Hollinger-Langmuir Family News

News from September 2011 to March 2012

How ridiculous! No information from our family since last September! OK folks, here we go with what we’ve been up to since my last post on September 5, 2011:

Probably the biggest new is that THE KITCHEN PROJECT IS COMPLETE!! Go see the pictures. We’re loving the result. Suddenly we can all be in the kitchen at once, and we can talk and socialize while we’re cooking. We’re really happy with it. We’ve also completed the fireplace. (Pictures coming soon.)  Now comes the next set of things:

1. Put down carpet in the attic.
2. Move long-term storage items from the house and garage into the attic, which includes organizing the garage.
3. Get our things out of storage.
4. Get built-ins installed around the fireplace for media and equipment.
5. Plant nice plans on the hill outside the lovely new bay window, so we’re not looking out on dirt.
6. Buy new furniture for the family room (sofa) and the living room (sofa bed), and rearrange what we have.
7. Put up artwork.
8. Have a party!!

Whew, sounds exhausting! But it’ll all be worth it.

So, what else have we been doing….?

The kids are doing well in school. Haley is figuring out how to maneuver middle school, so her first trimester grades weren’t great. We’re awaiting the next one. Katelyn’s first semester grades were fabulous, although they’re slipping a little now. She assures us it will all work out. Meanwhile she really likes school, and especially likes her Peer Helping class. They did a one-day event at the Millbrae Rec Center, and a weekend retreat.

I started playing tuba with the West Bay Community Band. I’m really loving it, and had a concert on 11/18 in Redwood City and 12/3 at the Hiller Museum in San Carlos. Speaking of music, Haley is playing percussion at Taylor Middle School. She’s taking drum lessons, learning how to play the drum set. We recently got her a set, which is currently living at Kathie’s. Katelyn is playing alto sax with the Mills High School Band. She’s gotten to play at football and basketball games, as well as in their winter concert. She likes it, but hates getting up at 7am four days a week. She’s considering switching to jazz band which is an hour later. She’s also periodically trying out the baritone sax. She likes it, but it’s almost as big as my tuba! 🙂

Haley started swimming with the Burlingame Aquatic Club. She tried out last year and didn’t make it, but took parks & rec classes to get better and tried out again and made it. She’s in the pre-competitive class, but really likes it. She swims 2-3 days a week after school. She had her first practice swim meet on 10/1.

Haley had a fun birthday party a couple of days before her birthday. We continue to struggle with kids not coming to her parties. It’s not about her, it’s just that there are lots of kids with birthdays around that time, and too much going on with school starting. But we had fun anyway, and her friend Zahra stayed overnight. The following week we celebrated with the family at Benihana’s, her favorite restaurant. Oh, and, as promised, she got her ears pierced on 10/1.

Mybirthday was relatively mellow, although a bunch of us got together at the Millbrae Pancake House for dinner on 9/28.

The kids started back at religious school. This is Haley’s last year in organized Hebrew study; next year she starts her Bat Mitzvah work. Katelyn’s class is doing Comparative Religions. They spent the first semester looking at different kinds of Judaism and now they’re looking at other religions. I recently accompanied the class on a trip to a Mosque to learn more about Islam. They’ve both done activities with the youth group also. Haley went to a beach party, to play laser tag, and to the Mystery Spot. and Katelyn went to a day outing to the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. The family attended the 6th grade Shabbat dinner & service on 11/4.

I had a really nasty fall in the driveway on 2/4. Banged up and scraped up both knees, scraped up my left hand, and dislocated and broke my right thumb. Four weels later and it’s healing, but still pretty banged up.

Also on the medical front, Haley’s scoliosis has gotten a bit worse. We went to see a second specialist who recommended waiting before doing anything drastic like putting her in a brace. Meanwhile the swimming is good for her back, we’ve got foam pads on her beds, and she’s getting Feldenkrais lessons to help with her body mechanics.

