It’s official: We have a senior! Lillia is now in Phase Four, which is basically the equivalent of senior year in most schools. She has spent a little over four and half years at MC2 Charter School, and now she’s in the home stretch. This fall I’ll be working on paperwork behind the scenes (FAFSA time!), while Lillia works on pulling together her best artwork from the past couple of years to create a portfolio to send out with her college applications. She’s currently considering sequential art / comic art programs at a bunch of different colleges, including Columbus College of Art and Design, New England College, and the Joe Kubert School. It’s hard to believe that this time next year we will most likely be the parents of a college student! While I do get a little sad every time I think about how close she is to moving on to the next phase of her life (I will miss her so much), I have been surprised to find that I also feel incredibly excited for her—now her life can really begin. The last few years have certainly given Lillia so many challenges—COVID lockdowns and the tragic death of her best friend being two that stand out above the rest—but she has managed to keep moving forward, albeit sometimes at a gentler pace. We’re looking forward to a spring graduation, and all the adventures to follow, and remain so deeply grateful for the gift of the extra time we’ve had with Lillia at home.
Zane is still plugging away at his studies at St Joe’s. He’s a real middle-schooler now, with the height to match—he measured 5’2″ at his doctor’s appointment this week, which means he’s basically closed the gap on me! It’s strange to be eye-to-eye with my “baby,” but he’s quite proud of himself. Zane just started piano lessons a couple of weeks ago, and so far he is doing well. His grandfather had previously promised him $300 if he can play “We Three Kings” with both hands by Christmas. That’s some serious incentive! Getting him to practice can be challenging, because he’s always on the phone with friends. I definitely remember those days from my own junior high years, and I’m really glad he has such a nice group of friends to spend time with, both in and out of school. For the first time ever, Zane is really enjoying his math class—if he wants to pursue his dream of becoming a CPA (yes, really) he’ll have to master a lot of math concepts.