I’m not sure what it was about 2019 that got me away from writing and photography, but I’m finding that I failed to document a lot of the highlights of the year as they happened. On one hand, I suppose that means I was living life instead of recording it. On the other hand, it means that a lot of notable details got shuffled around under other stuff in my brain.
So, the year in summary (aka the tl;dr version): I did a lot of sewing. A LOT. My evenings were mostly taken up by sewing and by taking Connor to karate class twice a week. My evenings got even more full once I joined the adult class at the karate school (the teens and adults learn Krav Maga rather than American Freestyle Karate).
The other major memorable thing about 2019 was my ADHD diagnosis. Getting diagnosed and starting medication was A Big Deal for me, and will likely be something I look back on as a major turning point in my mental health.
Highlights
January:
On the home ownership front, we proactively bought a new sump pump before the old one totally died. On the cold front (see what I did there?), the Polar Vortex hit and cancelled school for four days.
February:
After he decided that he liked karate and wanted to keep taking the classes, Connor repeatedly asked his karate instructor how he could get into Black Belt Club. Finally, after several weeks of class, the instructor called the two of us into his office and told us that he thought Connor was ready.
By the end of that meeting, Connor was a member of the Black Belt Training Club, which we learned is a two-year commitment. It seemed like a long time to commit to an activity, considering that Connor previously had trouble committing to more than a 6-week class at the Y, but he’s still going strong and loving it one year later.
Connor has since continued up the ranks, graduating out of the Basic Youth class into the next level up, and earning his yellow, orange, purple, and blue belts. He’s also become familiar with weapons: sword, kama, and bo staff.
March:
Our second-ever Schnuth Family Vacation took us to Jamaica! The highlight of the trip was our afternoon at an eco-park where we rode a skylift over the jungle, went on a bobsled roller-coaster, and then took a zipline tour through the jungle canopy.
April:
I knew [Jim] was about to have a procedure done… so when I was driving my son to school and saw a call from my mom come up on my phone, I knew I couldn’t take the call right then.
May: Another year, another diagnosis
While I was reading up on behavioral issues and researching ways to help Connor focus in the classroom and at home, I kept running into references to various symptoms of ADHD that are lesser-known to the general public… and that totally applied to me. It seems that ADHD presents differently in girls than it does in boys; girls tend to be the more inattentive type, while boys tend to be more physically active. In adults, it’s more different still, especially since most undiagnosed adults have come up with life hacks and workarounds over time.
In May, I messaged my doctor and asked him about the possibility that I might have ADHD. In response, he sent me a boatload of questionnaires and self-evaluations. I sent them back, and at my med check for my antidepressants, he officially diagnosed me with ADHD.
June:
After six months of watching my son thoroughly enjoy his karate class, I finally worked up the courage to ask if there was an adult beginner class. Thus began my own martial arts journey — well, I resumed the journey, technically, since I did earn rank in Aikido some ten years ago.
I’ve since earned my yellow and orange belts in Krav Maga, and am planning to test for my purple belt at the end of March. I never thought kicking tail could be so fun.
July:
Connor’s first fireworks! We tried to go in 2018, but Connor had gotten hit in the eye with a locker door earlier that day, so fireworks didn’t happen.
This year, the fireworks experience was one of the best I remember overall. Well, except that the sky opened up right after the finale and we got drenched on the way to the car.
July was actually pretty notable overall: I started my short-lived obsession with raising Monarch butterflies (that’s a blog post in itself), Grammy came to visit mid-month, and I started ADHD medication.
August:
Connor started 2nd Grade! We also ponied up for a “real” birthday party at a local skating rink / party center, and much fun was had by all.
September:
This was our month of being exceptionally social! We attended the Black Swamp Arts Festival with our old college friends, the Fertels…
…and we enjoyed dinner and conversation and s’mores at the Sheets abode.
Connor also got to attend his very first sleepover! The karate school hosted a Parents’ Night Out / Karate Sleepover; that was the first night he spent away from me, and the first night I got to sleep in my own bed without Connor in earshot. Excitez!
