Matthias Family Update - December 2020

 

Matthias Family Update – December 2020

This is a very long letter, so if you don't like long letters, exit now and forever hold your peace. I didn't take the time to edit it down, so you get what you get! Anyway... what a crazy year!! I feel like I need to write this update in terms of “pre-pandemic” and “in-quarantine.” Because they really felt like two different worlds. 

Our Family

Prior to the pandemic, over the New Year’s holiday, we hosted two Japanese families here in Los Angeles. We had a wonderful time playing tour guide and showing them all the sights around Los Angeles! In January, we did our annual LEGOLAND trip where Elowyn earned a giant stuffed animal that she obsessed over. We were lucky to squeeze in a few trips to Disneyland in January and February since they have been closed down since the onset of the pandemic.

In the first week of quarantine, we decided to foster a mama cat and her 6 kittens. We got them when they were 4 days old, and were able to watch them grow and develop. It was magical for the three girls to watch the mother cat care for her kittens, and to have six kittens in the house to cuddle, play with and watch grow. Even Mike got into the daily weighing routine. We ended up finding homes for four of the kittens and even the mama cat. We adopted two of the kittens, twin tabbies named Gimli and Genesis. They have brought unending joy to our kids! We love our pets in this household!!

As Spring transitioned to summer, we were struggling to keep the kids active (in So. Cal all the organized sports and classes were moved to Zoom). We were lucky that Mike’s mom allowed the kids to swim every week at her house. Saturdays became a fun day at the pool for the kids to look forward to, and for me it meant an afternoon all to myself! In early August, we escaped to a cabin in Lake Tahoe where we spent time hiking, biking and playing at the beach. Everyone spent a lot of time swimming in the crystal clear water! Tsuki (our dog) loved running the quiet trails. It was a much-needed getaway for all of us!

Rough Patch: Unfortunately, our kids have had an unmentionable amount of screen time. Negotiating with them to complete their chores, practice the piano, read more books and play outside has become much more difficult.  We are working on it! Also, we all had to become more proactive and intentional with exercise (not fun for anyone) as the sedentary lifestyle of the quarantine was taking its toll!

Violet (12 1/2)

In January, we got to see Violet perform at her school’s academic fair where she sang and played piano. She is so brave to get up and sing in front of everyone! It’s been so great to watch her develop this talent! At the beginning of the year, we were thrilled to learn that Violet was accepted into The Davidson Institute’s Young Scholars Program. Unfortunately, she was unable to participate in their summer programs due to the pandemic but looks forward to taking advantage of their offerings in the future. Violet was in charge of the mama cat and kittens (they were sequestered to her room most of the time) when we were fostering. She did a great job keeping them fed and the litter box clean!  In late spring, we learned that Violet was accepted to the UCLA Math Circles. She spent a couple hours every weekend working through extremely challenging math problems. She struggled at first but eventually got into a groove with Grandma Michelle as her math coach!  Over the summer, Violet participated in the GEMS Science Camp. She learned a lot and enjoyed the experience, even though it was virtual.

For service projects Violet has taken on a senior citizen pen pal and created a Virtual Storytime YouTube channel. Violet and Maeve spent a lot of time reading children’s books on video. Their videos (posted to her YouTube channel) were shared with overtired parents that needed their kids engaged but didn’t necessarily want them zoning out on cartoons or Netflix.  For enrichment, Violet had voice lessons and continues with weekly piano lessons. This year she wrote 3 new songs on the piano with lyrics including “Dirty Pearl” (a song about Maeve), “Sweet Dreams” (about the pandemic), and “To Myself” (a song about masking sad feelings). She has also continued with twice weekly Japanese tutoring to keep up her language skills. Her tutor is amazing and has done a great job!

In the fall, Violet started her 8^th grade year at Star Prep Academy. The school has done a wonderful job with distance learning, thank goodness! She was lucky enough to have Zoology and P.E. classes in-person, so it got her out of the house and exercising. Violet loves English and History the most, and has become much better on her sewing machine having to work out the problems all by herself for her fashion class. Also, Violet got her braces off and loves being able to chew gum again. Yay! She has become the neighborhood helper as many neighbors call her for watering plants and helping with chores. She is not quite a teenager, but seems to have adopted a teen’s disposition as she spends most of her free time socializing with her friends (via Discord chats/calls), wants her bedroom door shut at all times, and has upped her sass game to new levels. This year, Violet’s favorite YouTube channel is OSP (Overly Sarcastic Productions).

