The Playful Spirit

Monday, September 26, 2022

Andrew found us an "atypical room" that worked great for us...

...one bed as part of the entryway and one bed in...

.... the dungeon!

The first day we went to Saint Chapelle and the Musee D'Orsee!

Amazing cappuccino on our walk there!

So much fun with this guy making us crepes!

St. Chapelle

Walking around the island including seeing the Notre Dame damage:

Some favorites from the Musee D'Orsee:

We walked all the way through the gardens to the Champs-Elysee for dinner and then Uber'd home... it was so funny that they brought popcorn with our dinner wine!

OMG, Parisian mocha's are amazing! Day two was all about the Louvre:

(I love this bored lady on the ceiling!)

Day three was all about the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe:

Day four we picked up the car from city-center (under the Louvre) and Andrew unlocked the courage badge of driving through the Louvre! (We also both laughed at our GPS's efforts to handle this street number.)

So… guesses how a poor American GPS handled 1er?
Not first
Not premier
Not even one
It proudly told us to keep left on “wunner “!
We both cracked up!

Just above that branch is a balloon!

And... then we drove out of the city and headed to Villerville in Normandy! Look at this snazzy dessert we shared at a restaurant along the way!

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Deeply Cherished Vacation: Part 1

Part 1: Phoenix, Chorus competition (September 13-17. 18th travel.)

Part 2: Paris (September 19- 22. 23rd travel.)

Part 3: Normandy (September 24-30. October 1st travel.)

Part 4: Videos, Andrew's pictures of me/gems

Singing with this chorus means so much to me. We went to Phoenix for the international competition. I just came across a quote which reflects the intensity of how nourishing achieving success in this art form feels to me. The connection and vibration that fills you with joyful energy is intoxicating in a very good way.

“You express, when you sing, your soul in song. And when you get together with a group of other singers, it becomes more than the sum of the parts. All of those people are pouring out their hearts and souls in perfect harmony, which is kind of an emblem for what we need in this world, when so much of the world is at odds with itself… to express, in symbolic terms, what it’s like when human beings are in harmony. That’s a lesson for our times and for all time. I profoundly believe that.” —John Rutter

Almost everyone flew. Here are my row mates.

A little fumble at the beginning... someone trying to help me with a little stumble pancaked my glasses... I've dealt with literally band-aid-ed glasses this whole vacation. This I can handle!

This was the schedule which actually had several additional rehearsals added and three times I led Qi Gong practice for us (plus my room-view):

Semi-finals competition... I felt so delightfully in-the-moment:

https://youtu.be/k7hwYmCVd4M

Finals package:

https://youtu.be/CkI_aZSsNGI

It was so fun and... I think I succeeded at the moments when I was supposed to be zombified!

I admit that we were hoping for international champions, but it only took a day to see second-in-the-world as the wonderful achievement that it is:

And then I flew back to Denver, met Andrew in the airport, and headed off to France for the first relaxation vacation in six months.

Throughout, I've been receiving the sweetest notes from my pet-sitter that Tracker is having a loving vacation too. "Tracker update! He's doing great, loves to keep me company while Iwork. Been walking every day and lots of play..."

Sunday, August 28, 2022

UCCS Start

It happened. With three days to spare (and lots of help from us), he got housing. He has just finished his first week of classes and it sounds like he's well on his way to an academically successful first semester away from home. Laundry? Shower? Not yet. Two weeks and counting.

So, so far, things are as expected, just a little more extreme on each end. The courses are within his abilities and he's feeling super comfortable with the food/living arrangements. That part is even easier than expected. He has some growing to do in social interactions/expectations and perhaps one more reinforcement from home today will help him. If not, he's going to have some embarrassing interactions. That part is even harder than expected. But... he's growing. He'll get there. I love this kid!

Excerpt from update 8/13/22

We dropped Cameron off at college today!

Checking in

Entering his dorm room

Setting up

https://www.uccs.edu/experience/uccs-glance

Top, middle right with the double window is his single, room:

First try at his mailbox:

Triple scoop after moving in

A bit of seriousness (classic look!!!), then visiting the Pan statue and then skipping off to dinner

Italian dinner send off… he toasted our wine glasses with his whole milk :)

Love our boy

Rachel

P.S. I spent all yesterday evening handling the fifty unanswered emails he had in his college account (several of which could have gotten us turned-away today). I think this is the right choice, but as I wrote last night after I was finally done, "Is this rescuing 101 or scaffolding 2.0… really wish I knew!"

Cameron’s schedule:

ACCT 2010-003
(10888)
Intro to Financial Accounting (Lecture)
We 1:40PM - 4:20PM
DWIR 104
Y. Xu
3.00
Enrolled
ECON 1010-018
(41834)
Introduction to Microeconomics (Lecture)
TuTh 9:25AM - 10:40AM
Columbine Hall 128
J. Craig
3.00
Enrolled
INFS 1100-002
(10778)
Prod Apps for the Workplace (Lecture)
Tu 4:45PM - 7:20PM
DWIR 109
C. Evans
3.00
Enrolled
MKTG 3000-003
(10332)
Principles of Marketing (Lecture)
Mo 4:45PM - 7:20PM
DWIR 101
B. Arsuaga
3.00
Enrolled
TCID 2080-OL3
(12462)
Business & Admin Writing (Lecture)
TBA
Online Course
C. Kiser
3.00