Winter

Happy 2016 to each of you!  For us, it's so far, so good.

Steven and I loved how much time we got to spend as a family of four over Christmas break, while Elizabeth and Michael loved all the time they spent with their friends.  :)  We all loved all our gifts, including Michael's latest UK wear (Elizabeth explained to us last night what it means to list BBN on a social media profile: Big Blue Nation).

I completed a jigsaw puzzle, which was almost as much fun as being Elizabeth and Riley's chauffeur on New Year's Eve at Fayette Mall.

We had a celebration with Terry, Linda, and the Huffs in Morehead.  It was the first time I had ever seen their home.  Elizabeth and I dropped by Mom's on that visit for 1.5 hours.  Mom said no pictures, though.  We also had the Huffs and Rosemary over for a gift exchange and lasagna meal.

 

E got a faux nose ring and a container of about 100 cookies.  Steven is still adjusting...to the faux nose ring, not to the cookies.

Michael continues astounding us with his basketball abilities.  Doug Griggs came to one of his games, Granna and her granddaughter Cammy (who grew up with E&M at Granna's) came to another.  So kind of them.
 

No school in Scott County the past 4 days; no school for Georgetown College today.  Even Toyota shut down their plant. Hope all of you are warm and safe.

Michael's magical touch!

In case you thought I was exaggerating when I've described Michael's basketball skill, please see clips below.  He played four games during the past 7 days - Doug Griggs came to one of them! - and continues averaging over 20 points per game.  Opponents know he's amazing, so they double team him often yet it just doesn't matter.  I missed some of his shots, especially during the home game, because Steven and I are in charge of the scoreboard, score book, and buzzer.  These clips all show Michael shooting (I didn't include free throws because those take a while), but please know he is a gifted ball handler and defensive player as well.  He is always watching to see if his teammates are open, in which case he quickly passes them the ball so they can score as well.  Sometimes I am simply stunned by his abilities - most of his 3 point shots, for example, are from the NBA or beyond range, not the middle or high school 3 range.  You'll see.

 

 

 

   

 

 

Only 1 month passed this time!

Mary and I presented at the international Lilly conference on teaching.  That conference has so many panels, workshops, keynote addresses, networking opportunities, etc.  Wow!  The perfect conference for anyone serious about improving teaching strategies.  Our research poster was a smashing success and only a few attendees were smashed while they discussed our findings with us (Lilly had an open bar during our session).  She flew into Kentucky only for the conference, but I insisted she stop by my house just to say hello to Steven, Elizabeth, and Michael and pose for a silly picture.  Because I was driving, we took a super quick detour on our way through Cincinnati to 2374 Madison for probably the last time.  Mary and I already have an idea for our next collaborative research project!

Elizabeth performed in her first piano recital.  She was so very poised, kept an even tempo, and knew exactly when to play forte v. pianissimo.  Her teacher constantly compliments her abilities and gives her more and more difficult pieces every month.  The next day she took a very cool selfie, although she may have been mocking my big hair a bit.  :)  Yesterday she and I went to The Nutcracker (do you see us waving at you?) in Louisville.  Afterward she and I commented on the multiple differences between the Lexington and Louisville performances.  Louisville won, hands-down.

We realized Michael has grown about 6 inches in 4 months.  His middle school team took second place in a central Kentucky tournament this weekend (the team is looking a little rough in the photo).  Michael was ON FIRE - the true MVP.  At one point, his team was down 0-14 and they came back and WON - Michael made multiple three pointers from almost half court.  He had 20 points in the second half alone and scored the game-winning basket while being triple teamed.  Crazy.  Steven was asked to step in and coach one of Michael's games when one of the coaches had to leave.  Steven gets my vote for MVP coach.  Such a happy weekend. 

 Thanksgiving was spent in Shelbyville.  Beautiful weather, so we took a walk in an attempt not to fall asleep after too much delicious turkey.  Now our home is decorated for Christmas and we are so excited to have time together as a family without work and school.  Hope you have a beautiful holiday season as well.

 

Happy Holidays 2015!!!

The past 3 months

As always, I eagerly read Laura's recent blog posts and realized it'd been over 3 months since my last one.  To ensure you don't suspect we've fallen off the face of this earth, I thought I'd provide a quick update.