Bumps in the Road: Violet ran for student body Vice President but lost to one of her good buddies. She was happy and sad at the same time. She also had to overcome being uncomfortable with the challenging math problems in UCLA math circles. She is coming to terms with how messy her room gets when she is in it 24-7! And much to her dismay, Violet has taken up running! Coach dad jogs along with her to keep up the pace.  

Maeve (10)

This year has been fairly eventful for Maeve!  Her soccer season (playing for Culver City’s EXTRA team) was cut short by the pandemic. Right before the pandemic hit, Maeve tried out for the LA Breakers Club soccer team. In April, we found out that she made the team! The team started out with Zoom coaching but eventually moved to in-person practices with COVID safety measures in place. We are so grateful the team practices 3 times per week, and she has been able to stay in shape. The difference in coaching is quite significant, and she really loves her new (female!) coach. In addition, her ball handling skills and speed has significantly improved! In fact, her new record for soccer juggling is 18!

For service projects, in the last three months Maeve recorded herself reading several books aloud. The videos were added to Violet’s Virtual Storytime YouTube channel!  For the holiday season Violet, Maeve and Elowyn are doing a Pet Supplies Collection to support the Carson Animal Shelter. This particular shelter is always at full capacity and is always in need of animal supplies. The girls are looking forward to visiting the shelter with all the supplies to donate!  Over the summer, Maeve agreed to train for a 5K with her dad. She started running 3 times per week and worked up to running a 5K at a respectable speed. We were really proud of her for reaching this goal. 

In the fall, Maeve was accepted into the MENSA organization with Violet. It will be a few years before she can take advantage of the benefits but it was exciting nonetheless! Over the course of the last 6 months, the extra time at home has contributed to the improvement of Maeve’s piano skills. She has more time to practice and is a joy to listen to these days. For the church primary program, we recorded a video of Maeve playing Away in the Manger while Elowyn sang along! They worked really hard to get it right!

In the fall Maeve started the 4^th grade, all distance learning. She has joined the Math Olympiad Club where she works through unique math problems over Zoom. She also enjoys doing the extra credit math “problem of the week” with a little help from Grandma Michelle if she gets stuck. This school year Maeve was elected as Student Council representative for her class! Yay!!! She is just starting to get into the swing of it, but is looking forward to the service projects and spirit day planning. Despite the distance learning, Maeve is doing really well in school and especially in Japanese. Her teacher gave her high compliments about about her writing and Japanese skills. 

Currently, Maeve is obsessed with playing ROBLOX (an online computer game) with her friends. They connect over Zoom or Facetime, and they have a blast strategizing and chatting with one another. Currently, her favorite ROBLOX game is Adopt Me, but Royal High is a close second. This year Maeve’s favorite YouTube Channel is “iamSanna”.

Rough Patch:  Maeve was not happy learning a second instrument... she started to learn the flute through the school’s instrumental program but learning over Zoom did not translate well. Maybe she will try again next year! Another struggle was adapting to the challenging  4^th grade immersion curriculum over Zoom. The increased difficulty in Japanese (a lot of kanji this year!) has been a struggle for her, but she is managing it on her own. It was hard at first, but she is starting to learn to communicate directly with her teacher to address problems and issues .

Elowyn (6 1/2)

Out of everyone in our family, this pandemic has probably been the hardest for Elowyn. But she is persevering! Back in January, Elowyn learned to ride a bike without training wheels! She picked it up pretty quickly and loves zipping through the neighborhood. When the pandemic hit, Elowyn’s ballet moved to Zoom and she wasn’t really enjoying it. Eventually, dance class moved to in-person COVID safe classes outside. She is now doing a hip-hop class with her bestie at the park, and really looks forward to Wednesdays!

This year Elowyn began twice weekly Japanese tutoring to ensure she doesn’t get behind while on Distance Learning. Her tutor has done a great job getting her to speak more! Elowyn also played her second “season” of soccer. There were no games but she was able to practice and do drills with coach Dad!