October:
Connor earned his purple belt in karate and graduated to the Intermediate level class!
No one was sure if Connor was ready to move up to the next belt, honestly, much less the next class, so I was surprised at the news. The Intermediate class (since renamed to Black Belt Training 1) requires a lot more partner work, which is good for Connor on so many levels.
I also decided to go all-in and join Black Belt Club for my Krav class — basically, I’m signed up for the next two years and I get to stay for an extra 15 minutes after class to learn advanced techniques. Oh, and I got to buy sparring gear.
November:
First snow of the season = first snow day
December:
Since my mom told me she’s planning to move back up north this spring, I decided that Connor and I had better go visit Grammy in Florida before then. Christmas seemed like the perfect opportunity. We got to meet Jim’s family (who are all seriously cool people to be around), go to the Museum of Science and Industry (using our Imagination Station membership!), visit the Sponge Docks, take a boat trip to go shelling on Anclote Island, and feed the seagulls at Sunset Beach.
Everything Else
Health
| CHIROPRACTOR | 12 | Spondylolisthesis FTW |
| DENTIST | 4 | Quarterly periodontal maintenance |
| FAMILY DOCTOR | 2 | Mainly for brain meds |
| MAMMOGRAM | 1 | An ounce of prevention… |
| OBGYN | 1 | Switched doctors after some 15 years |
| LABORATORY | 1 | To make sure my thyroid wasn’t wonky |
| OPTOMETRIST | 1 | Last year’s frames, new lenses |
| URGENT CARE | 1 | Ran through poison ivy during karate class |
| ENDOCRINOLOGIST | 1 | Annual thyroid ultrasound; all is well |
Fitness
This page from my bullet journal / personal planner shows clearly where I signed up for Krav Maga in June. Before that, my exercise was mostly walking, one or two classes a week at the Fitness Center at my work, but nothing consistent. After that, the calendar is mostly Krav twice a week with a few walks and classes here and there.
I’m feeling quite awesome physically, to be honest. I haven’t lost all the weight I want to lose, and I haven’t reached my fitness goals yet, but everything feels stronger overall, and I’m definitely more flexible in the hips than I was before starting Krav.
Weight
Between Krav Maga and Vyvanse — and continuing to track my meals — I managed to take off the weight that had been slowly packing on over the past year or two, along with the pounds that had come on more quickly over the first part of the year.
Sewing
The year started out with my sewing machine shoehorned into a free corner of our home office. Now the room is half office, half sewing room, with a bookshelf of film cameras tucked away in the corner.
My sewing tendencies have started to migrate from home decor to clothing, and I’m finally getting comfortable with the whole process of sewing in general. Threading my sewing machine is second-nature now, and I can crank out an envelope pillowcase or a pair of pajama pants in no time flat. I also look at my ready-to-wear garments a bit differently, with an eye to how I could recreate them on my own.
Photography
At first, I had thought that 2019 was a slow year for my photography hobby. As it turns out, I exposed seven rolls of film, which isn’t nearly as bad as I’d thought. I just never got around to doing anything with the pictures afterward.
- Harper’s 7th Birthday, January 2019
- Jamaica, March 2019 + Downtown Toledo, September 2019
- Fireworks in Downtown Toledo, July 2019
- Imagination Station camp (mostly Connor’s pics), July 2019
- Toledo Zoo with Grammy, July 2019
- Karate Picnic + Black Swamp Arts Festival, Aug/Sept 2019
- Evening at the Sheetses + Downtown Toledo, September 2019
and now, deep thoughts
This past year was a big deal for me, but not because of big events. My ADHD diagnosis was huge and helpful and really helped revise my perception of who I am at my core. (Which sounds super hippy-dippy, but I’m OK with that.) Getting into sewing has been a fun creative outlet that’s also useful. Connor’s grown and matured, and that’s been rewarding to watch.
Yeah, I’m going to call 2019 one more tally mark in the Win column of Life.