The Curtis Clan - Spring 2016
Spring Equinox to Summer Solstice
In Omnia Paratus (or Oy with the Poodles Already)
Throughout spring 2016, the Curti continued watching the Gilmore Girls, completing Season 5 at the beginning of the quarter and finishing the 7th and final season just after the start of summer. It was pleasant to have programming that was loved and appreciated by all of the family equally, as there isn’t too much TV that meets those criteria. When there was squabbling sisters or parent/child animosity, Lorelei and Rory brought us back together. I am kayak, hear me ROAR.
|
RJC and the dogs in a group hug on Easter
|
|
Cate at 12
On 30 March, Cate turned twelve as the redbuds reached maximum bloom in the back yard, a week or two earlier than normal. At 12, Cate is a vibrant, strong willed young woman who is a passionate and voracious reader. Sending her to her room is never a punishment as she’s all to glad to spend time reading and rereading the Harry Potter books, Hunger Games and other tales of dystopian youth to numerous to mention and generally unfamiliar to her parents. [The Briar Rabbit quote seems fitting - Whatever you do, don’t through me in that briar patch.].
|
Cate at 12
|
|
She remains a non-wavering vegetarian but a picky one, eschewing salads, PBJs, and other typical dietary items of a vegetarian (meal planning is a true challenge). Her favorite sport is archery, even more so since reading and watching the Hunger Games trilogy (Brave didn’t hurt either). She avows an interest in boys but has shown sprigs of interest in her appearance of late not previously seen. Still she uses her room’s floor as her closet and her clothing choices are more for what’s on it (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Alice in Wonderland) rather than on cleanliness or lack of wrinkles (a disheveled look is her norm). As she is growing rapidly, this lack of concern for meeting the stereo-type teen appearance model isn’t all bad as her pants could frequently be mistaken for long Capris. In respect to shoes, her preferred choice are purple high top Converse All Stars, which she will repeatedly insist she should be allow to wear to church, including when serving mass at Holy Redeemer. This results in a nearly weekly argument about what is appropriate attire for different venues, usually minutes before needing to get into the car and leave. She’s an A- student at the Steger 6th Grade Center, frequently getting gigged for spelling grammar and not turning in her practice or reading logs (she’s never been one to like showing her work). She likes to appear harder and tougher than she is and uses anger as a wall to protect her soft underbelly (but perhaps those are just the words of biased parent).
April
On 1 April, Jane and her posse of Hufflepuffs and Harry Potter friends walked about Old Orchard on Friday evening dressed up in wizarding garb on “Confuse the Muggles Day. It’s unclear who the befuddled were, Jane and company or the WG denizens, as it did coincide with April Fool’s Day.
|
Mess with Muggles day
|
|
The next Friday in early April, Randy took off to chaperone the 6th Grade Team Atlas to the Art Museum, leading a group of ten kids through the museum to appreciate their chosen artist’s works (i.e., Matisse, Warhol and Lichtenstein). He also led the group to visit his personal favorites works (e.g. Attachment, Thomas Hart Benton, La Farge, the mirrored west staircase, etc.) and other fun stuff (i.e. the Mummy) at the Art Museum. Following a lunch on the hill, it was off to the zoo with a less defined agenda which took more patience to get everyone to see their first choice as several grumbled at having to go through the Herpatarium (The Hellbender was supper cute though). As Cate was only sporadically and minimally embarrassed by her father’s being there, it had to be thought of as a success.
|
6th Grade Zoo Trip outside Insectarium
|
|
The spring film indoctrination of the Curti girls included seeing The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer (Cary Grant and Shirley Temple) and Harvey (Jimmy Stewart) at the WGPL April fool’s series (the girls were creeped out by the concept of a Pooka). At the Hi-Pointe, we saw The Maltese Falcon and Showboat. We watched the Brendon Fraser/Rachel Weitz Mummy, which scared one of the girls. Each parent also showed some films without the other. Bethany showed them Jane Austen’s Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow version) followed a day later with the updated retelling of Clueless. Randy showed them Monty Python’s and Now for Something Completely Different, repeating the Dead Parrot and Lumberjack Song bits for extra fun.