Elowyn seems to have mastered the “virtual playdate”. She can play dress-up, play with dolls, play pretend school, but most of all she likes to play Minecraft with her friends.  They strategize together to build amazing unicorn worlds, rainbow worlds, or treehouse worlds. Whatever they can imagine! She still loves building with LEGOs and is regularly digging in the big LEGO bin to build and create. She still has a huge imagination and is often found wearing fairy dresses or superhero capes. As of right now, Elowyn wants to grow up and be a scientist and often asks lots of questions about everything. Currently, Elowyn’s favorite YouTube Kids Channels are “DOLLASTIC PLAYS!” and “HoneyHeartsC”.

Bumps in the Road:  Distance learning in a Japanese Immersion program has been really tough for Elowyn. As a 1^st grader, she is still a new language learner. She was just starting to get used to the Japanese language in kindergarten. Keeping up with the directions in Japanese is a challenge, however she is learning to be a better listener, and to not worry if she doesn’t understand everything.

Ashleigh (old)

This past year I spent a lot of my time volunteering. Prior to the pandemic, I ran El Marino elementary school’s “Reading with Dogs” program. This program has handlers bring their certified dogs into the school to soothe and cuddle kids while they practice reading. A great program that really benefits the kids that struggle learning to read. I did some overhauling in the program and was really happy with how it was moving along! I have really missed those cute dogs and the sweet kids since the pandemic hit!

In the spring, the kid’s schooling essentially came to a stop. I had to put in some extra work to keep Maeve and Elowyn learning and growing! Over the summer we went to the beach, watched fireworks, repotted flowers and plants, and read books. In the fall, I started serving as the Room Parent Coordinator on El Marino’s PTA Executive Board. While this is a weird year, I have enjoyed getting to know my Room Parent crew! I am learning a lot as this is my first year in this position. At Violet’s school, Star Prep Academy, I serve as the Vice President of the Parent Association which has also been fun. My goal is to get a stronger language learning program at the school! This past year, I have continued reading a lot and spent time on books more spiritual in nature. But I still love my Sci-Fi and Fantasy!

In general, I am everybody’s personal assistant. I do marketing writing and editing for the real estate business. I help keep Elowyn organized and focused through her school lessons. I am working on training Tsuki (our dog) to be more pleasant around strangers and on the leash. I nag Maeve to read more books. I encourage Violet to work on her song writing. I help kids with piano lessons and practice. Washing face masks, coordinating zoom calls, cooking, cleaning... the list goes on and on and on! ALL the Balls in the Air ALL the time!

Rough Patch:  Learning to let Elowyn struggle with her school work has been difficult, and not helping her every time she asks is hard for me! There were a lot of tears in September and October. This is a new issue for me because when kids are at school they learn to struggle and overcome challenges on their own. It’s hard not to help Elowyn and Maeve when issues arise...but I’m getting used to it! 

Mike (really old)

In the spring, Mike transitioned to working from home. This was not easy for him with 3 kids, a dog, 3 cats, and a busy wife bustling around. We all played musical desks for a few months and finally Mike decided to set up an office in the garage for the most peace and quiet. We extended our Wi-Fi network and made it happen!

Over the summer, Mike coached Maeve’s 5K running program and consistently encouraged her and helped her practice her soccer skills at the park. Every Saturday, he coached all three girls in weekly swimming lessons at grandma’s pool. In the fall, Mike coached Elowyn’s soccer team (outdoor practices only, socially distanced with masks) where he tried his best to make it fun, but really was much better at militaristic drills. Mike has been a huge help around the house, helping me with laundry and cooking. Keeping the house clean is quite a challenge with so many of us home all the time!

The most exciting news of the year is that Mike has left Kenny Stevens Group (which he has been with for 12 years) and moved to a new westside brokerage, Skylight. He had been recruited heavily by a few other brokerage offices but chose a small, but active group. We are excited about this change! Mike is always working on his real estate social media presence and still loves commercial real estate.

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With all the trials of the past year, somehow, we have grown closer as a family. Daily scripture reading has helped us to feel peace and calm in our home. We are grateful to have stayed safe from the coronavirus and have avoided getting sick. We are always praying for those that have suffered from the loss of loved ones, who have suffered from illness, who have lost jobs, who have lost their homes in fires, and who are lonely. It’s been an incredibly hard year for so many people. Please reach out to us if there is anything you need!

We hope you are able to enjoy the holiday season and find peace in the new year.

Love, The Matthias Family