Top 10 Reasons We’re Grateful for 2015

1. Completing the Grand Circle. We flew to Las Vegas and spent two weeks visiting the awe inspiring and majestic national parks in the desert Southwest.  Highlights included hiking on the Bright Angel trail in the Grand Canyon, riding mules through Bryce Canyon, and forging our own trail near the Canyonlands to ‘Repasky Bluff’. The Bright Angel trail was a grueling ~10 mile hike with 3,000 ft elevation change going down and 3,000 ft going back up.  We got bonus points for jogging the last ½ mile up the canyon when Ronan decided he needed to urgently use the restroom with nowhere to stop on the steep switchbacks.  Overall, we hiked over 35 miles, visited nine man-made (Hoover Dam) or natural parks, and the boys earned four Junior Ranger badges.  

2. Creating family memories.  The Repasky family reunion was held in North Carolina this year and brought back many fond memories of time spent there during Matt's childhood.  Rock jumping over the creeks, riding down ‘bust-your-butt’ falls, and swimming in some of the local spots were highlights as well as visiting the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains.  The boys loved playing foosball (and the Poo game), building lego warriors, and creating s’mores with their cousins. Mema, G-pa, and Bear were well loved in our buffalo-themed cabin.

3. Visiting Paradise - well, Paradise Park on Mount Hood. This backpacking trip took us on part of the Pacific Crest Trail (of the movie “Wild”) to an alpine meadow at around 6000 ft elevation.  We camped with an amazing view of what looked like the top of the world and nary another soul in site.  It’s a good thing the boys didn’t fall when playing on the giant boulders otherwise a rescue helicopter would have been necessary. It was amazing watching the sunset over the ocean together from our mountain perch.

4. Building intergenerational links.  This summer Jamie’s parents moved to Portland after 38 years of living in Wisconsin. We now see what we’ve missed by living far from relatives for so many years. Torin and Ronan love spending time with Papa and Mame particularly since they get to play in the hot tub and are generally spoiled like crazy. It has been a blessing to have extra adults with some of our school scheduling and urgent care adventures. 

5. Development in Taekwondo and music.  Ronan is now continuing the Repasky musical tradition by learning guitar.  He picked out a Fender style electric guitar and is slowly learning to jam.  Interestingly, the first song he has gotten good at is “Blitzkreig Bop” by the Ramones.  He is also getting ever closer to black belt testing for Taekwondo which will likely happen in 2016.  Ronan transferred to Class Academy this year and is thriving in the 4th grade Chinook’s class.

6. Soccer training and programming skills.  Building on last year’s experience with Lego Robotics, Torin has taken more of a leadership role as a 7th grader at Class Academy and got to build the base of the robot and tackle some of the more challenging programming such as implementing a line-following algorithm.  He probably takes the most joy from playing soccer though and joined a traveling squad this year leading to trips all around Western Oregon.   

7. Science, science everywhere.  Jamie was given the opportunity to double the number of students touched by her science education work when she took a second part-time job at Woodlawn School along her work at Rieke Elementary.  Now 2x the kids are exposed to stomp rocket science, insect cuisine, slinky earthquakes, and the ‘bubble of darkness’.  With the power of cloning perhaps next year she can add more schools…

8. Chemistry in action.  Matt’s assertion that conference rooms around the world look alike was finally proven wrong during a trip to Paris this fall for meetings at The Westin Paris - Vendôme.  What a stunning local for a fantastic conference.  He also had an opportunity to spend one exhausting day sightseeing in Paris and was amazed (and exhausted) visiting the Musée d’Orsay, Louvre, Musée de l’Armée, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur, and Montmartre.  

9. Friends and family around the world.  We enjoy the opportunity to reconnect with our far-flung loved ones and friends via Christmas cards and messages.

10. Don’t really have anything here but a list to nine would be weird.

Happy Holiday’s from our family to yours and may your 2016 be filled with joy and friendship!

Repasky Family Class Lesson 2014

Target age: 7-40, but can be adjusted for additional years

Objective: Add to the students’ prior knowledge of the world with hands-on experiences both in the classroom and in the field.

Supplies:

• One house
• Two jobs
• Two schools
• Two cats
• Piano
• Taekwondo Dobak
• Soccer ball and cleats
• Legos
• Geysers
• Books
• Extended family
• Friends

Lesson Plan:

1. Ask the class to set goals for the year.  This will be used in the final evaluation.
2. Take the class outside to sled during a rare Portland snowstorm.  Test the design of Parkhill Drive to see if the corner banks are angled properly to transport a sled past nine houses.
3. Encourage foreign language training and physical ability with belt testing every other month at the Taekwondo Dojang.
4. Support art and literacy training with piano recitals, graphic novel drawing, music composition festivals, and poetry contests.  Allow the students to chose their medium to tell their stories.
5. Arrange transportation and support at soccer practices, games, and tournaments.  Celebrate the teamwork skills developed over time.
   
