March

March 1st - 2nd, 2024:

As the month began, the week was ending.  However, not without a noteworthy visit from Evan's parents who came for a quick trip with a specific task at hand.  To be exact, Mark and Evan embarked on what felt like it would be an all day affair to reorganize and minimize the stuff in Evan's storage unit with the intentions of someday (potentially soon) refilling it with some of his parents stuff (in a preemptive attempt to initiate their move north to Vermont).  This seemingly overwhelming task actually only took the two of them a couple of efficient hours, which opened up the day for more enjoyable excursions - including some pick-up soccer for Tanya and Evan at the Shelburne Field House and a nice walk through Shelburne Farms for Robin and Mark.

While the boys had worked away at the storage unit, the girls took some time for a shared yoga outing at a local studio in a class taught my Tanya's good friend Devon.  Everyone arrived home around the same time and was able to enjoy an excellent lunch before embarking on their separate couples adventures.  They came back together afterwards for an early evening family feast from a local poke bowl restaurant called The Scale.  Afterwards, Mark and Robin headed back home to Connecticut, Tanya went to out for a girls night with her good friends Kristen and Amalia, and Evan attended a late night broomball game.

The week ended with a day at home where Evan and Tanya interspersed episodes of trash TV with activities to get the house ready for Aleks' return.

March 3rd - 9th, 2024:

The week began with Aleks' momentous return home from her week away at her dad's.  With the family finally fully formed again they embarked on a busy day of activities in commemoration of both their renewed togetherness as well as Evan's last day of February break (as Aleks was lucky enough to have one more).   The day included a variety of activities ranging from rolling blading around the neighborhood to parking lot tag (on scooters) to a movie night (on the couch).  Also wrapped into the day was choir practice for Aleks.  Evan and Tanya passed the time by passing a soccer ball around in the front yard of her school.

The next day involved the inevitable return to work for Evan, but a Mama-Daughter day for the girls!  While Evan's work day was extended by his monthly MESA meeting (i.e., the Milton Education Support Association - aka Milton Faculty/Staff Union), Tanya and Aleks jam-packed as much as they could into Aleks' last day of February break.  Their day started with a get together with Aleks' good friend Chelsea that involved ice skating, a workout off the bike path, and an adventure to the park.  Then Tanya and Aleks did some beauty shopping (and a mini-makeover) at Ulta Beauty and made a quick pit-stop at Starbucks before they returned home so Aleks could make dinner for the family.  After a magnificent meal of grilled chicken, spaghetti, and Russian salad (and a special, homemade Mocha Frappuccino for Evan) the three enjoyed some boardgames together before bedtime.  

The remainder of the week's activities included plenty of soccer for Tanya (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!), play practice for Aleks, and Broomball for Evan.  However, the most exciting event was Friday night's celebration of International Women's Day in which Tanya and Aleks partied with our neighbor Yulia and her daughter Sasha and several of their other Russian friends.  The girls got glammed up and enjoyed a night celebrating themselves for being the wonderful women that they are!  They deserved every minute of it (and then some!).

The week wrapped up with an early morning online training for Evan that finalized his place as a Girls on the Run coach for the season.  This was followed by a frenzied house cleaning team effort before Evan and Tanya's weekend soccer game, which included cheering from Aleks as Tanya assisted Evan in scoring a goal and then scoring one of her own!  Afterwards, Jenny and Michael came over to celebrate Jenny's upcoming birthday.  It was a celebration that involved a lot of sushi, a lovely family walk, followed by some decadent mocha chocolate cake, and topped off with boardgames.

March 10th - 16th, 2024: 

While this Sunday seemed to be starting like any other, with the family headed to church at Saint Michael's College together, this week it included an extended family presence with Jenny and Michael joining for the service.  Tanya and Aleks went ahead early so that Tanya could practice with the choir and Aleks could help to set up (as per usual), but Evan stayed behind so that he could swing into Burlington and pick up Jenny and Michael so they could join for the "festivities".  It was wonderful for them to be able to join us this week and made the experience that much more spectacular.

