2018

The Kanaks 2018: 10-word summaries for each family member!
Geno: Played baseball, loved it. WWE, 4th grade, still loves dancing.
Mary: 7th grade, played varsity softball, percussionist and choir, draws a lot.
Angie: LOVES new school, BUGC. Takes lots of pictures.  Still awesome. 
Gene: Changed schools, still thinks teaching sucks and longs for death.

2017

Well, as we look back on this year, there have been some exciting things. Here goes:

Alright, lets start with Geno, the youngest of the family. Geno is 8 and is in 3rd grade. He is still extremely kind, affectionate, and honest... to everybody. Though most accept his love, Mary, on the other hand, doesn't quite enjoy it as much as we would like her to. Geno was in the Lion King as a zebra and dancer this summer, and he was great. He still loves dance, and he was Fritz in this year's production of the Nutcracker, by Paula Aubrey. He was also an Arabian in two of the four shows. We think he will continue to grow in many ways, and he gets better at everything he enjoys.

Moving on to Mary, she is another year wiser, sassier, and funnier. Mary is in 6th grade and is 11. Her current interests are softball, dance, and reading. This year, she is only taking tap class. Mary was a sun bird in the Lion King this summer. She also made the travel softball team, Rage. Most people say their kids are the best, but she is truly great at all of those things. The only thing is her brother, who keeps her on edge even when it isn't necessary. Though she doesn't show it, she truly does care about him deep inside her heart, but maybe it's a good thing that the siblings haven't teamed up to get us because they could be unstoppable!

As for Angie, she got a new job at Reed-Custer High School. This is a big change for her, and it's had its ups than downs. Still, she's an amazing teacher. However, she's now also running a wonderful photography business beside her teaching job. It has grown so rapidly that she has at least two appointments every day of the weekend. Her cause this year was lupus, and Gene, Mary, Angie, and some more family participated in the walk. It was a lot of fun!

Lastly,  there is Gene. He is an honest, funny, and affectionate person who goes to all family events and activities that he can, but he is busy being a coach and teacher at Central High School in Clifton. Both require a lot of skill that he possesses and excels at. When not doing any of the other things, he bowls on Monday nights at Victory Lanes and plays some slow-pitch softball every now and then. It's still not very different from the last year, but why change?

As a family, there were plenty of highs. We all love watching Mary play softball, watching the Lion King this summer, and just hanging together, enjoying each others' company. We also loved our many trips to Six Flags Great America. Mostly, all the highs weighed out the lows. Who knows what 2018 will bring?

The Kanaks 2016: Might this be the end?

Well, it's been another year, and a lot has happened since last we updated. To track some of the highlights, Fidel Castro has died, the Cubs won the World Series, and Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. Clearly, Hell has at least started to freeze over. Therein lies the reason for the somewhat cryptic title to this year's edition. In any event, here goes:

We'll start with Geno. This fun little man is now seven years old, and he's enjoying his transition to second grade. To be honest, Geno hasn't changed a great deal. He's still extremely kind and affectionate. It's hard for any of his family members or closest friends to go more than a few minutes without having Geno offer a hug and an affirmation of his love for them. Most of us find it quite endearing. Mary...well, let's just say that she's the exception. In any event, when he's not giving love, Geno can usually be found playing with his many toys or listening to music and dancing. Yes, he still loves to dance, and he gets better at it all of the time!

Moving on to Mary, she is another year older, brighter, and sassier. She truly is an amazing young girl. Her current list of interests include softball, dance, reading, and writing. I know that all parents brag on their children, but she truly is pretty good at all of those activities. In fact, she's pretty good at just about everything that she does. Her only Kryptonite is her brother. While she is fairly kind and accepting to most people, like many big sisters, she's pretty hard on her little brother. Still, when you get down to it, she truly does care about him even if she won't admit it. While Angie and I wish she would be a little kinder to Geno, maybe it's for the best. Both of these kids are highly intelligent; once they find out that they'd be twice as powerful if they team up, Angie and I could be in trouble!

As for Angie, she continues to teach at Kankakee High School. In addition to teaching, she has helped good friend Deena Cassady produce and direct some amazing dramatic performances at KHS, she's developed her skills and undertaken a successful side business as a professional photographer, and she completed another Susan G. Komen 60-mile walk to support breast cancer research. Simply put, there is nothing she can't do if she puts her mind to it. I've known a lot of amazing people, but Angie is truly one of a kind, and she's proven that over and over again in 2016.

Lastly, there's me. Other than my appearance - I trimmed the obnoxious goatee and grew my hair back out - not much has changed with me in the past year. I'm still teaching English and coaching softball at Central High School in Clifton. Both positions require a lot of patience, but they can be quite rewarding at the same time. When not working or hanging with the family, I can still be found working out, bowling, or playing softball. I think I said the exact same thing last year, but it's still true, so why try to make it sound fancier than it is? What can I say? I'm a simple man with simple pleasures.

As a family, we experienced a lot of highs this past year, including Mary's great softball season, the kids' outstanding performances in Seussical Jr, and our family vacation to Branson, which allowed us to watch great shows, do some ziplining, and see some amazing sights. Sadly, there were also so tough lows, including having to say goodbye to Pappy, who passed away suddenly and way too soon; nevertheless, we all know that those we love are never truly gone, so we'll continue doing amazing things and taking time to remember the good times we've had.

