As the 2019-20 school year comes to an end, some parents are scrambling to find ways to keep their children active and engaged. Many summer camps and programs have either been reduced to accommodate social distancing or canceled altogether. Daycare centers are starting to reopen in some places, which is great for parents who have to leave the home for work, however, parents like me who are working remotely for the foreseeable future, are still in need of options.

While I’m not looking to fill my daughter’s schedule up with activities, I do want to make sure she’s able to learn new things and have some sense of normalcy. We did swimming lessons and tennis for her last summer, and she was looking forward to doing both again this year. Now that both programs are canceled, I wanted to round up a few options for us as we navigate into summer amid COVID-19. Below are a few things I’m incorporating in our summer schedule that may be helpful for others.

• Resource Hubs: Toys R Us (Play @ Home Theater) and Nickelodeon (#KidsTogether) have made it easier for families by creating resource hubs to house interactive activities and content in one place. I mentioned Toys R Us in a previous post, however, Nickelodeon is providing kid-appropriate, kid-directed information through original short-form videos, interstitials, downloadable activities, and social content via a central online destination, NickHelps.com. They have also hosted a few virtual events featuring celebs and influencers to keep kids encouraged.
• Online Workshops: Many retailers are accustomed to hosting free in-store workshops and events to engage children. Now, many have been forced to move these courses online. Craft retailer, Michael’s has a full online schedule of Kids Club Classes you can sign your little ones up for. While I didn’t find any listings for Home Depot online kids workshops, they have a few activities for previous and upcoming workshops available here that may be of interest.
• Virtual Camps: I’ll be honest, I was initially a bit skeptical about this concept because it felt like just another extension of elearning via Zoom or Google Classroom at first. That was, until one of my best friends shared a link to Varsity Tutors free virtual summer camps. These are week-long sessions with a variety of options like coding, yoga, move making, web design, etc. These camps are organized by age/grade level with options for 4-18-year-olds.
• Outdoor Play: With the abundance of virtual activities and resources, we sometimes forget about good ole fashioned outdoor fun. I’ve been picking up small outdoor items like catch & toss sets, ring toss and jump ropes to give us more variety. We also have bikes, scooters, hula hoops and more to keep us active this summer.

There are a variety (maybe a little too many) resources available for people of all ages to remain safely entertained and engaged as we shift into a new sense of normalcy.

There have been a number of soccer analytics books in recent years, trying to quantify various aspects of the sport. Soccermatics wasn’t originally one of the ones on my radar, but my dad got it for me as a gift. I enjoyed Soccernomics, which reads like the Moneyball of soccer. My dad gave me this book after hearing me rave about Soccernomics, possibly thinking they were similar. Soccermatics has a similar title, but is a very different book.

The author is David Sumpter, a British mathematics professor teaching in Sweden with a number of books to his name. He tries to break down soccer into numbers in a number of different areas. There are sections on tactics, managing, betting and even predicting crowd behavior. He didn’t go after obvious subjects in every case.

Some parts are more interesting than others. Sumpter compared Barcelona’s movement to amoebas, plotting player movement during a game for tactical info. Later in the book there was a suggestion that the penalty box should be reshaped to fit higher percentage shots. The idea being shows from wide positions aren’t likely to score so a foul from that position shouldn’t result in a penalty kick. A narrower penalty area that is taller in central areas and rounded got me thinking about how it would change the game.

Some sections were less enthralling. Sumpter tried a number of betting strategies to see if he could beat the system. His conclusion was that there are maybe some biases within how people bet, but if you’re that good with the numbers, you’re better off being on the side of the bookies instead of trying to beat them. It was interesting section, but maybe not worth the time and words he put into it for such a simple realization.

Considering the subject matter can get dense or bogged down with numbers and charts, Sumpter does a good job of explaining things. It’s a mostly easy read. Unfortunately, the downside to that is things are more wordy than needed in some sections.

