Year in Review 2023
Oh, hello! I guess you’d like to know what’s been going on with the Dukić Fam.
Here are some selected photos; additional updates below.
What we’ve been up to.
All of us.
Mom and Bruce were ready to sell their place in Bethel, Maine. After thinking and thinking about it, and going through the super fun process of getting another mortgage in this economy while self-employed, we bought it. It’s a very cool 1978 post + beam. It’s the type of place that transforms your mood as soon as you walk through the door, and has been a special refuge for Mom + Bruce as well as us. We simply couldn’t let it slip away to some beardo dude bruh investor who’d discuss it on his YouTube channel. We’re in the process of renovating it, and it will be rented to vacationers when we’re not up there ourselves. We can’t wait to make even more great memories up there with the people we love. Also, it’s nice to have an excuse to go be absolutely alone in the mountains for a little bit. “Sorry, I need to go up to Maine to…check on the septic. Yeah, that’s it. Also I have no internet and can’t Zoom. Byeeeeee!”
The kids switched schools this year. It was a tough decision - they were at a Montessori set in the woods (the woods, people!) that we adored, but an opportunity came up for them to attend a really good (different) school, where they can stay through 12th grade if they want. We wondered if we were making a huge mistake as we all hiked through a magical woodland to school, knowing they’d be transplanted to a concrete jungle in a few months’ time. Well, they absolutely love it. They love taking the bus, even though that means they have to get up significantly earlier. Because they’re now traveling across the city by themselves, we allowed them to get phone numbers, which makes them feel very grown up.
We took an epic trip to Universal Studios Orlando in February. The adults were a bit skeptical as to how enjoyable this would actually be, but it ended up being one of the funnest things we’ve ever done. You may have even received a call from Sara afterwards and endured long descriptions of The Bourne Stuntacular (a theatre tech nerd’s dream) and the Hogwarts Express (see before about nerdiness). We can’t wait to go back.
Sara.
Fortunate to have some cool clients putting together interesting projects and events. The highlight of the year was probably launching the inaugural Nina Simone Piano Competition, and all that entailed…including finals with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and getting to know the (very lovely!) documentary film crew that was following us throughout the year.
Other than work:
caught the horse bug a few years ago and goes to the barn weekly to step in poop, scoop poop out of wash racks, pick poop out of hooves, pick up poop out of the ring, walk across fields, hand out carrots, make herself sore, and ride English (no jumping…yet). Symptoms of the horse bug include watching endless horse videos, dreaming about barns, inventing reasons you need more boots, helmets, vests, and breeches; and not minding that you smell pretty bad.
Suzuki mom who hacks her way through the piano accompaniments, carries around a heavy bag of music and snacks several times weekly, and occasionally plays in group class. Has gotten decent at tuning violins.
Out of ideas for packed lunches.
Milan.
Milan is love-love-loving the home restoration + repair business he started a few years ago (lumihomerepairs.com). Among the top reasons is the built-in excuse to keep buying tools, look at tools online, go to the hardware store constantly, and watch videos of other people talking about their tools. Did we mention tools? He also likes the variety of projects, and talking with customers. He built another deck in the back of our house, which we’ve been using to socialize and do backyard movie/gaming parties. The next big project in the pipeline—other than restoration of the house in Maine—is building a gazebo in the back yard of our Cincy house.
The other big event was going to Serbia early in the year. One morning he came downstairs and shared that he’d found a really cheap ticket for Belgrade…which left in a few days. “Is it a crazy idea to surprise my mom for her 80th birthday?”
Sara said “no, that is an excellent idea.” So a few days later he was on his way. He decided it might be best—given that his mom was turning 80 after all—to not make the surprise TOO big, so he called his family during his layover in Paris.
The Kids.
The kids continue to astound us with the fact that they are no longer babies. Mila (12/in 6th grade) has taken to wearing lots of black and (black) Chuck Taylors, and listening to the Beatles. Her #1 request for her birthday was a record player. Second to that was getting her long locks chopped off. Sara had a little moment in the pantry and then booked the appointment.
Luka (9/in 3rd grade), the resident goofball and gamer, is part of a rotating cast of children who play together on our block. Once he’s home from school or the clock chimes 10 am on a Saturday, the doorbell starts ringing and all the boys on our block gel into a unit and go from house to house in a roving pack. They say things like “dude,” “bruh,” and “literally”; and occupy their time with making stop-motion films, flying drones, inventing ball games, digging holes, riding scooters, and—of course—playing video games.
Both kids complain loudly about violin, which is usually met with a response that includes the phrase “vegetables for your brain” or “not optional.” They both correct themselves when they’re out of tune, thank GOD.
Both kids also have excellent senses of humor, and are generally entertaining to most adults who encounter them. The exception is school mornings, where their charm—as well as memory of the fact that they must be clothed, fed and clean before leaving the house—is left upstairs in their (unmade) beds.
Also:
doing their part to keep the Nutella industry going strong
can no longer complain about spice levels of dinner now that they eat giant bags of Takis
for some strange reason, hear “play the piano” when we say “get ready for bed”
Exi (the dog).
Exi, our sweet whippet, continues to entertain us with his steady stream of antics:
takes a particular treat upstairs, buries it in blankets, then barks at it
tosses toys in the air for himself using his mouth
comes running from anywhere in the house if you get out the whipped cream bottle, or touch anything crinkly
whenever the opportunity arises, buries his head in your chest, armpit, or crotch, so that you have optimal access for neck scratching
follows Sara everywhere; refuses to eat if she’s gone
becomes airborne when Sara returns after being gone
We’d love to hear from you!
Put in a comment below or drop us a line, and tell us how you’ve been.
PS: No, it wasn’t your imagination. We didn’t send out cards for a few years. Being home with the kids during COVID, and the aftermath, was utterly draining and Sara just couldn’t.
