Still So Incredibly Missed

 Six years ago this week Jeanette lost her battle with ovarian cancer.  It was such a sad time in the Heinisch family life that I don't really like to think about that week.  Instead I try to focus on the good memories that we have of Grandma Heinisch and the wonderful person that she was inside and out.  She was an excellent example of how to follow a child's interest and encourage life long learning.  She focused on what her grandchildren liked or what they were into at the moment.  Doug told me many times that that was the way she parented as well and a philosophy that he has carried over into his life as a father.  It shows in the unique, individual personalities of our four children. 

Even when Jeanette was close to the end of her time on this Earth, she was still supportive of all of our children's endeavors.  She was the first person they would call when they had good news.  It didn't matter how big or how small, she was always excited for them.  Neither Doug nor I like to brag about the Heinisch children's successes in life, but we always knew that we could to her.  It is those calls that I miss the most.  Telling her about Brett's new job, Cal's graduation, Meg's apartment, Cam's tennis match are just a few items that I would love to call her about now.  Just thinking about it makes me cry, so instead I will chose to focus on the happy faces in the pictures below or her words on the last time I called her and asked how she was doing.  Her response, "A lot better, now that I'm talking to you" still makes my heart smile.

A Big Step Up - #2 Singles

 Tonight Cam had to play #2 singles against Goshen as one of his teammates was unable to participate in the match.  We knew that it would be a tough call as there had typically been a big step up from #3 to # 2 on the singles courts.  Matt told us right away that Cam's opponent had actually spent quite a bit of time at #1 last year, which would make the leap even more challenging.

Cam's opponent was the best player that he had matched up against in his tennis career.  He hit the ball hard and deep and rarely missed a point.  Cam struggled with his serve in the first set which made it even more difficult to win points.  Although he ended the night at 0-6; 0-6, he did play a lot better in the second set.  He said that he was more relaxed and that helped with his serve and strategy.  The biggest frustration for him was losing games where he was up 40-15 or 30-0.  In the end tonight's match was a good learning experience and Matt was able to give him some tips that would help in the future.  It sounds like he might be playing the #2 position for another week or so.  He will definitely gain a lot from the exposure.  

All Moved In

 Doug left yesterday afternoon with the rest of Meg's possession so that they would be ready for their 8 a.m. move-in slot.  He got to Bloomington early enough last night for them to get Goodfellas for dinner and to play a game of Ticket to Ride Germany with Brett.  Meg had to go to the staudium this morning for a COVID-19 test before she could return to campus.  She and Doug decided to get there at 7:40 a.m. to be ahead of the crowd and there were at least fifty cars in front of them.  Everything was well run, however, and soon she had her negative results and two new IU masks in hand.  

Meg chose to live at Union Street Center this year.  It was a new IU apartment complex on tenth street.  Meg knew one of her roommates from last year, Faith, and had texted the other one, Grace, several times over the summer.  The girls each had their own bedroom with Faith and Meg sharing a bathroom.  There was a living room and kitchen in the middle of the apartment along with a washer and dryer.  It only took Meg and Doug an hour or so to move everything into her room as IU had provided student movers to help.  Meg texted almost immediately to let me know how much she loved her new place.  Doug called later and said that it was the nicest complex that any of our children had lived in on campus.  

After they got everything into her room, Doug set up Meg's television and helped with a few other items.  They then went to Kroger for a grocery run.  Meg and Nick had already bought some of the necessities earlier in the week so she didn't need too much.  They stopped at Brett's afterward to pick up Cal's queen sized mattress and dresser that had been stored at Brett's.  It was a tight fit, but thankfully they were able to get everything into the van for Doug's return trip home.  Meg picked Chipolte for lunch and the three of them enjoyed a picnic in People's Park.  Doug left Bloomington around 1 p.m. and was home by dinner time.

I talked to Meg several times during the afternoon.  Faith had arrived and they were spending the day running errands and unpacking.  Meg said that it was a little overwhelming as last year I had stayed to help get most of her room set up.  I couldn't do that this year as I had to stay home with Cameron as he had tennis practice and e-learning.  I was sad to miss helping her, but glad that she loved her new home.  She was ready to be with her friends and to live on her own.  With all of the news surrounding the large parties at Notre Dame that had resulted in hundreds of positive COVID tests and North Carolina closing their campus due to the same reason, I said a prayer that IU would not follow suit.  Hoping for a healthy, safe and wonderful sophomore year for Meg.

Separate Rooms

I told my mom about my racing heart scare the day after it happened.  She was concerned and offered to come up if I had any more issues or at least to wake up Doug.  She told my dad about the incident later that day and his response, "Why does Doug sleep in a separate bedroom?"  Later that week Meg had a friend over and she told her about my heart scare as well.  At the end of the story her friend said, "Wait, your mom and dad sleep in separate rooms?"

Meg and I responded to those questions with the exact same answer, "If you had to sleep in the same room as Doug, you'd ask for separate rooms as well."  Until those comments I had never really thought about Doug and I sleeping apart.  We didn't plan that when we got married, but then again he didn't really snore then.  I remember complaining about it several times to my mom around the time Cal was born.  She said that all men snore and after awhile I would get used to it.  She changed her mind, however, after we all stayed at my grandparents home in Florida.  She had gotten up in the middle of the night and realized that Doug's snoring was more like a freight train.