Later that day Evan and Tanya dropped Aleks off and her dad's house for the evening and went off to play a quick soccer game with their friends on Rum Punch Kick (aka "The Chickens") before celebrating their other friend (Kristen)'s birthday - hosted by Anne and Ethan in their newly renovated Winooski home, and catered by Ethan's Homemade Pizza Pizzazz.  The evening was full of food and fun and fits of laughter as Evan and Tanya got to catch up with this wonderful group of friends (Kristen and Dylan, Anne and Ethan, and Amalia and Tyler, and, of course, the ever-adorable Lucia - and we can't forget Squirrel, Lily, and Parsnip too!).

After that, the week progressed at a typical pace.  However, Jenny and Michael went away for a few days to enjoy some excitement in Montreal in honor of Jenny's birthday, which meant that Evan had the pleasure of checking in on their cat (Genie) for a bit.  While Genie isn't nearly as friendly as Rogue, she and Evan found a way to make it work until her mom and dad came home.

On the second day of Evan's visits to Genie, just before he had planned on picking up Aleks from school, he learned that Tanya had been able to sneak out of work early, on account of the fact that Alek's play practice had been canceled last minute and so the two girls took off on a spur-of-the-moment trip downtown to do some Mommy-Daughter window shopping and outfit hopping.  While the girls popped around Church Street, Evan headed back home and, on his way, received a highly anticipated phone call from the Stern Center offering him an amazing opportunity to join their SLP team for this coming summer.  Evan couldn't wait to share this news with the girls when they got home, and they did just in time, before he had to sneak off to his Gol Lytely soccer game early that evening.

The next morning Aleks and Tanya took a brief detour on their way to school for a quick stop at the dentist.  Aleks' teeth continue to be the epitome of cleanliness!  Later that day, Evan took his own pit stop at the doctor's office for a quick check-up of his own - also leaving with a stamp of healthcare approval.  

While Aleks began her weekend with her dad, Tanya enjoyed a little adventure about town with her best friend Anna, and Evan went off to rock the rink with his Broomball squad.  Evan and Tanya both happened to leave their respective Friday night activities at exactly the same time and agreed that they probably should've gotten home a bit earlier as they had a big day ahead of them that Saturday.  Nonetheless, they both enjoyed every minute of their individual adventures and weren't going to let a little lack of sleep slight them on their big day traipsing around Montreal themselves as an early Anniversary celebration.

So, the next morning they woke up early, filled some travel mugs with coffee (and cocoa in Evan's case), and took off to Montreal (with a quick stop for bagels on the way).  Their Montreal marathon started at the Scandinave Spa where they experienced a toxin-exorcising treatment involving a Finnish dry sauna, which was followed by a Eucalyptus steam bath until they had sweat out as many toxins as their bodies could handle.  Then, they zapped their pours shut with an icy cold shower (or dunk in the frigid cold pool) to ensure the toxins they released stayed out for good.  This rapid temperature shift was then mellowed by a lounge in the hot pool with an optional "shower" under the thermal waterfall.  Afterwards, they relaxed and enjoyed some silent mindful time in the meditation lounge before repeating the therapeutic process once again.

After a couple of hours of restful relaxation, the two embarked on the long walk to the Happy Cat Cafe for some vegetarian fare with feline accompaniment.  However, upon arrival they realized that they had misjudged a couple of things.  First and foremost, that they were about an hour behind schedule and were, by this point, starving.  Not only was vegetarian food that awaited them not going to hold them over long, but the patience they would need to sustain the long line they were standing in wasn't as readily available either.  However, just down the block they spotted a wonderful sandwich shop that provided them with exactly the nourishment they needed - a Korean BBQ pork sandwich and a Cubano panini.  

With their stomachs satisfied they embarked on their next long journey across town to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.  On the way they stopped for a quick caffeinated pick-me-up to help them on their travels.  After a slight detour to the car to drop off their bags from the spa, they made it to the museum and meandered down the magnificent halls past works from Monet, Picasso, and many more.  Included in this was a tour through many of the masterpieces of Georgia O'Keeffe and Henry Moore.  

