Cat Lately

When I blog, it's so easy to talk about the cute and funny things the younger kids do that I feel like Cat really doesn't get her fair share of coverage.  Honestly, I don't think she minds that, but I don't want to leave her out and I certainly don't want to look back at this in the future and think, "But what was happening with Cat in 2020?"

Well, even though when I asked her to send me a meme that described her life she sent me a slew of them with the same general message -

- she assures me that she's actually just fine, and only employing her generation's designated flavor of humor.  So that's reassuring.

But in all honesty, the first term of 10th grade has been tough.  Not only does she have the hardest classes she's ever had, including AP AB Calculus, AP Environmental Science, and Concurrent Enrollment Chemistry, but soccer takes up a lot of time, and she's class president.  Thank goodness she still loves her school - the students, the teachers, the classes, all of it.  (How many 15-year-olds are there who get excited when they understand a Latin sentence in a movie, and are enamored with the works of Dante and Milton?  Her classical education-focused school is definitely the right place for her.)  But the hybrid schedule hasn't made things any easier for her.  She's put a lot of time into independent learning and studying, and watching her teacher's videos, as well as reliable study videos on YouTube.  She'll be happier than anyone when school returns to normal.

Another thing that Cat has been doing for a while now but I haven't mentioned on the blog is packaging and shipping out Amazon orders for Uncle Ben's company.  This usually just means a few minutes every day or so, but occasionally she has to fulfil 30 orders at a time, and things get real.

In her free time, Cat has become a hobby horticulturalist, buying herself plants and taking cuttings from plants around the house.  She's careful about watering, feeding, potting, etc., and I love the aesthetic she's creating in her room.

Cat feels very comfortable around older kids and has spent most of her social time this year with young women who are a year or two ahead of her at school.  Her schedule doesn't allow for a ton of socializing, but she'll fit in a lunch, shopping trip, movie, hike, or school athletic event with friends whenever she can.

But she's also still a great sport about family time.  I'm so thankful for that!  She doesn't get upset or resentful when we insist on a family outing on a Saturday afternoon when she could be with friends instead (though, we are willing to work with her to find a good time).  She's positive and supportive of Jack at school, and helps me out when I occasionally need to get a message to the phone-less Jack.  When she finished soccer practice and saw him trying out for basketball, she and her friends cheered him on.  She's very helpful at home and assists whenever I need her to.  And I was honestly touched that she wanted me to participate in the players-vs-parents soccer game last week.  It was really fun and I have a much better appreciation for how hard it is to be good at soccer!  (That field is big.)

I feel like Cat is really figuring out who she wants to be.  She loves music, nature, deep thinkers, witty comedy, sweet love stories, good conversations, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  She believes in being the change she wants to see, especially when it comes to taking care of the environment.  She believes in social equality.  And I love that she uses her Instagram account to spread faith, joy, love, and beauty.

Cat is pretty sure she wants to become a PA one day and enjoys talking about all things medical - it was fun to hear her grill the pharmacist about the nature of her flu shot yesterday. 

Also, she's super cute.