I’m borrowing the title of this page from the site Ryan created for Della when she was born, The Della Daily Dose. My goal for this page is to write 1 thing daily about or for Della, and the briefer the better. I read about a similar idea on the day of her first birthday and thought it would be an interesting way to chronicle a year of her life. Seeing how I was not blogging when she was born and am terrible about keeping up with my pen-to-paper journal, I thought I’d give it a try on here. And so I give you a dedicated space for The D Daily Dose.
(FYI, because I write so much about these kids, their pages are all broken into yearly chunks so as not to crash my site. I’ll keep the current year on the main page for ease of use. Enjoy!)
***
January 1, 2024
Happy New Year, peanut! Unfortunately we all got the stomach flu on Christmas Eve and spent pretty much all of our winter break sick, so hopefully this new year rings in healthy and true. Here’s to a happy, healthy, safe, and fun 2024 for all of us!
***
January 9, 2024
SNOW DAY!!! Even though it just rained all day. 🙂 It was still fun having an extra day at home with you guys, though!
***
January 12, 2024
ANOTHER SNOW DAY!!! Second one this week, and right before a long 3-day weekend! This time we really did get snow, about 6ish inches. Other areas outside of Whitefish Bay got way more than we did so practically everywhere was closed, but thankfully the lake spared us a little this time. Daddy still had to go into work, unbelievably, but you guys had fun being home and playing in the deep, fresh snow.
***
January 22, 2024
I signed you up for lacrosse through the Rec Dept. this weekend, and you’re really looking forward to it. Your good friend Eleanor plays, too, and it turns out that her dad is the coach of the team you’re joining and we just bought some cleats from her mom! What a small world. I hope you have a lot of fun with it. I wanted to get Morrison into it for years, but then he started playing baseball instead. And if you hate it? One spring season on the team won’t be that bad.
***
January 24, 2024
We had your high school tour this morning, peanut. Wow! So hard to believe you’ll be a freshman next year. Our high school has so many cool offerings, you guys are very lucky. You said you’re excited for it, too, not nervous or indifferent, so I think you will do great! You also have your semester exam in algebra coming up these next couple days, and it’s obvious how much you want to do well. We were going over your past tests last night, and it makes me so happy and proud to see how seriously you take your school work with very little prodding or guidance from me. Keet it up, my love, you will go far!
***
January 27, 2024
I took you big 3 skiing for your first time today, and you all loved it! I put the 3 of you together in a private lesson to start while I took my time remembering how to do it, which was perfect. We spent a couple hours on the slopes at a small ski place about half an hour from our house, and you guys didn’t want to leave. I said next time I’ll take a lesson, too, and we’ll all learn how to snowboard!
***
February 10, 2024
You are having so much fun with your group of girlfriends this year, peanut. You guys had a galentines party tonight at one of your friend’s houses, and you all had to take different charcuterie boards (you took a traditional cheese, sausage, and crackers board because you said I like making that kind 🙂 ). I’m sorry, but when I was in 8th grade I don’t think galentines was even a word, and I definitely didn’t know what a charcuterie board was! You and your best friend Liz went to Target after school yesterday so she could get candy for her candy board, and you bought a new pink dress and everything. So cute!
***
February 13, 2024
Your high school counselor came to the middle school today and you selected your first semester of high school classes! Yowzers. Freshmen all have to take English, Math, Science, Global Studies, and 1 semester of P.E., so you chose Spanish and Ceramics or Intro to Business as your fall classes. You’re excited, which makes me happy! I remember being so nervous for high school, but our world now is SO different than when I started as a freshman. I think you’ll do great!
***
March 11, 2024
I went to your choir concert at the high school tonight, and it was really good! You were only on stage once, so I’m really glad I snapped a picture because I thought you were going to be on later in the night, too. Earning all those free donuts each Tuesday morning! 😉
***
April 20, 2024
Today was your very first lacrosse game, and you did great! A bunch of your closest friends are also on the team, so I know you’re having a lot of fun playing together with them. Your team won 14-3, so that’s always a bonus, especially when the day is as freezing cold as today was! You’re really enjoying it, and you want to play high school, too! I can’t wait to learn the sport.
***
June 2, 2024
And today was your last lacrosse game of your first season. You ended the season with LAXtravaganza, a 4-game expo over this weekend. I’m flying to California right now so didn’t get to see these last two games, but I took you to the first two yesterday in some very rainy, cool weather. You had so much fun this season, and you’re looking forward to playing in high school next year. Great job, kiddo. I’m very proud of your confidence and love of trying something new! Too bad I still haven’t learned the rules of the game… 😉
***
June 7, 2024
You have your 8th-grade dance tonight, kicking off the festivities for your last week of middle school. So fun!
***
June 10, 2024
Well, you’re ending middle school with a bang, kiddo. Literally. The health room called me today because you wiped out playing kickball in P.E. class. You ended up with some pretty good scrapes on your palms, knees, and shoulder, and you busted up your right wrist pretty well. It’s really sore and your fingers are swollen, but you can still move everything and grip with your hand so fortunately nothing major is wrong.
***
June 14, 2024
Happy last day of 8th grade and last day of middle school, peanut! I can’t believe you’re going to high school next year, but you’re so excited. Let’s have an amazing summer!
***
August 1, 2024
Happy 14th birthday, Peanut!! You finally got the Qdoba you’ve been requesting for months for lunch, Daddy made BLATs for your birthday dinner, we went over to DQ for birthday treat blizzards for everyone, and you said you had a fun day. We love you so much!
***
August 19, 2024
We had your picture day today and you got to find your locker and put some supplies in. Here we go high school, peanut!
***
August 28, 2024
We had your 14-year checkup today after switching pediatricians again and getting in with the female ped at the office right down the street from us (yay!!), so here are your official 14-year-old stats. She also filled out your sports physical, so you’re all cleared to play lacrosse in the spring:
- Height: 5′ 7.6″ (95%)
- Weight: 117 lbs. 12.8 oz. (65%)
- BMI: 18.12 (32%)
- Blood Pressure: 120/60
***
September 3, 2024
Happy first day of HIGH SCHOOL, peanut! I can’t believe you’re a freshman this year, but you are excited and ready. You’re going to play lacrosse in the spring, and you’re getting involved with Debate Club, Bay Gives Back, Girls & Sports, and the Theater Club. I’m so proud of you for working so hard and getting so involved in your brand new school. Have an absolutely magical year. You guys are so incredibly lucky to be growing up here and to have such a fantastic school and support system, and your high school experience is already better than mine from day 1! 😂
***
September 12, 2024
You auditioned for the fall play at school tonight! You’ve been working hard the past couple days on learning lines, so I really hope you get a part that you look forward to playing. I don’t know if they take everyone who auditions and find a spot for them or how it all works, so I’ll be excited to hear how it shakes out. You and Daddy were practicing accents the other night, and it was hilarious. I’m not sure that really helped your performance or not… 🤣
***