Upon closing of the museum they were kindly and swiftly given the boot so they began our trek to their next destination - McGill's McConnell Arena to watch the Final Show of the McGill Figure Skating Team.  They enjoyed watching the impressive figure skaters demonstrate their solo acts, duets, and some full-team synchronized choreography on ice!  After having walked 9.7km (a little over 6 miles) they decided to forgo the dinner reservation (and another 3.4km/1.5 mile walk) and headed back to the car for the snacks that awaited them to sustain them through the drive home.  It was an incredibly epic day and a truly amazing way to end the week!

March 17th - 23rd, 2024: 

The week began with an Irish-inspired luncheon with Tanya and Evan's good friends Lauren and Dan (and their dog Ace).  All dressed in green to commemorate the celebratory colors of Saint Patrick's day, Tanya and Evan were greeted upon arrival with an Irish flag influenced vegetable platter (carrots, ranch dip, and cucumber slices - in that order) and then enjoyed a delicious homemade meal of Reubens and deep friend onion rings and waffle fries.  The subsequent dessert (matcha mochi and mini mint ice cream cookie sandwiches - store bought this time) was accompanied by incredible views of the Celtic coastline with music to match (thanks to Dan and Lauren's fancy new television setup).

The day continued from there with a series of soccer games for Evan and Tanya, helping out some friends on either side of their own game with the Shinkickers.

The next day marked the beginning of a week-long stretch of state testing for Evan's students at his school and the first practice of a 10-week-long Girls on the Run program for Aleks (Evan unfortunately couldn't make it to fulfill his assistant coach duties for the day due to an undeniable work conflict).  Aleks proceeded to her choir practice from there where she fulfilled her daily quota of musical mastery.

The week continued on a fairly typical course including play practice for Aleks on Tuesday, soccer for Tanya on Wednesday, and unfortunately another after school meeting and missed Girls on the Run practice for Evan on Thursday.   However, as per usual, things tend to brighten on Friday - as they did this week as well.  Aleks had a half day, so Tanya picked her up at 11:30am from Mater Christi School and the two of them eventually met up with Evan at Spare Time for some family fun full of bowling and laser tag!  And the fun didn't stop there...

Upon returning home from an epic laser tag battle and bowling bonanza, the three initiated a spa day in early celebration of their upcoming anniversary.  Mud face masks, eye relaxers, lip rejuvenators, and feet refurbishers were all employed to provide the greatest of at-home revitalization treatments.  And if that wasn't enough, they did it all while watching the classic, feel-good movie Cool Runnings.  What more could you ask for on a Friday night?

Well, it turns out you can ask for a good dumping of snow!  The next morning the three awoke to a good foot or two of snow covering their cars.  What did they do about it you may wonder?  Well, Aleks went off to her good friend Chelsea's house to sled and build another incredible bedroom fort.  Afterwards, Aleks, Tanya, and Evan stopped by their friend Anna's car to help clear it off (as poor Anna is still recovering from a nasty knee surgery) before returning home to prepare for some night skiing at Bolton Valley.  There, they met back up with Chelsea (and her dad and sister) to enjoy what may be the last hurrah of the 2024 winter ski season.  And what a "hurrah" it was!  The team cruised through the trees, down the slopes, and around all the unexpected powder piles until about 9pm when it was finally time to call it a day.  What a way to end the week!

March 24th - 30th, 2024:

The final full week of March began with sun and snow.  Evan and Aleks were able to find some time to get outside and play in a nearby snow pile just before the snow melted away once again.  There was a snow baking class (featuring confectioners' cakes and cold-served pies), a snowball fight, and a face imprinting competition (won by default as only one of the two participating members was actually willing to participate).  The day continued with a surprise early anniversary gift from Tanya's Mom and Michael (a portable soccer goal!), which Aleks then spent the next half hour or so setting up so the family could "test" it before she went off to perform with the rest of the Greater Burlington Children's Choir at the Mansfield Place - an assisted living facility full of people who were more than overjoyed to have these young, energetic children sing to them once again.  Afterwards, Tanya and Evan dropped Aleks off at her dad's house for the evening and continued on to play a series of soccer games with their friends on Rum Punch Kick, the Shinkickers, and Too Many Eggs (the most ironic aspect of the evening being that the team with the chicken mascot was not the team with "eggs" in the title).