We don't know what 2017 has in store, but we know that we're going to do our best to continue making amazing memories. We hope that as you read this, all of you are in good health and good spirits. Know that whether you're near or far, you're special to us, and we wish you and your loved ones nothing but the very best. As always, thanks for reading, and best of luck until we meet again!

With love,

The Kanaks

2015 Update

Happy Holidays!  

Welcome to the annual Kanak family update.  You, along with my mother-in-law (Hello, JoEllen) are the only ones that will read this, so you're pretty much part of a fairly exclusive club. So, congrats. Hold on to your hats...unless you're not wearing one, then forget it because you're going to look really stupid holding on to a pretend hat.

Mary

We are very proud of the young lady Mary is becoming.  She has grown a love for ballet, tap, and jazz.  We had to sell our livers on the black market to pay the tuition, but she adores her dance classes at Paula Aubry.  Even though I had originally put a moratorium on organized sports and activities since the soccer tantrum of 2012, we allowed Mary to play summer softball.  We were surprised at how quickly she improved and how much fun she had.  She's also a strong student, leading her class in books read.

For those of you who enjoy the Mary conversations I post on Facebook, here is one that showcases what it's like to live with Mary.
Me: Mary,  all of your pants are too short.  We need to go shopping for new ones.
Mary: Who says my pants are too short?  Society? Are you going to let society tell you how to dress me?  That's weak, mom. (Walks away shaking her head)

Mary hypothesizes that we only brought Geno into this world as a means of torturing her. She misses no opportunity to remind us "how great it was without him." She takes pride in correcting every little error he makes, insisting that she was "never that annoying."

As a whole, she's fairly unpleasant to live with: she's messy, ungrateful, sassy, rude, and neglects basic hygiene habits.  However, there's something about Mary that makes us love her, so I think we'll let her stay.

Geno

In great contrast to Mary, Geno is unfailingly kind. Geno insists on telling us he loves us 25 times a day, which is often accompanied with a hug no matter what we're doing: cooking, vacuuming, switching the laundry, sitting on the toilet, taking a shower, or sleeping.

Geno still loves Michael Jackson and hopes to become a professional dancer and song writer.  He also takes ballet and tap at Paula Aubry's where Gene and I sit every Wednesday evening among parents who feel obligated to say politically correct things to us, such as, "I think it's really cool that you put your little boy in ballet," to which I respond, "He wanted to be in ballet; he asked for it,"
to which they awkwardly offer what sounds like a condolence, "Really...that's so...cool."
 
Unlike Mary, who enjoys reading a variety of literature and burns through a book a week, Geno prefers predictability, checking the same 2-3 books out from the library every week.  I've read The Super Hero Bed Time Collection roughly 300 times.  I also know more about Michael Jackson than I ever thought I would.  We've read his biography so many times that Geno has memorized the picture captions.  I don't know if you're aware of this, but MJ's life wasn't all sequins and adoring fans. There's nothing stranger than your 6-year-old pointing to a picture of a 7-year-old Michael Jackson and saying, "Though young Jackson had all the riches he wanted, what he really needed was a father."

Geno enjoys school and seems to be doing well.  His take-home folder comes home with a plethora of papers with stars and seasonally-appropriate stickers on them, so I say we're good. He's recently gotten really into Pokemon, so yes, he's that kid.

Gene

I am now roughly halfway through my second year of teaching at Central High School, which just happens to be the school from which Angie and all of her siblings graduated. It's very similar to my previous school, but now I only have to drive 25 minutes each way instead of 50-55. Another development is my transfer from the world of baseball to fast-pitch softball. That's right; I'm the head softball coach for both Central High's varsity team and Nash Middle School's team. Teaching and coaching in a small town certainly has its ups and downs, but I like it more than I don't.

Outside of school, things have stayed pretty much the same. When I'm not spending time with the family, I can be found at the gym, on the softball field, or in a bowling center. In the grand scheme of life, none of those pursuits means a whole heck of a lot, but all three keep me happy. On the lanes, I've been pursuing a staff position with Brunswick, and I'm giving serious consideration to competing professionally at the regional level. On the softball field, I'm looking forward to a transition to a new tournament team this Spring/Summer. And, in the gym, I'm still all beast all the time! Long story short, at the end of the day, I haven't changed a whole lot since last year. Why mess with perfection, right?

                                               Angie

I'm in my 5th year of teaching English at Kankakee High School.  Though all teachers have bad days, I can truly say I adore KHS students.  They are worldly, sensitive, and, despite what many say about them, kind. It's hard to say what the future has in store for me, but I love my KHS students!

As many of you know, I assist Deena Cassady with the KHS drama program. Deena and I learned today that our fall one-act was selected to perform at Illinois Theatre Fest!  Working in a school that idolizes athletes drains on me at times, but earning the honor of being chosen for this festival eases the frustration.  With an attendance of over 4,000, our students will finally get to perform to a crowd size that matches their talent.

Gene and I were able to take a trip to Europe this summer with a group of KHS staff, parents, and students. We had a wonderful time!  It truly was a trip of a life-time.