In Mid-April, Randy took an extended weekend vacation / reunion ith a handful of his fraternity buddies, which will eventually get its own page Wild Man Weekend (WMW) 2016.
| WMW2016 group photo |
Occoee River White Water |
|
|
|
Cate at her 6th grade Orchestra (she used both hands to play unlike the kid behind her)
|
|
|
Celebrating Gramy's Birthday
|
|
On Tuesday, we went out to Llewellyn’s Pub in Webster Groves for live orchestral entertainment! (Jane is on cello far left). We were so proud that our daughter was playing in pubs at 13...Is it wrong to think they sounded better with a pint of Boulevard Rise & Shine: Early Riser Coffee Porter?
|
Jane playing cello at a local pub (Llwellyns)
|
|
The next night, Hixson sponsored a joint Honors Orchestra and A cappella Choral concert (after school extra curricula concert). Although Jane eschewed joining the honors orchestra, she reveled in the girls A Cappella group - Hix-A-Tonix, as most of her Harry Potter nerd lunch table friends belonged and those they didn’t belong in fall, joined in spring. The Hix-A-Tonix did a version of Katy Perry’s 'Roar', for which Jane had a solo. They also did a mash-up of Mr. Sandman/Sweet Dreams"and "Drift Away" with the boy group the Hix-Sons. We were quite pride and really did enjoy it.
|
Jane soloing on Roar
|
|
|
Hix-A-Tonix Spring 2016 concert - Roar
|
|
May
On the first Saturday in May, Randy and Cate ran a 5K downtown with the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program. The significance was not only in them doing something reasonably healthy but that there was a bet involved. Cate had been pestering her parents for well over a year about dying her hair beyond just the Kool-Aid method which didn’t last but a couple weeks and wasn’t reliable at that. Besides she really wanted purple hair. Attempts to tie the reward of getting her hair dyed to cleaning her room were as fruitless as all other carrots and sticks used in regards to that endeavor (Cate remains a strong willed kid). As her parents both wanted her to do GOTR again, but she wasn’t enthused, we decided to use the hair dying carrot for that instead. Knowing Cate inclination for finding loopholes and the minimal amount of effort required to do most tasks (some might call it lazy but we prefer to think of it a passion to optimization one’s labors…), it appeared likely that she would go through the motions and just walk the 5K. Ergo, we added the caveat that she had to do it faster than Randy. Since he’s caring nearly a hundred pounds more than when he ran 5Ks in high school and was none to swift even then, she wouldn’t have too much trouble if she tried just a little.
| Steger GOTR team |
Abby Constance & Cate (with colored hair spray) |
|
|
So during the “race”, the father and daughter duo kept pace with one another and it was Cate’s suggestion to stop running and walk for a block or two several times. Still at the three mile mark with a tenth of a mile to go, Cate kicked it up a notch or three and pulled away, easily beating him. Some speculated that Randy let her win and as much as he would have liked that to have been the case, Dad had nothing left in reserve to increase his pace by that point.
|
Randy & Cate post race selfie
|
|
Cate on the other hand spend the next 40 minutes in group dance lines celebrating the race and win with friends and strangers while Randy walked around and was thankful to not want to throw up.
|
Cate GOTR Victory Dance (which is nothing like Elaine from Sienfield's dance...no not at all)
|
|
Cate finished in 40:12 or 131st of 267 girls in 12 year old category, at a pace of 12:57 miles. Randy finished in 40:30 (only 18 seconds later) or 32 of 71 men in their 50s category, at a pace of 13:02. To place that in context, that was the winning time in the 2016 Olympics for the entire 5K.
|
Cate sporting her purple hair dye job (it only lasted a couple months)
|
|
Cuirve River Camping
The next Saturday, May 21, pleasant temperatures, no forecast for rain and nothing on the schedule, inspired Randy to take the girls camping along with one of Jane’s Girl Scout friends with limited camping experience (Ada). We went to the Curve River State Park just outside Troy, along with much of St. Charles County it appeared. By 2:30 all the camp sites were taken and we were bumming until the park attendant suggested we try the Equestrian Camp, with the only caveat that we agree not to ask to pet or bother the people with horses. Done! We got site 314 in the half empty campground.
|
Janearella enjoying(?) scullery maid duties after burning some muffins
|
|
After getting the tents ups, we made a hike to Frenchman Bluff overlooking the river, which was scenic and only a little dangerous. We made a Wal-Mart run into Troy (10 minute trip) to get some propane to make coffee in the morning (along with creamer). Before we left, all the girls jointly said "I'm going to the restroom" at the same time. Our campground only has pit toilets, which they didn’t complain about at all but they weren’t going to pass up the chance to enjoy the luxury of a Wal-Mart restroom.
