all that's past is prologue...

We're in that liminal phase right now where Beatrix is both an adult and still a youth.  She's old enough to get tickets for Phoebe Bridgers, in Brooklyn, when she's at school this fall, and to put together a group of her new classmates to go. She's young enough that she still needs my ninja ticketing moves (and "her" credit card that's tied to our account) to get them. She's old enough to remember to thank me. She's young enough to forget to check her spam to see if Sarah Lawrence had sent her instructions on how to set up her student portal (which of course they did, some time ago, and she did not notice.) She's old enough to promptly freak out that, in said portal, there are many important and imminent deadlines — and to work on plans for meeting those deadlines. She's young enough that she's still asleep this morning while Patrick called her doctor's office and ran a whole bunch of paperwork out there to get signed off on this m...

I have a lot more to say about graduation, at Beatrix's seven years at Saint Paul Academy, later. But for now I'm going to stick with: It was super fun to catch a super-fun grad shot at Grand Hand before we went over (thanks, Rachael and Ara!) And also to stop by Randolph Heights: And to do homage to Beatrix's theater teacher Seves with a quick snack at Due: Before dropping her off. Graduation got moved inside to we took our seats (with other family watching the livestream): The senior chorale performance was beautiful: And the speeches inspiring (though I took no pictures of those). I'm so happy her (sometimes chosen) family could be there to support her: For the friendships that she has developed and learned to cherish: For the teachers and staff who gave her so much: There's seemingly no language for being so proud of your kid that you feel like your heart is going to burst — and being so incredibly excited for the future — and also thinking you would give anythi...

Beatrix has spent her life attending shows that I've gotten comps to — so today, she was able to do the same and bring use to Penumbra, where she spent her senior project internship. For Beatrix, it was the first time she had seen a professional show from early production to opening weekend. For me, it had been years since I had seen an August Wilson show. For Patrick, it was a chance to get back to see a show in a theater he basically grew up in. So yes, we were all a somewhat biased audience. But putting that aside, this was one of the most fantastic shows I've seen in the recent past. Returning to the Pittsburgh Cycle was an incredible reminder of the power of this work. And while the production values were impeccable, the performances were beyond outstanding. I would put any of these actors up against the Broadway cast any day of the week.  I needed to be reminded about the power of theater this week, and there could have been no better show to do it. Go see it — if you can...

This week, Beatrix turned in her poster about her senior project. There was a gathering of senior parents at City House, and the kids got the yearbooks (which was amazingly good this year) and had a signing party yesterday. We have eight days until graduation, and we are in the thick of it. So what was it that felled me this morning? The Friday school e-newsletter — the last one we'll ever get. I don't even like the newsletter much. This is ridiculous. Please enjoy this picture of kindergarten Beatrix and join me in All The Feels.

  Friday night we had the soft open for the pool, and Saturday morning we headed up to open the Osakis family cabin. It was raining and misty as we made our traditional stop at Flour and Flower. The mist continues as we reached Osakis and started to curve around the lake, but honestly we thought that was perfect.  We would take advantage of the weather to get a thorough cleaning of the cabin done, then as it cleared up, head out to get any supplies needed, catch The Mandolorian and Grogu at the The Long Drive-In , hang out some on Sunday before headed up to Itasca to fulfill Patrick's bucket list item of seeing the Head of the Mississippi. Epic weekend. The cabin had other plans. You might remember that Patrick's words for 2026 were "Adapt and Adjust" and mine is "Resilience." So here was a great chance to put this into practice. We got everything vacuumed and swept, if not mopped. We moved all the furniture out, and uncovered everything. We out knick-knacks...

Yesterday was a big one for the old waterfall of tears. First, since it was Syttende Mai , Beatrix's Norwegian dance group The Peer Gynt Dancers performed at Mindekirken. She's been dancing with them since she was tiny (6? Maybe 7?), and yesterday was a clear demonstration of the dance and also leadership skills she has developed over the years. I held it together pretty much ok until they recognized her, and when she led the traditional long, snaking dance ("langdans") — think Norwegian conga line — that audience members join in on. Then it was her last performance of The Music Man , and thus her last performance on the SPA stage. The show has been quite a lift this year for any number of reasons, but I am glad she did it and I'm so proud especially of her and all the other seniors who all shone remarkably. As I told the other senior parents " Can't we just forget college and send them all off on tour together?"