Tag Archives: Family Togetherness

The Second Day of Christmas 2025: Cookie Time

By

For four years before my daughter’s birth, I’ve been hosting a holiday party for my family and friends. Each year, the guest list increases a little, there’s a few more treats, and my twelve year old contributes a bit more. 

While we’ve made cookies together in the past, Quinn baked the chocolate chip and Christmas M & M cookies from start to finish, and they were deliciously made with love and a festive spirit.  

All the best,

Tanya

Queue the Violins

By

Yesterday was my twelve year old’s winter orchestra concert, and though it’s been less than a year since her spring concert in sixth grade, the improvement of the entire orchestra was noticeable. Not just the way they sounded, but their posture and overall performance demonstrated how much they all have matured.

I don’t know if it’s because many of them are or will soon be teens, but witnessing this makes me want to “queue” the violins as I reminisce about when Quinn first began playing the violin nearly four years ago.

It was a lovely concert, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do in the spring.

All the best,

Tanya

Netflix in the House

By

I love spending time with my daughter, and we both love watching certain shows on Netflix, so checking out the Netflix House in King of Prussia Mall during her Thanksgiving break was the perfect outing to celebrate her perfect streak of earning straight A’s since first grade.

We had such a fun time playing nine holes of miniature golf featuring Is It Cake, Squid Games and Stranger Things, just to name a few. We’re definitely considering going back for their virtual reality series.

All the best,

Tanya

My Daughter Always Amazing Me through Her Strengths

By

Every day I’m amazed by the person my daughter is becoming. Though she’s only twelve, she’s developed an interest in fitness and joins me at the gym every Sunday. I love our bonding time and am amazed at how quickly she has grown and caught on.

I would like to think that she’s gotten her strength partly from me, but she’s gotten her drive to challenge herself from deep within. I’m so proud of the person she’s becoming.

All the best,

Tanya

Rocky Run 5K Done! She Went the Distance!

By

One of the reasons I post about my fitness journey is to hopefully inspire others, but today, it was my mini me who left me feeling inspired. Quinn, a 12 year old, boldly ran in the Rocky Run 5K a race with over 30,000 people, predominantly adults 😅. Think I might’ve felt a bit intimidated at her age, but she smiled, was in the zone and had a great time the entire way.

Not only was she determined to cross the finish line, but she maintained the pace she set for herself and demonstrated what hard work, commitment and dedication is all about! 

This is not the first time that Quinn has left me in awe and certainly will not be the last, but today she was definitely my inspiration! She went the distance!

Best,

Tanya

Happy First Day! New School, New Grade, New Experiences!

By

How is it that my daughter is starting a new school and seventh grade when I vividly remember her starting kindergarten as though it was moments ago? 😅

I asked my twelve year old how she was feeling this morning, and she said a combination of excited and nervous, but more excited about the school year. I too am excited for her as this is her last stop before she enters high school! 😳 Wow! High school!

But before she gets there, I’m grateful that she is entering middle school with the opportunity to continue her educational journey by not only continuing with the core disciplines like math and English but learning a foreign language, financial literacy, cooking skills along with countless extracurricular activities to further establish what she’s good at, enjoys and may even want to pursue when it’s time for high school.

Here’s to a wonderful semester for my tween who continues to make me proud to be her mom.

All the best,

Tanya