can manage. He has also joined the Beta Club, which we are still trying to understand exactly what it is. There is mention of volunteering, engineering, drawing, and field tripping to Springfield. Our son has stressed he is NOT interested in either parent chaperoning this field trip. So at least that much is clear.

We’ve started a new tradition! Each week we dine at a new restaurant and have sampled our way through the cuisines of the world, including Mediterranean, Italian, Japanese, (copious amounts of) Mexican, Indian, Spanish, Peruvian, and Expensive. We try to avoid too many in the expensive category. We’ve had a blast adventuring, and it keeps us motivated not to skip a workout.

Our sons continue to beg for a dog. And to show them the work it takes and give them a test run, we became dog sitters. We took in big dogs, small dogs, good dogs, ornery dogs, and even a pair of cats! And no matter what type of dog (or cat), the boys were consistently unhelpful and uninterested after the first 5 minutes of the animal’s arrival. Our service quickly shuttered due to labor shortages and disgruntled management. And yet, the boys are still begging for a dog.

We finally scratched our travel itch with some great trips to Sedona, AZ; Rocky Mountain National Park/Denver, CO; and San Francisco, CA. While we loved every trip, we were debating if we should move to Colorado. We can’t…but may force one of our kids to go to college there to have an excuse to visit again and again. And may even see said son while there.

We hope your 2021 was great and we hope to hear from you soon!

Happy Holidays, The Carlson Family
Kevin, Tracy, Chase (11), and Kiefer (9)

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