The next day was even more remarkable as it marked Evan and Tanya's 1st Anniversary!  While the day started in typical Monday fashion (work for Tanya, school for Aleks, and a combination of the two for Evan), it continued to exemplify its stupendousness as the day progressed.  In the middle of Tanya's work day an arrangement of flowers were delivered to her at the hospital - the first surpise of the day.  When the girl's got home (Tanya having gotten out of work in time to pick Aleks up from a Girls on the Run/Choir Practice double header), the second surprise awaited them - a bouquet of flowers for each of them with individual cards and a wrapped gift.  The third suprise was soon to follow, as everyone was hungry for dinner by this point.  Hana Sushi (their favorite) was ready to wok and roll for an extra special meal aptly served on this extraordinary occasion.  After dinner, gifts were exchanged and love was shared.  Everyone in the family now owns a matching family sweatshirt and Evan has a magical box of 366 reasons why he is loved by his amazing wife - an inspired account that highlights many of the incredible adventures they have shared and important aspects that brought them together to begin with.  The evening ended unfinished, as there remained one more anniversary gift yet to be opened by the trio - but alas bedtime interrupted and the final present would remain a secret for a short while longer.

The week progressed in a fairly typical style.  Aleks went to play practice on Tuesday, Tanya went to soccer on Wednesday, and Evan was able to finally participate as an assistant coach with Aleks' Girls on the Run team on Thursday.  However, this Thursday's GotR practice ended with a playdate with Aleks' friend Julianna, starting with a special Starbucks trip for the three (Evan driving, Julianna ordering, and Aleks treating)!  After Aleks and Julianna finished up some painting and chatting, they brought Julianna home and Evan then headed off to his own soccer game that evening.  

The next day was Good Friday, a good day for a Mama-Daughter day as Aleks didn't have school and Tanya didn't have to go to work.  The two enjoyed a variety of activities including a sunny walk to the local Ulta beauty store for some makeover musings and nail painting.  Evan got home as soon as he could to enjoy some family time (and continue their never-ending game of family tag) before Aleks went off for a weekend with her dad.  Shortly thereafter, he and Tanya took off for their own evening events.  Tanya had scheduled a dinner and bowling gathering for her group of cardiology Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), but as the number of APPs available for the evening dwindled the significant others of those still attending enhanced.  Thus, Evan was able to join in the festivities that included dinner at Waterworks followed by bowling at Sparetime.  While Evan had to depart the party a bit early (as the broomball semifinals were that same night) Tanya continued on with everyone for more bowling and a spat of laser tag.  While Tanya finished in the top spot for laser tag, Evan's broomball team unfortunately did not.  Until next season...

The week concluded with some house cleaning and errand completing.  Tanya was able to enjoy some yoga with several of her fellow women in cardiology and afterwards the loving couple was able to enjoy a nice, long sunset walk before dark.

March 31st, 2024:

The month of March ended with Easter celebrations - including double duty at church for Tanya with Easter masses at 9am and 11am.  The choir sounded wonderful and the church was decorated beautifully.  Afterwards Evan and Tanya dropped off lovingly curated Easter baskets by Tanya for some friends and family before returning home to be greeted by sunshine and neighbors firing up their grill.  Spring was smiling at them...but their spare room was looming upstairs.  It was time to finally sort through all of the things that had been piled into the corner of their spare room so that it could finally be organized and turned into something more functional for the family.  While the project seemed insurmountable at first, the couple completed it in only a couple of hours.  The result included a variety of things finding their way into either the dumpster or the storage unit and left the spare room ready for a remodel.  To celebrate, Evan and Tanya embarked on a three-hour, triple decker soccer tour that included games with some new friends and some old friends.  Overall, a great deal of fun was had and a they both went home sore and smiling.