Alaina has a new hobby: circle knitting! Her third grade teacher taught them how to do this with popsicle sicks and a cup. She really enjoyed it and asked for a proper set for her birthday. She has used it to make some really cool hats:
I am impressed at her craftiness!
Meanwhile, Ethan continues to be really interested in cooking. Last week he made dinner for us--an apple glazed pork chop. I have to say it was amazingly delicious! (Forgot to take a picture.) A great life skill for him too.
So, big news in our family, Jason has decided to leave medicine and has taken a job as the chief client officer for Ventra Health, which is a healthcare billing company. Yes, a huge move! He has been interested in exploring a career in business for many years, because he has felt somewhat burnt-out in medicine--he was taking a lot of call, working a lot of weekends, etc. Last fall, he was talking to the billing company that his practice uses about this feeling and they told him that due to a recent merger, they were looking for someone like him to fulfill a new role in the corporation. He found out more about the position, interviewed, and was offered the job. He spent a lot of time considering the departure--obviously a huge choice given he has devoted so much of hi life to medicine, but in the end decided that it was what he really wanted to do.
His anesthesia group was sad, but understood his interest, and 2 weeks ago had a nice good-bye celebratory dinner for him.
For Jason it is all bittersweet--he has spent so much time with his current group, and has so many wonderful friends there. But he is excited about this new opportunity. We will see how it goes!
Yesterday we celebrated Alaina's 9th Birthday!
Over the weekend we had a small outdoor birthday party with several of her friends. It was a rabbit themed party. They created personal pizzas, played games like "pin the tail on the bunny", broke open a piñata, painted bunny banks, and made ice cream sundaes. She had a great time and it was nice for her to get to celebrate with her peers after a covid hiatus.
Last night we enjoyed a nice dinner at home with my dad. Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes were on the menu (again)...and we all had clean plates!
For a present this year, she got a trundle bed (or will get one soon...supply chain issues....!) so she can have sleepovers soon in her room.
8 was a great year for Alaina. She has been mostly sweet, has developed a nice social network of friends, and still likes to hold my hand when I walk her to school. And although she has figured out how to torture her brother, they also occasionally play really nicely together. So here's to a great last single digit year!
We brought in 2022 in Tahoe, with our friends the Toma's. It was a low-key but fun way to celebrate the holiday.
