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2022 in review
Hi! Wishing you well this holiday season. Here is what's new with us in 2022.
To mitigate the frequency of ear infections, Luca had tubes installed in his ears in August. At one point before the surgery, our record was 3 infections... in one month. It was a lot. Unfortunately the near-constant infections were making it difficult for him to hear, slightly affecting his language development. But since August, we've seen big improvements in verbal skills. To help give him a boost, I’ll be taking him to weekly speech therapy sessions until Christmas. He still loves hugs and kisses, especially after he falls. He also loves bugs which, ew?! It has its perks: the other week he carried a dead one to the trash for me.
Dom is loving first grade and the time he gets to spend with his friends Titan, Jude and Max. I'm telling the truth when I say that he genuinely can't wait to go to school everyday. He's a straight-A student who says school is too easy, but that's a problem for another day. Recently he took the initiative to teach himself the keyboard and loves creating his own beats and riffs. He taught himself to play David Guetta’s Don’t You Worry (see video below this post). Future EDM artist, make way. Trying to build on the motivation, we took in an old 89-key Baldwin spinet that a relative was looking to get rid of; it's now found a new home - in ours! When we were agreeing to the transport of the piano, the relative told me "when Dom becomes famous, I want tickets." No pressure.
On another musical note, I auditioned for an all-women's acapella choir in May. I've sung with the group at 4 public performances so far. In my downtime, I'm still teaching myself guitar. Since last year I've learned how to determine strumming patterns and move more seamlessly between chords. It’s encouraging to witness my own gradual improvement. I'm also finishing up a graduate course in Black Feminist theory at IU Bloomington. My final project was a 7,000 word paper on the problem of virtue and part of the assignment involved finding an academic platform where I could - hypothetically - submit my work. I’m toying with whether to turn it in to a 2024 conference in London. Happy that I’ve got literal years to make that decision (or not).
Frank's enduring passion for soccer persists. He coached Dom’s fall soccer team where Dom scored 5 goals for the season. Frank told me not to include this next bit but I’m not too proud to celebrate a good accomplishment. In August, he applied to a new role at Eli Lilly and got it. It’s a promotion, which is all the more exciting. His new boss is based out of Brooklyn, and is so much cooler than his last one. She often casually remarks that it would be totally acceptable for him to go after a WFH situation elsewhere domestically or even abroad (Italy? Spain? Canada?). No closed doors here.
Exciting plans for 2023 include a big ski road trip up past Elmira, Michigan with our friends Jordan and Carly in February. It'll be my 5th time to Boyne Mtn, but my first in 10 years or so. Everyone, good thoughts for Frank. He may try out his first black diamond slope :P
Warm hugs!
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Happy holidays to you & yours
It's hot cocoa and Christmas movie season in the DelCorno house. Happy holidays to you & yours.
About a month ago I read that annual holiday updates are dumb and that no one reads them. But I know that at least that last part isn't true since I asked about 20 of you if you had read last year's blog and it was a definite yes. At the end of the day, this is a way for me to remember if nothing else.
So, the good stuff: here is what we've been up to in 2021.
Luca is as bubbly as ever, a ball of nonstop energy on the move. He took his first steps at around 14 months and hasn't looked back. A little late to the walking game, but like me (and maybe Frank, too) he is careful and deliberate in wanting to get it juuuuust right. Right now "a huggy and a kissy" is his favorite activity. There is probably nothing more endearing in life than a full-mouthed smooch from a waddling 1-year-old. This is one of the many reasons why I love this age above all the rest.
Kindergarten has proved an exciting adventure for Dom so far, even if he cried the first full week of school because he missed his mama. We love his teacher, Ms Maxwell. She is young - just 26 - and full of enthusiasm. She also has a kind of genuine sweetness you only find in someone willing to put up with wild 6-year-olds 5 days out of the week.
