On to bigger and better...

So it's been a while... again.

Let's try to catch up.

Harry started playing the saxophone... valiant effort with Magoo's (and by extension my...) sax from back in the day, but it needed some work, and we had trouble tracking down the recommended service provider.

Harry started playing the drums... the band teacher wouldn't let him off that easily, so now he's in the percussion section.

Fall soccer came and went... nothing particularly earth-shattering, but another fun season in the books.

Max, Harry and I all got good at taking long, reflective walks down into Old Town, having some very introspective discussions on various topics of life

One of those walks even included me in a kilt, in support of Alexandria Rugby in the Scottish Christmas Walk

The Polar Vortex hit hard, and we all froze solid for a few months.

Harry passed his 3rd Degree Brown Belt

Harry made the ALC U11 Upper B team (middle level of 3 teams)... we were both bummed to find out that NVYLL rules preclude the B-level and lower from using long sticks.  He'd been practicing hard with  a donated one from the Bushwood boys, and picking it up quite well.


Family outings all over Nashville for Spring break, to include an awesome zipline tour (that unfortunately Ainsley bailed out of, which kept Kim from participating in too), and a reasonably (?) close bear sighting at Cades Cove park

Harry turned 10.

I chaperoned (accompanied) Harry's 4th grade class trip to Jamestown VA for a gorgeous day away from the fray (we never did find the longhouse lacrosse sticks), which turned immediately into the most self-sufficient birthday party ever -- video game truck thing

Just this weekend, Harry passed his Junior Black Belt.  He's the youngest Jr. Black in the history of the entire Potomac Kempo dojo system, and he and his pal Max are the first Jr. Black belts from the Foxchase dojo.

phew.