January 24-30, 2021

Today is the last day of January. It’s been a month of high stress and anxiety but with lots of support and all three of us working hard to relax and have lots of grace and patience for each other. But we are all hoping that February is a bit lighter. 

Ally is lighter. Literally. She had her hair extensions removed on Sunday. She liked them, but was really ready to get them out. She feels so light and loves her hair! 

She’s been experimenting with new mascara.

Check out her super long lashes.

And one day we tried out some fake lashes.

Morning snuggles with Daisy.

Friday morning Daisy and Cloey hung out with Ally during her school morning. Turns out Daisy is the alpha in their relationship.

Ally sent me a selfie from school.

She loved her lunch. Yogurt parfait, Nilla Wafers, Chocolate cookies and Gatorade.

All week long she worked on this sketch.

She wanted to say goodbye to Cloey before practice. 

It was another competition weekend at the gym. Ally decided not to compete again this weekend. She and her coach think a few more weeks and she will be ready. So she volunteered to run the video Friday night and all day Saturday. 

All ready to spend the day working the Zoom camera. 

She had a good time. Ally told me she is missing competing herself, and she was tired from the day of work, but she was good. 

Becky and I told her how proud we were of her for working so hard at the gym and supporting her gym and teammates. 

January 16-21, 2021

What an amazing week. New president, new gymnastics skills. 

Sunday morning, Becky and Beth tried out a new hiking destination. 

Ally was back at the gym working a meet. Then Becky and Cloey (who had been hiking) picked her up from the gym and brought her to the Guatemala Girls meet up.

5 Guatemala Girls above and 5 moms and Cloey below.

Monday was MLK Holiday so no school or work. We took it easy and hung out at home watching TV, playing PS5 and relaxing after a busy couple of days. 

Tuesday after school I dropped Ally at Daniela’s and they walked to Harvard Square. The 2 of them alone, no parents. 

I was giving her the mom safety quiz on the drive over

Me “what should you do if you think someone is following you or staring at you”

Ally “take 2 left turns and see if person is still following you.”

Ally “if anyone tries to abduct me I’ll hit them or bite them”

Me “and scream really loud and ask for help. Who do you ask for help from”

Ally “a mom”

All in all pretty good answers. 😂

It was her first time walking around town to a destination other than school. They stopped at a bakery and Ally got a blueberry muffin and then went to Shake Shack for French fries. 

Pictures from Washington DC the night before the Presidential Inauguration.

I made patriotic themed cookies for the inauguration on Wednesday.

Ally and I watched the entire ceremony together. I decided it was more important and relevant than her remote school for a couple hours. 

I cried a couple times. It was incredibly moving and a huge relief to have a new president. 

We did the puzzle below while the ceremony was on TV and talked about the songs, the speeches and of course the poem. 

Post inauguration lunch.

Thursday class break. 

And Thursday night we watched our Public High School orientation program. We won’t know about private school until March 10 so we thought we should see what our City high school orientation was. 

Honestly we were less than impressed and are really hoping for private school.

It was a hard week for Becky and I. We are still battling with Ally’s school over her IEP and making sure that the school follows what they have already agreed to. COVID and schools is also stressful with both Ally and Becky’s districts considering major schedule and program changes next month. It’s all pretty emotional and so much is out of our control.

Friday after practice Ally’s 8th grade health/PE teacher hosted a virtual movie night. They watched The Goonies. Ally was not thrilled when Becky tried to take a picture of her.

Before bed Friday night. Ally has been watching Grays Anatomy and begged to watch one more episode before bed. 

Saturday lunch in bed with Daisy. 

Cloey was crazy on Saturday. We finally opened up a curtain so she could look outside. When Ally and I left to go to practice Cloey looked so sad.

But practice was “pretty good” Ally said nonchalantly. Reporting that she did a new skill on bars; a double back tuck. So she does giants (360 degree rotation around the bar with her body fully extended straight) then let go of the bar and fly up into the air, tuck your body and spin 2 somersaults in the air. She landed face first and LOVED it. She was so happy. Her teammate managed to get a video and these are screenshots from the video. 

She also reported she did 70 back handsprings trying to get the skill back on the balance beam. She’s been struggling with this skill since she’s been back in the gym in October. She had a bad fall and was scared (they call it “blocked”) from doing it in November/December and has only recently started doing it again. She said not all 70 were on the beam; you try the high beam and then move back and forth between the high beam, low beam and a line on the floor depending on what you need to practice. And her shoulders are sore today. But she’s doing it! 

Ally and I were talking about the skill today and how amazing it is since she was out of the gym for so long and she told me “I’ve been wanting to do a double back off bar since I was 10.” She does love this crazy intense sport of gymnastics. We don’t know of course what her future in the sport is. But for sure it brings her joy and makes her happy right now, and that is so important.

January 10-15, 2021

Lots of football, more COVID testing, private high school application submitted, public high school orientation materials received, gymnastics, a spa day for Cloey, lots of gym time and another week of 8th grade and work for moms completed. 

Becky sometimes carries Cloey when Cloey is too tired to go upstairs. 

Ally always wants to carry Cloey so Becky taught Ally how to pick up Cloey.

She was so happy.

Sunday night gaming with Cloey on her lap.

On Monday Ally was sick. So no remote school for her. We watched a movie and went and got Covid tests in the evening. 

I got a late Christmas gift from Michelle. So appropriate for a day that featured puke.

Tuesday Ally still wasn’t feeling well, and was quite freaked out from the day before and anxious for the Covid results. 



She spent the day in bed with her pets and IPad. 

The results finally came in and we were all negative. Phew. What a relief. 

Wednesday was another day home sick from school but Ally rallied in the afternoon for therapy and gymnastics practice. It helped to have a package to open after practice. Ally loves the monthly subscription.

Thursday mid day required a nap. Ally was back in remote school but absolutely exhausted and stressed about all she had missed. 

But after a 75 minute power nap, she worked thru it and managed one of her epic 90 minute shower and beauty sessions that night. 

These are selfies Ally posted on Instagram on Friday.

And Friday Ally finally got me a video clip from practice. 


Dahlia photo bombed. But Ally ran, jumped and twisted her “half” which is a flip with a 180 degree twist.

Ally worked the camera for a meet after practice on Friday night. 

Then Saturday she worked 2 meet sessions, did practice with her team and worked a meet after practice.  She was at the gym from 11:15am - 8:30pm and felt good. She was tired. Her feet hurt her from standing so much and doing 2 1/2 hours of practice. But she felt good. 

It was amazing to take a few minutes and recognize that she felt good. That being tired was a result of time she spent in the gym, doing what she loved, with people she enjoys. And that yes she was really tired. But ok. 

And she posted a video of her bars routine. These are stills from the video. 




And to round it out, a picture of Cloey in her new coat.