One thing that stood out to me was how soccer analytics and data have changed in four or so years since he wrote it. The book was originally published in the middle of the 2015-16 European season. There’s a section written after the season ended in the Pro Edition, which allows him to discuss Leicester City’s shocking Premier League title.

Opta analytics and expected goals were just becoming mainstream when he was writing the book and are far more commonplace in discussions about the sport now. That shows how nascent all of this is that four years is enough to mark significant change in the field.

Overall, Soccermatics is a mostly easy read (if you have any interest in statistics and numbers) that introduces some new concepts, but if you’re familiar with soccer analytics going in you may not find all that much revelatory in it.

Up next: When Friday Comes: Football, War and Revolution in the Middle East

(I previously said I was going to read The Arsenal Yankee, but I never got around to it and I think I’m in the mood for something else now.)

Most of us are in the house because of COVID-19. We may be tempted to sit in the house and binge on TV and food. However, we should not ignore physical activity. The lack of physical activity can lead to a number of ailments including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Lack of physical activity can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. Do not allow the current restrictions to cause a setback in your health. I believe you should follow the suggested guidelines from healthcare professionals and scientists. Practice social distancing, frequently wash your hands, and wear a mask when you are out in the public. I will probably be the lady you see in the store wearing a mask in December.

Staying home does not mean that you have to be physically inactive. You will just need to adjust to the situation. There are different types of exercises you can incorporate without equipment or going to the gym. Walking is an excellent form of exercise. You can burn calories without placing a lot of stress on your joints. I love walking outside. Seeing birds and flowers relaxes me. If walking outside does not work for you there are walking workout videos on YouTube. If you do not like walking perhaps you can try a free class. Planet Fitness has free classes on Facebook Live. The Internet has a ton of exercise tips and routines. You will just need to research to find something you like.

Exercise is great for reducing stress. It gives you a healthy distraction from the things going on right now. You do not need to do a lot. Set a goal that works for you.

This blog post is the 22nd in a series about my (and my twin sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. The 1st post is about my first mammogram ever; the 2nd post is about my consultation at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic; the 3rd post is about my stereotactic core biopsy at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic; the 4th post is about my diagnosis with “Stage 0” DCIS breast cancer; the 5th post is about my in-person DCIS diagnosis at Mayo Clinic, beginning thoughts on my surgery timeline, and discovering that my twin sister might have breast cancer, too; the 6th post is about my twin sister’s invasive ductal carcinoma clinical stage 2A breast cancer diagnosis; the 7th post is about my breast MRI and two ultrasounds to investigate “suspicious” spots on my right breast and liver; the 8th post is about my second DCIS diagnosis following a week of MRIs, ultrasounds, and biopsies at Mayo Clinic; the 9th post is about preparing for my twin sister’s chemotherapy appointments, including details about her egg banking procedure in the city; the 10th post is a summary of my sister’s ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and visit to the emergency room; the 11th post is a summary of my double mastectomy surgery plan scheduled to occur on December 3rd, 2019 at Mayo Clinic’s Methodist Campus Hospital in Rochester; the 12th post is about my twin sister’s first chemotherapy infusion at Mayo Clinic; the 13th post is about foobs, photo shoots and nipple tattoos (my plastic / reconstructive surgery plan); the 14th post is a recap of my successful double mastectomy and immediate direct-to-implant reconstruction operation; the 15th post is about my surgical recovery and day full of follow-up appointments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester; the 16th post is about my one-month-post-surgical-follow-up appointment and preventative baseline ovarian cancer screenings at Mayo Clinic; the 17th post is about a suspicious rash I developed a month after my surgery called “pigmented purpura,” my consultation with a gynecological oncologist about ovarian cancer prevention, and my sister’s fifth chemotherapy infusion; the 18th post is about the end of my twin sister’s six neoadjuvant chemotherapy infusions (TCHP); the 19th post was about my twin sister’s double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery plan (amid the global outbreak of COVID19); the 20th post was about my twin sister’s double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction; and the 21st post was about my twin sister’s surgical recovery. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link.

