Happy Holidays and New Year!

 Hi everyone,

Ellie's new glasses

As I write I can't help but wish health, safety, and happiness to all. It's been a hard time for many as the pandemic continues on and climate change wreaks global havoc. And yet we go on. We have been so lucky and privileged to have remained COVID free. Ellie continues to thrive. She has her own radio show now. She has named herself, "DJ Llama Donkey".  No idea where she got that, but there you go.  You can find her at the links below.   The extraordinary thing about her doing this show is that she'll focus for a couple of hours working with Dave to pick the songs, decide the order and shout outs and then create her own songs.  2 hours.  Is it the lion's mane we have been giving her or just more evidence of the brain's plasticity?  Either way, I'll take it. She's really proud of her work too. They are seeing the same thing at her school where she gets to be on Perkins Radio from time to time.  Parents are only has happy as their most unhappy child. In our case, Ellie's pretty happy.  Below are some pictures of her to share a bit of our year. Much love to all, Kathryn 

At the beach this summer in her hippocamp 

Ellie's 19th birthday party

Beautiful Warrior Princess

At her school, rocking the vocational program!

Twitter @djllamadonkey

https://twitter.com/djllamadonkey

Radio Station Link

https://djllamadonkey.airtime.pro/#

2021 Check In/ Be In

 Hi Everyone,

We are still here and all vaccinated with Moderna. Because of Ellie our whole household and her carers were all able to get vaccinated. Dave and I are classified as "in home unpaid essential healthcare workers". Ain't that the truth! ;-)

I'm still worried about variants but not so freaked out about being within 3 feet of people while masked at the grocery store and not so freaked out when people walk by Ellie really close (we are obviously still masking while in public).  It is incredibly to read the news and see how many people are not really distancing in stores and to see the spring break events that might be super spreaders. Everyone is really fatigued by it all. Now that it's spring and the weather is a little warmer I do feel a life of energy. There's still not much to do, it's still very repetitive, but I'm trying to pull out of that fatigue.  Ellie's feeling it too. She's quick to cry and was just sick with some mystery virus - 102 fevers for 4 days with advil. She was tested and it wasn't covid but still hard. She's been tired. We worry about her iron levels and her diet.  I just found this great book: Dropping Acid by two doctors who researched reflux and the pepsin issues.  I have reflux too as it turns out - the lump in my throat that has been a constant for years and the hoarseness of my voice. My voice was so tired at the turn of the year my vocal cords would seize up. Not good as my job is teaching, coaching, consulting and all over zoom. Turns out the combo of 'silent' reflux, too much singing to Ellie in the months we  had no help, and all the zoom meetings contributed to vocal cord fatigue.  So I need to change my own diet AND I really needed to change Ellie's too.  Turns out the number one reflux food is chocolate and I had been giving her chocolate (avocado) based pudding every day. No wonder I have not been able to get her off the reflux meds! ughhhhhh.  The good news is avocado is a great food for refluxers. 

What I love about this book is that it's about controlling reflux with diet.  Have been revamping all her recipes and need to expand her diet anyway. It's an ongoing dance. 

This spring some of her favorites are:

Ellie's favorite hairdo - the big bun!

Obla di Obla da (especially the Gabriella Bee version)

Footloose by Kenny Loggins. We tried to watch the remake but it starts with a car crash - do not recommend. She liked the 1980's version better anyway - go 1980's - it's way less violent.

Ellie says that after the pandemic she wants to have a family reunion and go to Africa - specifically - Egypt! I'm so there...some day.  She also wants to go to her local coffee house again and do iPad club there. She misses the bustle of the place. 

She's still into dance parties and jam sessions. 

We are nearly done with all the Harry Potter books. 

She was doing virtual school for so long one of her favorite things to do was go visit her school at the weekend and look in the windows. She definitely struggles with the constraints of school (e.g., the schedule) but she certainly loves it just the same. 

Ellie at her school.

We started bullet journalling including 1 for Ellie for us to track her diet and care daily and she has a journal where she can recorde favorite questions, put photos in there of selfies with carers, and record her monthly top hits. A carer gave her this to track her hair styles too and Ellie really likes it. It's a way to give her choices too. We got her a little instant photo printer that she can use with her iphone. Oh - yes we got her an iPhone so she can keep in touch with her friends and family.  She likes doing selfies. 

That's the latest.  It's a hard time globally for everyone. Waayy harder for some than others. Everyone is under so much pressure. There's tension between those with privilege and those without and COVID deaths report that better than anything else. I am hopeful that coming out of this there will be social and environmental innovations that make the world a better place. 

Hope matters. Everyone is in their shadow - so compassion matters too.  

If there is anyone reading this - I am wishing you and your loved ones grace. Wish that for me too. I need all the help I can get. ;-)