6. Arrange travel to San Diego to meet with old and new friends.  Explore biodiversity at the zoos and beaches and learn about military life and history as a guest of the Captain of the USS Albuquerque.
7. Guide the students through both lost and gain. Allow time to grieve the death of Great Grandma Repasky and KC the cat.  Celebrate the wedding of Uncle David and Aunt Julie and addition of new extended family members - Joslin, Meghan, Matt, Lisa, Henry and Theo.
8. Introduce animal care activities with two new cats, Horus and Isis. Learn about animal behavior, feeding, comfort, and play.
   
9. Explain time management skills to the students.  Practice balancing transportation logistics between two schools, one full-time computational chemistry job, two part-time science education jobs, sport practices, piano lessons, Lego robotics meetings, clubs, and weekend adventures.
10. Connect with nature during a week-long outdoor school experience at Yellowstone National Park. Study the balance between geology and biology around the geysers. Practice safety and survival skills on a two day backpacking journey in the park.
11. Support school activities for both a 2nd grader and a 6th grader.  Make connections with the teachers and parents and lend resources for class photography, science fair demonstrations, and robotics team coaching.
12. Schedule down time around the Christmas tree for family games and group end-of-year review.

Standards addressed:

• Literacy - book appreciation, poetry/tall tale writing, graphic novel drawing, oral history
• Math - musical patterns, logic problems, time management, computer programming
• Science - chemistry, animal behavior, botany, biodiversity, geology, engineering design
• Social Studies - history, geography, family trees, community involvement
• Health - nutrition studies, bone structure, dental development, emotional balance

Happy Holidays!  

2013 was the year the boys ‘discovered’ Star Wars and became obsessed with everything related to that universe.  From light saber duels throughout the house, recreating Star Wars vehicles and scenes with Legos, devouring related books and stories, and epic Lego Star Wars III video game sessions, we may need to start looking for help with this addiction.  

Thankfully Torin and Ronan continue to cultivate other interests.  For Torin, playing soccer, basketball, and piano.  For Ronan, progressing in Taekwando and chess club.  With all these activities we’ve officially hit the taxi parent stage of life and finally became a two car family, bummer.  Now if only a company would hurry up and deliver the self-driving car to the masses.  Bonus points if you can communicate with the car via your smartphone, “Ok Google, pick up Ronan at Taekwando and deliver him home”. 

“Rieke is for Ronan” where he is now in the 1st grade and loving the independance.  Torin started a new school in the fall, Class Academy, where he has been assigned to the 5th grade and is facing academic difficulty for the first time.  Its nothing he cannot handle but is having to work hard and focus.  We believe the adversity is fantastic because learning how to fail gracefully is as important as learning how to succeed.  

Jamie has taken a new position this year as the Science Educator at Rieke Elementary.  In this role she is developing a science curriculum that meets required academic standards while hopefully sparking student interest.  One project that was written up in the local newspaper had the students investigate energy costs to create units of protein for various foods.  It concluded with a tasting of roasted mealworms (kind of nutty) and cookies prepared with some mealworm flour.  Jamie’s project to create an outdoor classroom space at Rieke was completed this year thanks to the help of a few sponsors and many volunteer hours.  Teachers in all grades have taken to the outdoor classroom to cover topics in geography, ecology, and zoology.  Its also an excellent spot to sit on a log and just read.  

Matt took on an expanded role at Schrodinger this year that includes more travel.  Multiple trips to the east and west coast were fun and a great chance to catch up with old friends in the industry.  A trip to India though was the highlight.  Matt will be attending ACS meetings more regularly now so if you’re planning to attend give a holler and we can get together.  

Trips to Florida for Matt’s sister’s wedding and California for the funeral of Matt’s Grandfather continued our travels.  We also got out more locally with an amazing trip to Olympia National Park which is a site we’d recommend to everyone.  Matt also took the boys overnight backpack camping in the Mt. Hood Wilderness and came back alive with only minor trauma from wasps (there is a wasp season here - who knew).  But perhaps the most exciting event this year was we celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.  

 

We hope you had a great 2013 and wish you the best in 2014.

Matt, Jamie, Torin, and Ronan

Like travelers in a new land 2012 was chock full of interesting experiences.  Ronan started Kindergarten this year, joining Torin (2nd grade), at Rieke Elementary.  They both love school and are taking advantage of after school experiences including a Mad Science program for Ronan and an Engineering with Legos class for Torin.  Its amazing to watch the school extract the most from them.  We were to excited when Ronan’s teacher indicated he was an excellent reader after years of resistance reading to Jamie and I.  Turns out they are both rapacious readers who will gladly devour all kinds of book. 

We had a wonderful FL Repasky family reunion this year at Crater Lake, OR.  Its an awe inspiring location with sweeping views of the Milky way at night and the crystal clear, snow-fed lake surrounded entirely by rugged cliffs during the day.  Everyone enjoyed a day trip to Wizard island by boat which was highlighted by the four cousins in their skivvies jumping into the frigid water for a ‘refreshing’ dip.  And who could forget the adult boys jury-rigging an industrial griddle back to life or “mahna mahna”.  I suppose it is better to ask forgiveness than permission. 