We had lots of fun times with friends and family:

• BBQ with Beth’s family and ours at Scooter’s on 9/10.
• Attended Glynis’ 50th birthday party on 9/17, where we had food, fun, a singer, and several of us played instruments and helped out. Val started stressing about hosting my upcoming mid-century party.
• Jann & Trev visited on 10/1.
• Jennifer & Selena visited on 10/15, 11/13, and 1/14.
• Attended Kathie’s birthday party on 10/22.
• Val and I went to a party at Liza & Jody’s on 10/29.
• We visited with Liza & Jody on 10/30, 11/26, 12/18, and 1/28
• Glynis & Susan took the kids to see Taiko Drumming on 11/5.
• Kathie took the kids to see “Acting Can Be Murder” at Mills on 11/6.
• Val gave us all a special early holiday gift by getting us Tapis Rouge (Red Carpet) tickets to see Cirq du Soleil performing TOTEM on 11/12.
• Val and I saw Pink Martini in concert at the Paramount Theater in Oakland on 11/20.
• We had Thanksgiving dinner at Mom’s in Morgan Hill. It was supposed to be Susan’s turn to host, but given that her boys weren’t coming and that Val had to work, she suggested having it closer to us. We promised Mom we’d do most of the work!
• We visited Jay & Timnah on 12/4.
• We went to a vegan sushi restaurant in SF for Katelyn’s birthday dinner on 12/9. Katelyn went indoor skydiving for her birthday with her friend Briana the following day.
• Val spent 2 weeks in Europe on her own in December. She visited Erika & Charles in Italy, as well as Tracey, Jason, and Laurie in London and Devlin in Berlin.
• I went to Kung Pao Kosher Comedy with Ray and Rio on 12/24.
• I spent Christmas morning with Kathie and the girls, and then to Liza & Jody’s for lunch and socializing, then stopped by Glynis & Susan’s.
• The girls were at Kathie’s and Adrien’s a lot of the winter break. For the first week I got time to myself, and for the second week Val and I got time together after she got back from Europe on 12/31.
• Michelle and I hung out and made dinner on 12/27. It was lovely to have kid-free time together.
• I went and playing Scrabble Deluxe with Katelyn and Glynis on 12/30.
• We spent New Year’s Eve together as a family. However just before midnight Haley discovered that her snake Rosie had died, which was quite sad.
• Val and I went to Liza & Jody’s party on New Year’s Day.
• The girls accompanied Susan to her family’s yearly gathering, this time in San Diego, 1/13-1/16.
• When I was on business in Phoenix I got to see Dad & Reggie on 1/25.
• We attended Kathleen’s 60th birthday party on 2/4.
• Val and I attended Barbara’s early 70th birthday party on 3/4.

I had lots of lunch dates with my friends and family:

• Olga on 9/9
• Judy on 9/16
• Freda on 9/22, 10/20, 11/22, and 2/16
• Christopher on 10/5
• Francesca on 11/3 and 2/24
• Meghan on 2/27

Val and I have had lots of travel. Val traveled to Lexington, KY in October and again in February. I visited 6 customers in just a couple of months. The first two were local (San Francisco and Petaluma), but the others took me to Phoenix, Columbus, Austin, and Colorado Springs. I’ve got another trip to a conference planned in May, back in Austin.

Val and I also continued working with the Exiles, and I am now on the board of LLW.

Other miscellaneous activities:

• I finished up my career coaching with Joan Tabb from Great In 8 Coaching. I highly recommend her for helping to focus on what’s important and moving your career forward. She helped me realize what was most important to me on my recent job search, and I’m still totally happy at Guidewire.
• I helped my friend Michael with mockups for a new mobile app for foodies.
• I went to a Back Port Concert on 10/9 to see Robin Flowers & Libby McLaren, whom I hadn’t seen perform in about 20 years. They were still great!
• Haley spent one afternoon helping out at A Child’s Way. She wants to do that more often, and they like having her there.
• We carved wonderful pumpkins on 10/29. See the pictures.
• I attended the Sholom Women’s Member Appreciation dinner on 11/3.
• I went to a special clothing sale for Making it Big with Glynis & Susan on 11/5. We also stopped in at the WeBeBop outlet.
• Haley participated in Outdoor Education, a week-long program through the school, 11/14-11/18.
• The girls and I made vegan latkes on 12/17. Haley took a bunch to school the following week.
• I treated Katelyn and me to a pedicure on 12/30.
• I went to a special Sale at Go Figure with Ruth on 1/12. Spent way too much on clothes.
• Haley attended her first semi-formal dance, at the Millbrae Rec Center, on 2/4.

Whew! That’s a lot!

With this new blog format I should be able to post shorter notes, and more often. Stay tuned!

March 4, 2012 Posted by Marilyn | Family, general, Haley, House, Jason, Marilyn, Recreation, School, Travel, Val | Leave a Comment