Over the years we talked about what to do about the snoring.  Doug wasn't interested in surgery, sleep clinics or a sleep apnea machine.  Dr. Mulry had told us that they probably wouldn't help much anyway.  We did try some nose strips which helped a little, but were uncomfortable to wear nightly.  Doug saved those for times when we all stayed together on vacation.  For the longest time we solved the problem by me waking him up when he got really loud and having him move to the couch.  

This fall with only three of us in the house, we decided that we tried a new solution - I would move upstairs to Meg's room.  I liked her mattress better and it worked well for us as Cam, Doug and I each had our own bedroom and bathroom.  That changed when Meg moved back home in March.  Thankfully, we had cleaned out and repainted the guest room which Doug said he would move in to until Meg went back.  We never dreamed that it would be five months later, but it worked for us during the pandemic, especially since Cal preferred sleeping in the basement instead of the extra bedroom.  

This week we decided to try something else.  After Meg left, I thoroughly cleaned her room and bedroom so that Doug could move up there.  We have been trying to keep everyone separate with COVID concerns and this would allow everyone to not only have their own room but also bathroom.  Doug was happy with the arrangement when he got home tonight from a long day at work and a 2+ hour county council budget meeting.  I know that it may seem strange to some, but having separate rooms has worked well for our family.  We've made it this way for almost thirty years, so there has to be some benefit in it.  

The Windy City

 Cal and Hannah-Marie had a chance to go to Chicago this past weekend for one last getaway before she left for IU.  They stayed at Jayce's apartment in Wrigleyville which gave them a birds eye view of all that Chicago had to offer once Cal makes the move there.  They both were impressed with the area as there were a lot of restaurants, bars and much more close at hand.  Cal said that they saw very few adults over the age of forty while they were there.  It almost felt like a college town for young people who worked.  Chicago has a strict mask and social distancing mandate, which cut down a little bit on the crowds. 

While they were there they also checked out Wrigley Field and loved the atmosphere even though fans were not allowed in the game.  Jeremy had been living there since June and he said that the rioting, protesting and shootings in Chicagoo that have made the news lately have all occured south of him.  Therefore, they don't affect his daily routine and he really only hears about them from the same sources that we do.  Overall, Cal was pleased with Wrigleyville and hopes to start looking for a studio apartment in the area in November.  His job at Plante Moran doesn't start until January 4th, so he has some time to research the different complexes.  It sounds like it should be a lot of fun.

First Tennis Tourney of the Year

 Cameron had his first tennis tournament of the year on Saturday.  It was played at Hamilton Heights which was about two hours south of us.  This was Bethany's first time playing in the tournament and their coach was thankful for the challenge this early in the season.  Cameron played the #3 varsity singles spot and had his toughest match on the day to start.  He was pitted against Hamilton Heights and played very well in the first set.  Several times Doug said that it looked like he was about to lose, but he hung tough pushing the match to a tie break.  Ultimately, his opponent proved to much for him as Cameron recorded the loss at 6-7, 6-1.  Even though he was not victorious, Cameron still felt very well about his play.

The second match was easier than the first, but it did give Doug a scare.  After winning the first set and getting out to 5-0 lead in the second, Cam's opponent started to pick up some momentum and soon the score was 5-3.  Cam held on, however, and finished with a 6-3 win.  The third match was the quickest of the day.  Cam was matched up against someone who had just finished a tough second match loss.  He didn't have much left in him and Cam made quick work of the match putting Cam in third place on the day.  His team equaled his performance, finishing third as well.  Overall, both Cam and Doug were thrilled with Cam's first varsity tournament performance.  Cam had played well and built his confidence for the upcoming season.  The only negative on the day was the sunburn to Doug's forehead.  He definitely had proof that he had worn his mask as the rest of his face was a noticeable shade of white.  

Too Close for Comfort

Although neither of the COVID incidents affected us directly yesterday, but they did scare us enough to reconsider our upcoming plans.  Originally, Meg was supposed to leave for IU this Tuesday afternoon with Doug.  Yesterday we realized that by waiting until then we were risking Meg's return at all.  She had tested negative for COVID this past week, but if Cameron was exposed at tennis or Bethany or Doug was exposed at work or County Council, then she would be required to quaratine with the rest of us for fourteen days.  The thought that she would be home for five months and not get to leave when IU started was too much for any of us to think about.  Thus, late last night we all decided that it was best for Meg to get to Bloomington as quickly as possible.  Thankfully, Brett was more than willing to host her for a couple of days before she moved into her apartment.  Nick was happy to take her and said that it felt like they were going on vacation.  I offered money for food and gas and the plan quickly took shape.  

Meg spent most of last night and this afternoon packing.  She had started earlier in the week, but there was still a lot to do.  I tried to help as best as I could by getting laundry done, organizing bags and moving suitcases downstairs.  By 5:30 Meg had everything ready and Nick was on his way over to our house.  She had said goodbye to Cam and Doug last night as they were at an all day tennis tournament in central Indiana today.  With nothing else left to do, Meg and Nick headed out by 6:30 p.m.  As soon as they turned on to the road, I walked in the house and started crying.  I was happy for Meg as she was ready to get back to her college life.  I was sad, however, as we had really enjoyed having her home these past five months and I would miss our daily walks, craft days, nightly talks, and the endless games of Swap Meet and watching Disney Food Blog.  Doug has said several times that not everything about the pandemic has been bad.  Having her home was definitely one of the positives.