Here is my sister’s schedule from this Friday’s visit to Mayo!

My twin sister went down to Mayo Clinic in Rochester yesterday for her first round of the new “chemo lite” drug called “TDM1.” Praise the Lord that she did not have any adverse reactions to the infusion!! She also had blood labs, an echocardiogram to check on her heart health, and updates with her oncologist and plastic surgeon. She’s home resting now for the weekend with her husband, and has 13 infusions of TDM1 to go over the next 10 months, in addition to a daily dose of Tamoxifen, a drug to keep estrogen levels low which lowers the risk of estrogen-positive cancer returning. Thank you so much for your continued prayers for 1) No reactions to these new chemo drugs 2) 100% effectiveness of the treatment so her cancer never ever comes back!! 3) Side effects to be minimal / nonexistent!! 

Here is her original Facebook post summarizing her visit to Mayo this week!:

“Excited faces behind the masks because I am officially *Cancer Free* during our first visit back to Mayo Clinic since my surgery on March 20th!! (Face masks are now required for all patients at all times and only one visitor is allowed due to COVID19!!) The reason for our return to the Mayo is that although my neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) chemotherapy was extremely effective in destroying the majority of my HER2+ breast cancer, there was a very small amount remaining at time of surgery (which was removed with clear margins!) This means in addition to a daily dose of Tamoxifen, I will now transition to “Phase 3” of treatment: 14 rounds of an adjuvant (post-surgery) chemotherapy called TDM1, a newly approved drug that has shown extremely promising results in preventing recurrence of HER2+ breast cancer (the most aggressive type which also makes up 20% of all breast cancer diagnoses.) We are calling this “chemo lite” as the side effects will not be as bad as what I previously went through, and, I am told my hair will keep growing back in! My first Infusion will be tomorrow, Friday May 22nd, and every 3 weeks after that. All in all there is much to be thankful for – particularly how far we’ve come since my diagnosis last October! – and although there are a few months of treatment left to go I know God will see us through!”

Every time we go to Mayo Clinic, we have a blast playing Pokémon GO! At this visit, Larvitar found his way into one of my sister’s exam rooms in the Gonda Building.

Healing and recovery updates

Here are a few key updates from my twin sister’s update with her oncology / chemotherapy team:

• Heart health / cardiovascular endurance: Due to the effects of chemotherapy on the heart, it can take up to twice as long as she was on chemo for her heart rate and cardiovascular endurance to get back to normal. Her heart looks great from the scans!, but won’t be 100% until 2021. Her chemo team let her know that some patients are on TDM1 doing cross fit competitions, but that my sister should go at her own pace and listen to her body!
• Neuropathy (tingling/numbness in fingers and toes): My sister has had a bit of this as a side effect of chemotherapy, especially in her left toes, but the tingling and numbness improved since the end of her TCHP chemotherapy regimen in March, and the neuropathy should continue to improve over time!
• Prevention of side effects / adverse reactions: My twin sister had Benadryl and Zofran before her first infusion of TDM1 to decrease the possibility of a physical reaction to the chemotherapy! She didn’t have a reaction so that is great news!!

Here is a livestream broadcast on my sister’s chemotherapy room TV screen of the falcons on the roof of the buildings at Mayo Clinic Rochester!

Her first chemo infusion was 90 minutes, and they needed to stick around 90 minutes afterward to be observed. She did great, so next time and going forward, she will only need to have a 30 minute infusion and 30 minute observation period! Woohoo! During chemotherapy, she and her husband kept themselves entertained by playing Pokémon GO and watching a live video stream of a momma falcon and her babies that are part of the Mayo Clinic Peregrine Falcon Program on the roof of Mayo Clinic in downtown Rochester (pictured above). According to the Mayo Clinic website: “Celebrating 33 Years since 1987, falcons have found a home on top of the tall buildings of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.”

Here is my twin sister and her husband during her first chemotherapy infusion of TDM1! She did great!