Laura visited at the end of August and it was such a fantastic visit.  She met several faculty members and thought one student was quite intelligent, so I try to provide her with regular updates regarding that student's performance and class participation.  I hope that isn't violating any student confidentiality laws, ha ha.
We went to Toyota employees' Kings Island Day in September.  Such a nice time - mostly because E&M hung out with their friends and Steven and I got to be by ourselves (just kidding). 

Elizabeth continues to hang with her friends, take piano lessons, and enjoy the psychology club.

Michael's first basketball game of the season is tomorrow!  He played with his select team a couple of weeks ago - his m.o. is still nerves of steel during free throws.

Last weekend Elizabeth and I attended a campus play called "Check, please!"  It features multiple first dates, taking place at the same restaurant in NYC.  Hilarious!  Or, as the mountain folk would say, Hill-arious!

I was at her school last week as part of my psychology and the law students' service learning project. My class paired with the Law and Justice village's criminal justice high school students (taught by a GC alum who actually took my psych and law class many years ago) and taught one another about psychological and legal aspects of famous criminal cases.  It was a front page story (granted, below the flap) in the city newspaper and the GC president told me how much he enjoyed reading the article when it had top billing on our school website. 

 

I have seen multiple other alums recently, including Ashley Clayton, who received the inaugural Distinguished Young Alumni Award (I nominated her!) during Homecoming.  She's a research director at Yale University's School of Medicine (psychiatry department).  She gave a very moving, kind acceptance speech and I was honored to sit with her family.

October = Halloween.  We went to the women's basketball team's party at the coach's house (she's in my Fun Friends lunch group).  I can't believe Michael's carved pumpkin didn't win best pumpkin, can you?  The full moon of Halloween caused the bottom half of Elizabeth's hair to turn blue.  Oh wait, that wasn't the moon.  That was Elizabeth and her friend Emma.  With our permission, in fact!

And finally, here's a picture of my good-looking husband and our precious children. Happy Fall.

Deutschland

Cross another item off my bucket list!!!  Wir Deutschland besucht!  :)  Wow, what an amazing trip.  Elizabeth and I left all our worries and responsibilities behind (including syllabi and summer assignments - yes!) and enjoyed ten days of peaceful, yet simultaneously exciting, fun.  Perhaps the best trip ever.

Laura provided the cultural and historical significance of some of our undertakings on her blog, so no need to repeat that here, just know that we were quite intellectual and worldly regarding the places we went and the activities in which we engaged.  But more than that, we had FUN!  Laughing, teasing, remembering, relaxing, hiking (and hiking and hiking and hiking; our back calf muscles now noticeably bulge in our jeans) and much more!

Some global observations:
Patrick is a fabulous chef.  Laura is the kindest hostess.  Michael is the funniest teenager.  Elizabeth is the most easy-going travel companion.  I am the happiest guest!

I cannot express how grateful I am to have been able to physically make the trip.  Whatever pain existed was totally worth it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I was so thankful to experience snapshots of Laura, Patrick, and Michael's lives, and Elizabeth is always so lovely to be with.  Some of our favorite adventures included touring Laura's university (where Elizabeth loved seeing a dog play in one of the fountains); watching brave Michael and Elizabeth tackle the woods' ropes course; seeing Michael participate as church server even though I understood only 14 words during the hour; listening to live opera;

saying "hallo" and "danke" to every store employee just to feel like a native speaker; appreciating their beautiful house; the aforementioned hiking and resultant huge calf muscles; listening to Patrick's storytelling; finding frozen yogurt most days; enjoying meals together; meeting some of Michael, Patrick, and Laura's friends; taking walks in 72 degree weather; hearing about Patrick's entrepreneurial skills; Boggle; giving advice during a fashion show; appreciating Laura's balcony; talking about life; laughing at Michael's observations; shopping at Lidl; all the photo sessions; avoiding wurst; talking about books; and doing the do-si-do with Laura.

     

Laura has always been the kindest person, and I so admire her intellectual life as well as the close relationships she has with her children.  It's easy to see why they love hanging out with one another .... all are amazing individuals.

Elizabeth reminds me of Laura in multiple ways so one of my favorite pictures from the trip is of the two of them together in Laura's office, surrounded by books, including The fault in our stars, which is one of Elizabeth's top 5 all-time favorites (it's the blue one sticking out by E's arm).  I also love the photo of Elizabeth and me on the rocks, even though Elizabeth said it looks like she has a shaved head and I have a Texas-sized side ponytail.

Thank you for the many beautiful, life-long memories, Sudhaus family!