Both boys have become obsessed with Legos this year after a trip to Legoland in FL during spring break and being given their first Ninjago kit last Christmas.  2012 also saw the boys first visit to Disneyland in CA with their Emiley Grandparents.  Torin probably would have ridden Space Mountain all day if we had let him while Ronan loved the diversity of rides.  Matt dutifully avoided any ride that spins while Jamie took it all in stride. 

Early spring saw Torin making his first ski runs down Mount Hood Timerberline and Meadows with Matt.  He likes taking ‘massive jumps’, though his form of stopping tends to be accompanied with doing a slow motion 180 turn.  So still much more to learn.  We’re hoping Ronan will be ready to leave the bunny hill after a few more lessons and join in on the mountain.  Another outdoor highlight was our first serious camping trips.  The family stayed in two historic fire-towers on Indian Ridge and Mt. Hood and Jamie bravely camped alone with the boys at Saddle Mountain.  After getting over an initial fear of heights, the boys quickly came to love playing on and around the fire towers and exploring their private ridge.  Who knew pully-lifting various objects 50ft from the ground to the fire tower could be so entertaining?  Given the positive experiences this year with camping we plan to try hike in/hike out camping next year. 

This fall Torin has started piano lessons and has found a hobby that fits him perfectly.  As soon as he comes home from school he races to the piano to practicing for an hour a day!  He has also started writing his own songs, following in Grandpa Repasky’s footsteps.  Ronan has enjoyed the one-on-one time with the parental-figures while Torin is in his music-mode but has announced that when he turns seven, he wants to learn how to play guitar.

For Matt and Jamie the year was largely a continuation of 2011.  Matt continues to work at Schrodinger and his 2012 highlights included another year of no serious injuries playing recreation league basketball, more publications, and further progress on the boy’s club house that required learning how to make a mortise and tenon jointed door.  This has been Jamie’s ‘year of volunteering’ at Rieke Elementary.  She is the PTA Volunteer Coordinator, EcoThink Club and Student Council Eco-Action Team coordinator, and has written several grants to bring additional resources to our money-starved school and created the vision of an outdoor classroom complete with a bridge and covered classroom area that is rapidly becoming a reality. 

We all look forward to what 2013 will bring!

Hello to all our far-flung family and friends. During this time of thanksgiving and community your absence leaves a hole that is impossible to fill.

Torin and Ronan had an adventurous 2011. They climbed mountains (Saddle Mountain, 2.5 miles, 1600 ft vertical), visited with cousins in CT, explored NYC, and grown physically, socially and academically. Its hard to believe Torin is now 6 years old and in the 1st grade while Ronan is 4 and in his last year of preschool. They get along quite well most of the time and we’ve been told their interactions are similar to Matt and his brother when they were young. Hopefully this closeness can be maintained throughout their lives.

Ronan has started to blossom in preschool where he really enjoys playing with and discussing dinosaurs, working on puzzles, and “creating” with legos/blocks/boxes/whatever he can grab. He continues to demonstrate a strong ability to focus and concentrate on the activity he loves and we suspect it won’t be too long before he is drawn to puzzles with 200+ pieces and creating with a more diverse set of raw material - hello glue gun. Ronan is very interested in the natural world and has become the family’s caterpillar, slug, bug, unique stick/rock, and bear spotter while on hikes.

Torin started skiing last year at Mt Hood and has indicated he loves, “skiing backwards and taking big jumps”. He is going down green and some blue runs now under his own power though I don’t think the parents will be able to relax until he masters the art of stopping. There are similar heart-stopping moments as he learns to bike as well. With any luck he’ll avoid damaging his newly dropped adult front teeth in either activity. Torin has been bitten by the writing bug and will happily fill every piece of paper in the house with his musings and related illustrations. He was recognized in the spring during a tea where one student from each class was given the opportunity to read one of their stories to the principle and school parents. We are very proud in this self-motivated accomplishment and hope his interest in learning remains strong.

Matt and Jamie had an adventure in 2011 as well, summiting Mt. St. Helens in the summer with Jamie’s brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Emily Emiley. We were lead by an experienced Sherpa, our neighbor Mark Seker, who ensured a safe and fun trip. We had wonderful weather and superior visibility; I’d strongly recommend checking out the video. While the hike was awesome and destined for legend, its summarized below:
- A leisurely stroll through the forest to get to the mountain base.
- A vigorous climb around knee sized rocks as we went up the foothills.
- Rock hopping as soil gives way to a zone of human to car-sized rocks. This was wildly fun.
- Navigating a transition layer with smaller and less frequent rocks. The wind begins to pick up and goggles go on. Ominously fine ash is becoming more prevalent.
- The final push to summit a steep slope of fine ash. The wind is doing its best to sand blast you. Every uphill step gains only a few inches due to slipping in the ash. Time to dig deep and find some motivation.
- Paradise at the summit followed by drinks (thanks Mark!) and dancing
- Race you down the mountain!

Happy Holidays from the Repasky Family!

Dino Time!

The boys took their favorite dinosaurs on our trip to Connecticut and NYC. It was fun finding silly places to pose them.

Dinos on the East Coast from Jamie Repasky on Vimeo.