And here are a few updates from my twin sister’s meeting with her plastic surgery team:

• There was a stitch sticking out: She had a tiny bit of a stitch that was protruding from her left incision, so it was snipped off. She didn’t feel the stitch until the plastic surgical team pointed it out, so she should stay out of lake water until it’s fully healed and not visible. She will see her plastic surgery team again in one month for her three month follow up to make sure everything is healing as it should!
• No physical restrictions at this point: Everything looks great, and there are no physical restrictions for her at this point! Like her oncology team said: “Listen to your body!”
• A marble-sized lump on the left side of her chest: My twin sister thought there may be a marble-sized lump on the left side of her chest, which was scary. So she had the plastic surgery team and her oncologist take a look. They said it was nothing to worry about as it was only the edge of the implant (sometimes the edges of the implant(s) feel like bumps or lumps). They will take another look at it next month to ensure there have been no changes!

Here is the drive-thru COVID testing center sponsored by Mayo Clinic in New Prague, MN!

Here is my sister getting tested for COVID at the Mayo Clinic drive-thru center in New Prague, MN!

COVID19 Testing

My sister will need to be tested for COVID19 before every one of her 14 chemotherapy infusions over the next 10 months. She got tested last weekend at a Mayo Clinic drive-through site and said it “wasn’t that bad” of a test, which is great! Her results came back “no” 24 hours later. 1 down, 13 to go!

Here is one of the YouVersion devotionals I’ve been going through on joy vs. worry!

Turning fear and uncertainty into courage, joy, and strength

Having cancer is terrifying. Going through chemotherapy is scary too, and even worse while COVID19 is ravaging the world! Here are some fears that we’ve dealt with during this season as a family:

1. My sister (or anyone near her, including her husband who is an essential worker / operations manager at a huge warehouse), coming down with coronavirus
2. My sister having adverse reactions to or side effects from her chemotherapy infusions
3. My (or my sister’s) cancer coming back

I’ve done a couple of devotionals and Bible studies this past couple of weeks to address these fears, including:

• “Finding Freedom from Fear” (on YouVersion)
• “How to Stop Worrying” (on YouVersion)
• “Overcoming Anxiety During COVID-19” by Jonathan Pokluda (our Bible study group is going through this RightNow Media study together)

Ultimately, through all of these lessons, I’ve learned that it’s so important to surrender fear to the Lord by asking Him to turn it into courage, joy, and strength–something He’s more than willing to do for us if we ask!

Next steps

I have my 6-month survivorship consult at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester on Friday, June 5th! Lord willing, Drift Dough will be open by then for us to pick up some gluten free donuts in Rochester–but if not, we will hope for the best at some point in the future! Haha.

My twin sister has her three-month surgical follow-up with her plastic surgeon at Mayo Clinic next month to ensure she’s still healing well. She goes back to Mayo Clinic in Rochester for her second infusion of TDM1 on Friday, June 12th.

Thank you again for your prayers–God is good and He is in control!!!

