Schroeder is 17!

Schroeder turned 17! He celebrated by taking three friends to a Pacers vs Lakers game, and we splurged on tickets for him and his siblings to see Bruno Mars in September. I like facilitating memorable sibling moments even if they will be up at the top of the stadium. 

He is moving rapidly through these last two years of high school full of big projects, college prep, and high school rites of passage. He joined the National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society. He made some money ref-ing little league soccer and just got a job as a lifeguard at the IU Indy Natatorium. He was excited with his first round SAT scores.

A week before his birthday, he got his license. We were running a little late to the appointment so I simultaneously yelled at him to drive faster while lecturing him to go slow during his driving test. One of his first solo drives was taking the mini van to the prom. It was a full circle moment for me because my junior prom was also at the Egyptian Room. 

Sometimes I describe Schroeder to people as embodied. That used to be code for hyperactive. Now, it means he is aware that moving his body helps him regulate his mind. He likes having an after school activity which usually means a sport. He ran a sub 2 hour half marathon at the Indy Mini last year, and played as a floater for both the varsity soccer and volleyball teams. He won most improved on the boys’ swimming team after he unexpectedly dropped a lot of time on his 50 free. He has supportive coaches but not coaches that are critique his form so he turned to ChatGPT for advice. 

He actually missed half the swim season due to a concussion incurred at a volleyball open gym while Stephen and I were in Puerto Rico. It was our first time dealing with a concussion and there was a learning curve in getting him cleared to swim again. The first time he went to see the doctor, he told them he was only at 75%. The doctor told him to come back when he was feeling 100% and charged us $250 for the advice. Learning can be expensive.

Both Schroeder and I have received comments about how thoughtful he can be when having a conversation in a small group. People are surprised to find out that he is pretty mature in his approach to life and relationships. He is maybe less mature when watching sports, though. It’s been an exciting year for sports in Indiana. The Pacers went to game 7 in the NBA finals, the Colts had an unexpectedly good start to their season, and the Hoosiers won the college football National Championship. It’s mostly fun watching sports with Schroeder. He brings the energy with his trash talking, rocking in a corner during tense moments, and running down the street yelling after a big win. Sometimes, though, things become less fun when he is hate-watching Arsenal or complaining that commentators are glazing SGA (even if they are). 

Excited to see what this last year of childhood has in store for our middle baby! Happy 17th birthday, Schroe.

Maggie is FIFTEEN!

It’s been eight months since Maggie turned fifteen, but a birthday blog post is better late than never. A handful of her friends gathered to watch 10 Things I Hate About You, eat pizza, and celebrate her. We gifted her Driver’s Ed. She plodded her way through the online course and finally got her permit over spring break, the same day her brother got his license. Even though I was annoyed with how long it took her, the timing actually worked out to only have one learner at a time.

Maggie finished out her year at Longfellow (and Harshman). We celebrated her eighth grade graduation at Calvary Church where she won an academic award. Her social studies teacher introduced her to the crowd by his nickname for her, “Maggie for Margaret”. 

She posted a summer bucket list worthy of a teen movie on her wall. One of the last entries was “Be Brave” which made me tear up. That’s on my list, too. I was already seeing her take vulnerable risks, though. She ran her second 5k the morning of the Indy Mini, joined Longfellow’s track team, and asked to preach for her youth group. She has a reputation for being “Pastor Maggie” and shared about being honest and authentic to God in prayer. 

I’m not sure she checked everything off her bucket list, but she stayed busy. She took her last trip to Springhill with cousins (the Indiana camp is closing), woke up early to condition with the cross country team, and traveled with us on a family vacation to Seattle. I asked each kid to suggest an activity for the trip. Maggie suggested we take paddle boats out in Lake Union like they do in 10 Things I Hate About You. Clearly, that movie has stood the test of time. We discovered that the swan paddle boats they use were just for the movie, but we could rent row boats for the adventure. Stephen and I had one boat and all five kids were in another. They traded off rowing and making  “Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday” tiktoks. 

Maggie started her freshman year at Shortridge in August. After some scheduling conflicts, she landed in the advanced band class. A stretch but also a path to improving as a flautist. After a couple of cross country meets, she quit the team because she got a part in the fall play, Noises Off. She was really growing as a runner so I was disappointed to see her quit but supported her decision to not overextend herself. 

Noises Off is a play within a play and demanded that she portray two characters, use an English accent, and run up and down steep stairs in tall wedge heels. I was nervous someone was going to die falling off the balcony on set. She got the part of Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre in the spring musical which was a lot less stressful for me because she stayed on solid ground in tennis shoes. She was super funny and dynamic in both, though. 

She had definitely thrown herself into a more independent, high school life, mastering the use of the city bus, making friends from all grades, and taking McDonalds runs after school with her brother. She continues to be the same old Maggie Lu, though, who reads, journals, makes art, and keeps that room clean. Happy (very belated) sweet fifteen.