The Good Stuff | 2022

Here are some of the most memorable moments from this past year.

1. Started keeping a journal using Day One. My first entry was on February 28th. It was about a great day of 8th-grade adventure at Fort Wilderness.
2. Read a great book - Show Your Work by Austin Kleon. As a result, I started Why Edify and began sending out a weekly newsletter. I haven't missed a Friday since I started. Here's the archive.
3. My youngest daughter tried playing basketball. She didn't want to at first, but she decided it was fun. One of my favorite things to do is to watch my girls play sports.
4. You can't go wrong with a Super Bowl performance from Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, and 50 Cent.
5. Conversation overheard in the hallway at school: A boy says, "Girls are annoying." A girl replies, "You're gonna love a woman someday."
6. I truly appreciated each and every snow day.
7. I was inspired by watching this video, "Homework for Life" by Matthew Dicks. As a result, I started adding more detail to my journal entries.
8. For part of 2022, I had my daughter in my 8th-grade class. It turned out to be a wonderful experience.
9. My youngest daughter worked hard to swim fast. As a result, she qualified for the state swim meet. Everything about that weekend was a great adventure.
10. I have helped students transition to high school for the past 23 years. Watching them interact with their parents as they plan for their freshman year is a joy.
11. Someone pulled the fire alarm at the state swim meet. It wasn't funny at the time. Now it makes me smile.
12. Mountain biking in Bentonville, Arkansas was a hit. We left for Spring Break at 5 below zero and arrived at 60-degree temperatures.
13. Our group-owned pontoon boat cruised the Minocqua chain of lakes. Here's the story of No Teacher Left Behind.
14. I continued to dominate the family's four-square court.
15. We watched our fair share of The Great British Bake Off.
16. Each year students build model rockets. All launches were a go this year.
17. This was my first year serving on the YMCA Camp Jorn Board of Directors. It's been a learning experience. Here's my camp story.
18. They turned the water fountains back on at school on May 9th. This was the first sign of pandemic recovery.
19. Many great mountain bike rides with my oldest daughter. I'm glad we had those trips together. Now that she is a freshman time for bike riding is hard to come by. It's a good thing my youngest is showing interest.
20. The end-of-the-year portfolio passage presentations were back on for this year. One step closer to normality.
21. Another year of painting houses is under my belt. That makes 23 years in a row. We're getting older and slower, but still having fun.
22. Multiple rainbow sightings this year.
23. Family camp was a blast. Sisters water skied together and there were a few great road bike adventures with friends.
24. My wife and I went to a Michael Franti concert. It was awesome. I'm a big fan of the song "Work Hard and Be Nice".
25. We went hiking in the Porcupine Mountains with friends. It was the first time I packed in a camping chair. It was a game-changer. It was also the first time I encountered hail on a camping trip.
26. I reconnected with an old friend and reminisced.
27. Chicago Deep Dish Pizza and a beef sandwich from Portillo's.
28. We celebrated the career of the camp director who is also a good friend. His small and big actions sustained over time created quite a legacy. I learned a great deal from him.
29. I'm still married. It was the best decision I've ever made.
30. Started my 24th year of teaching.
31. Although the pandemic years were challenging, I see signs that students are starting to recover. It will take a while, but at least things are heading in the right direction.
32. Participated in the Peninsula Challenge.
33. I've been watching high schoolers prepare to march in the Rose Bowl Parade. They have been practicing and raising funds for two years. What a great experience.
34. The entire family is as vaccinated as they can be. Thank you science.
35. There are two young people in my house that can mow the lawn and take out the trash.
36. The EL Education National Conference was inspirational and much-needed.
37. Family trip to see "Wicked" in Chicago. It was so well done. I love the set design of OZ.
38. The Lord of the Rings tradition continues. Each year we watch the trilogy while we eat whatever we want.
39. My wife's pound cake.
40. I read some great books.
41. Having a wonderful teaching team.
42. My friend shared a great playlist of music we used to listen to back when we were camp counselors. Each play-through brings back happy memories.
43. The Cajun food at the Blue Bayou did not disappoint for our anniversary dinner.
44. Family traditions have helped me weather the challenges of the past few years. There's always something joyful to look forward to. I look forward to revisiting them in my journal when I'm a much older man.
45. On most Fridays, we have a family differentiated dinner. We go to the store and everyone picks what they want to eat and then we watch a movie. This helps me power through the most challenging weeks.
46. Sia Christmas tunes playing on repeat.
47. Learned how to use Canva. It's great for classroom use. I've also started creating images of inspirational quotes to include in each week's newsletter. I like the way they've turned out.
48. Snowshoes for Christmas. Years ago someone stole our entire set of snowshoes from our shed. I'd given up on replacing them. I was totally surprised when everyone chipped in for a new set. Now I can make a trail around our property.
49. Watching my wife stream Stranger Things from bedroom quarantine with covid while my youngest daughter watched from the couch in the living room.
50. My dog Wally finally learned how to shake. Now if he could only learn to play nicely with other dogs.