Happy spring, my dear.

We kicked off March with an unusually-early Spring Break. It was a great time to get away from grey and gloomy Iowa and spend some time in the Florida Keys. We had a fantastic week, eating at our favorite restaurants, spending lots of time in the pool and the beach, engaging in a little cultural education, and enjoying perfect weather. It was 78F and sunny pretty much the entire time. Our travels were mostly smooth, and except for Callum getting strep throat, it was a near-perfect trip. Even the strep throat got addressed quickly, so I think we can all agree it was a great time.

We returned for the second time to the same condo, which is nice because it’s bigger than ones we’ve rented previously. You’re a person who enjoys privacy, and this space allowed you to have your own room. You skipped out on some of our earlier pool and beach trips, choosing instead to sleep in, but that’s okay. Vacation fun is different for everyone, and I’m glad you got to mix up some relaxation and adventure. You did get a kick out of mini-golf. We tried a new restaurant, Porky’s Bayside, mostly because they recently opened up a mini-golf course and it seemed like a fun way to spend an evening. The restaurant turned out to be delicious (not that you tried anything unusual—you remain committed to your narrow-range diet), and we all had a good time putt-putting around the waterfalls and foliage.

One notable change for you is that you spent a week without your scoliosis brace. At your last check-in with your orthopedist, he told you that your growth is nearly complete. That means your spinal curve is unlikely to progress any further, and it’s currently in the “acceptable for a normal life” range. He said that it’s a best practice to continue wearing your brace overnight, but you no longer have to put it on right after school and wear it until you leave for school in the morning. What’s more, he said there’s not a lot of evidence showing that overnight bracing makes much difference at this stage. With that in mind, your dad contacted the orthopedics clinic before our trip and asked whether it would be okay for you to take a week off. They agreed that it seemed reasonable, so you spent the week in spinal freedom. It was a lot easier on us, because traveling with a medical device is a hassle, and I know you enjoyed not having to wear it. That’s probably why you relished your sleeping hours even more than usual. You’ll have another appointment in a couple of months, so we’ll see what the orthopedics team has to say about your progress and your future.

Your biggest interest right now is still film. You saw almost all the films nominated for major-category Oscars, and we had a good time watching the ceremony together. You’re also taking a foray into filmmaking. You have been writing what you describe as a TV show, though I’m not sure exactly how that’s defined these days. In any case, it’s a multi-part, serialized piece of narrative fiction, and you’ve recruited some of your friends to act in it. You recently purchased an external mic to use as part of your filming hardware, and you say you’re going to start shooting in the next week or two. I hope it works out for you. It’s an ambitious project, and it could be a lot of fun. It’s nice to see you passionate and excited about something. One thing your dad and I sometimes fret about is that you have a lot of academic strengths but no clearly-defined interests. We thought music might be that for you, but your enthusiasm for school band has been waning. Filmmaking may be that type of area of focus for you. I hope you can continue to develop your skills and remain interested.

Your current favorites: comfy clothing, working on your film project, pasta, discussing foreign language idiosyncrasies, and cracking jokes.

You’re an interesting person with interesting ideas, Artemis. I’m looking forward to seeing what your creative brain puts together in the coming months. I love you so much.

Love,

Mom