Dom loves math - no surprise there! - and art and might also have a secret crush on a little neighbor girl in class named Marley. The other day he told us that Marley said she wants to go to Starbucks - a horrifying reminder of the pervasiveness of corporate America, even among the Kindergarten crowd. Frank then immediately suggested that Dom should think about taking her. Can you imagine it! Two little people discussing the value of fidget spinners over a steaming cup of caffeine-free peppermint mocha. A hallmark card, without a doubt. I haven't met Marley's parents yet, but when I do you can be sure that I will present our plan.
Frank is still enjoying his work at Lilly, but right now it is the extracurriculars that have him fired up. This summer and Fall he helped as an assistant volunteer coach for the Danville Boy's Varsity Soccer team from July to November. No Ted Lasso yet, but here's to always trying. He plans to maintain the commitment next fall.
Another year, another house project. Frank demoed the old, yucky carpet in our basement and replaced it with beautiful vinyl planks. It was a month-long process and between soccer, work, the kids and the floor, August had us pulling all of our hairs out. Fortunately, we had planned a mini vacay right around this time to celebrate our third wedding anniversary (and my 30th birthday) with a very fancy weekend at West Baden Springs resort in Southern Indiana.
I won't talk about my updates in third person except to say that "when she's not folding laundry and unloading dishes and brushing the knots out of curly toddler hair, she enjoys reading, writing and volunteering." If that sounds like it's a scene from Shrek, it's because it is nearly a scene from Shrek.
On the reading front, it was a landmark year for me. I have read 26 books (5 above goal!!) since January, and am reading my 27th and 28th now. Frank spent a lot of time the latter half of this year bragging about this milestone to anyone who would listen but I have to admit, most of them were on the short(ish) side. My favorite book in 2021 was Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You. Meanwhile Jane Goodall's The Book of Hope and The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin were both tied for most inspiring. Maybe you were not expecting unsolicited book recommendations, but if you know anyone who has read nearly 30 books since 1/1, tell them to give me theirs ;)
We are grateful for you! I personally hope you have a safe & special winter season.
And now, in Dom's words, "the end."
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The Year of Home
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that 2020 has been....a year of years. Not necessarily for a good reason.
As Covid has kept many of us from work, school, and friends it has also fundamentally changed how our 4-year-old son Dom interacts with the world. He’s doing remote learning, 3 times a day, 5 days a week. At such a critical moment in his own development, he’s awash with all things Coronavirus. Can’t see his friends...because of Covid. Must stay home, wear a mask...because of Covid. I can’t help but think... it’s a hard year to be a kid.
Other (less dreadful) words to describe this year: intimate, close. It’s the Year of Home and we’ve personally had a lot of reason for celebration in our home life. In June, we welcomed our latest bundle of joy, little Luca, whom we’ve showered in endless hugs and kisses.
And in August we moved from Indianapolis to one of its surrounding suburbs, Avon. The new house is an upgrade in almost all things. Built by a custom company out of Carmel, Ind. in 2004, it sits on a gorgeous wooded lot, overlooking the trees and trail. It also has a much-welcomed oasis of a master suite and beautiful gourmet kitchen. The latter is maybe the best addition. Since we’re home all the time, we’ve taken to really enjoying the food prep process.
In an effort to muddle through 2020, we’re going long-term with our planning. In February, Frank and I plan to visit one of Frank’s old friends who now lives in Boulder, Colorado. And in 2022 (feels like a near lifetime away!) I’m planning a trip to Japan with my good friend Kelly, who will take a sabbatical that year.
Meanwhile, we’ve been filling the yawning stretch of time in front of us with books, games, movies, walks, family meetings. We bought a VERY fancy latte machine to celebrate our anniversary in September and sometimes it’s the thing that gets us out of bed. Long nights, early mornings but always either an excited toddler or smiling baby to wake up to.
Some personal updates. Frank is going on his seventh year at Eli Lilly. And I continue to work part-time for Tri Kappa, a philanthropic non-profit. We’re both grateful to have flexible schedules that have allowed us to manage the household while also working.
We hope that though a trying year, you’ve also had a happy one. To our family and friends, we’re so glad for you in our lives. And we can’t wait to see you on the flipside of all this ~
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