This blog post is the 22nd in a series about my (and my twin sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. The 1st post is about my first mammogram ever; the 2nd post is about my consultation at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic; the 3rd post is about my stereotactic core biopsy at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic; the 4th post is about my diagnosis with “Stage 0” DCIS breast cancer; the 5th post is about my in-person DCIS diagnosis at Mayo Clinic, beginning thoughts on my surgery timeline, and discovering that my twin sister might have breast cancer, too; the 6th post is about my twin sister’s invasive ductal carcinoma clinical stage 2A breast cancer diagnosis; the 7th post is about my breast MRI and two ultrasounds to investigate “suspicious” spots on my right breast and liver; the 8th post is about my second DCIS diagnosis following a week of MRIs, ultrasounds, and biopsies at Mayo Clinic; the 9th post is about preparing for my twin sister’s chemotherapy appointments, including details about her egg banking procedure in the city; the 10th post is a summary of my sister’s ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and visit to the emergency room; the 11th post is a summary of my double mastectomy surgery plan scheduled to occur on December 3rd, 2019 at Mayo Clinic’s Methodist Campus Hospital in Rochester; the 12th post is about my twin sister’s first chemotherapy infusion at Mayo Clinic; the 13th post is about foobs, photo shoots and nipple tattoos (my plastic / reconstructive surgery plan); the 14th post is a recap of my successful double mastectomy and immediate direct-to-implant reconstruction operation; the 15th post is about my surgical recovery and day full of follow-up appointments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester; the 16th post is about my one-month-post-surgical-follow-up appointment and preventative baseline ovarian cancer screenings at Mayo Clinic; the 17th post is about a suspicious rash I developed a month after my surgery called “pigmented purpura,” my consultation with a gynecological oncologist about ovarian cancer prevention, and my sister’s fifth chemotherapy infusion; the 18th post is about the end of my twin sister’s six neoadjuvant chemotherapy infusions (TCHP); the 19th post was about my twin sister’s double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery plan (amid the global outbreak of COVID19); the 20th post was about my twin sister’s double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction; and the 21st post was about my twin sister’s surgical recovery. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link.

 As part of Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s all-hands-on-deck public safety strategy, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), the Chicago Police Department and other City departments and agencies have  joined together to emphasize that safety is a priority when celebrating the 2020 Memorial Day weekend.  

“Even as we face an unprecedented public health crisis, our first responders, City workers and street outreach partners from across Chicago are coming together in an all-hands-on-deck effort to keep residents safe this weekend and throughout the summer,” said Mayor Lightfoot.  “While I encourage all residents to celebrate the holiday, it remains imperative that we do so by staying inside and social distancing so we can continue to save lives and keep our fellow neighbors safe and healthy.”

What’s open

Tulips in Lurie Garden in Chicago’s Millennium Park celebrate the spring awakening

Chicago parks will remain open with social distancing and wearing cloth masks required.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is open, with restrictions:

• All public events and volunteer activities are banned through May 31, and permitted events through June 25.
• Some locations (including all public restrooms, nature centers, campgrounds, nature play areas will remain closed. Check locations for information on your local preserve

Public transit, regional transit, ride share and taxi are running.

Illinois state parks are open for wildlife observation, hiking, biking, fishing and more with social-distancing guidelines.

Whats not (open)

Navy Pier and the lakefront remain closed.

The lakefront and its adjacent parks will remain closed through Memorial Day weekend and beyond (probably until early June).

In order to enforce this regulations, CPD’s Bike Unit and Marine Unit will patrol the area to ensure residents are complying with the closure and Stay at Home order. 

All city sponsored events and festivals including the Memorial Day parade and Bike the Drive have been cancelled. 

City golf courses remain closed, however many suburban golf courses are open with new regulations.

Playgrounds, bars and lounges, and large venues (stadiums, indoor theaters, music venues, convention centers), the Lincoln Park Zoo will remain off-limits (closed). 

Safety precautions

To supplement on-the-ground public safety resources, the Police Department will increase its patrol beyond its regular deployments and individuals can expect to see a heavier presence of uniformed officers in and around major transit hubs and thoroughfares. While the Department is focused on crimefighting prevention efforts, officers will continue to enforce the Stay at Home order by dispersing any large gatherings and issuing citations where necessary. 

To support the City’s services efforts, the Mayor’s Office of Violence Reduction has launched the first-ever Violence Reduction Dashboard, which is designed to enable City departments and street outreach organizations to use crime data to not only centralize strategic police missions and street outreach deployments but also inform various department operations and resources.

Local police districts continue to partner with the violence interrupters, block clubs and street outreach organizations on the ground to curb gun violence in Chicago’s neighborhoods.

For the latest information and public health guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visitFor the latest information and public health guidance visit Chicago.gov/COVID.

A Look Back

Click here to look back on some Chicago Memorial Day weekends from more normal times

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