|
View from Frenchmans Bluff
|
|
For desert, we ate Moon Pies in the moonlight. Chocolate – check. Marshmallows – check. Graham crackers – check. No sticky mess from S ‘mores – Priceless!
|
Moon Pies in the moonlight
|
|
On Monday, 23 May Anthony called with 2 tickets for the Cardinal/Cubs game. After some arm twisting of our non-sports fan daughter, Cate went with Randy to the game (B had some meetings that evening and Jane had a big assignment). She would have been much happier if we had let her bring a book. The game ended in grand form as our favorite current Cardinal Randal Grichuk, smacked a 9th inning Home Run with 2 outs and 2 strikes to put the Cardinals ahead of the Cubs. A Hollywood ending to the evening.
|
Randy and Anthony watch as the Cardinals bit the Cubs (unfortuantely the Blues didn't ending their season)
|
|
The next day Randy took the day off. He took Cate and picked her up for the last time to Steger after 8 years of the Curtis family going to there (10 if you count the two years he went in the mid-1970s). He’s was more than a little melancholy. Bethany had similar issues with things getting in her eyes the last day of school.
Later that morning, Bethany and Randy went to Hixson's 7th grade cardboard boat regatta at the Webster Groves aquatic center. The science students planned and built boats out of cardboard. Jane’s two person boat (with friend Kristen) was one of only three boats out of about 30 to make it across the pool and the ONLY two-person boat to do so! : She excitedly texted us: "MY BOAT MADE IT ACROSS!!!! I CAN ENGINEER STUFF!!!!" Feeling a little proud and grateful for a fun end of the year project that hopefully will inspire her.
| Cardboard Boat Regatta |
Jane & Kristen finishing dry |
|
|
Afterwards Bethany and Randy got a KETC Channel 9 "behind the scenes" tour including the set of Donnybrook, where we got a picture. Randy thought it would have been funnier if we were in an argument but was over ruled by Bethany and the guide taking the picture. We think they may have us coded in the donor database wrong as they treated us like near royalty. We've been giving a long time but it’s nothing exceptional.
|
RnB on the set of Donnybrock
|
|
On the last Sunday of May 29 it was bring a friend free day at Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor for Season Pass ticket holders. Randy and the girls bought Season Passes a week earlier along with the Basic Dining Package for the girls (Lunch meal and snack). The park was running a limited time deal and after the three of them enjoying a snack of a funnel cake, first time for the girls, decided we made the right choice. Jane brought Ella and Cate brought Abby and all had a great time despite the long lines as having a like minded ride partner for each daughter makes a huge difference (one like roller coasters, one does not).
| Jane and Cate with thier friends |
RJC with Marvin Daffy & Bugs |
|
|
June
The first Sunday, we dropped the girls for their annual week at YMCA Camp Lakewood (Jane’s 6th time and Cate’s 5th). The happy anticipation of the girls going to camp made for a cheery disposition for all. It was Cate’s last year being coddled at the main camp in dorm lodges with air conditioning and bathrooms across the hall. It was Jane’s second year at East Camp in the old school cabins with a single light bulb in the middle, no AC and bathrooms hundreds of feet away. They both love camp,t as do the parents who have a week of date nights as a result.
|
Cate and Jane at Camp Lakewood 2016
|
|
|
Happy goodbyes from East Camp
|
|
| Cate the archery |
Cate zipping along |
|
|
| Jane kayaking |
Sailboard Socializing |
|
|
The week of date nights started off with RnB visiting Edg-Clif Winery a couple miles away from camp with our neighbor the Lisses. They dropped off Adeline, who was in Jane’s cabin for the week. As always, the week passed too quickly for all of us.
|
Toasting a week of kids away at camp at Edge Cliff Winery
|
|
|
Father's Day present from the girls - Darth Vadar's Little Princess
|
|
Later in June while on research trip for work and waiting for the regional National Archives in Perris, CA to open, Randy got excited about being able to have truck stop Mexican Sushi for lunch (actually hey got too busy and skipped it in order to get done in time).
|
Mexican truck stop sushi - YEAH!
|
|
