Last day of School 2025!

School is finally over!  Snow storms and a bomb cyclone meant lots of canceled days of school so the last day of school was June 24th and it feels like it was just yesterday.  Henry is done with 1st grade, Parker finished 6th grade and was thrilled I let him miss the last day, and I didn't get a picture of Landon because he was taking a final.  Yes, a final on the very last day of his freshman year.  Our school district has got some nerve.  

We've been playing hard ever since and this is the first summer in the history of our family that I didn't create any sort of summer job chart system.  I have no regrets.  The boys aren't even doing piano lessons.  We are making the most of our 8 weeks of summer with big hopes that when it's time to go back to school (in exactly one month from today) we will actually want to be there.  It will take a miracle!

And this is Marcus who was sweating to death in the humidity of Florida as he crushed it doing summer sales.  The tan line from his hat is still strong.  Poor guy.  Ethan has been playing hard and working in Logan all summer as a dental assistant.

They're Gone!

Everyone is back at school and the house is peacefully quiet.  I have two kids in college.  Whoa.  I also have one kid in high school, one in middle school, and Henry bringing up the rear in first grade.  It's a lot of change.  Change is weird.  And hard.  But mostly weird.  I still haven't decided how I feel.  I'm excited for my college boys, super happy to have a quiet house, and wanting to make the most of the holidays when everyone will be home.  Oh, and I'm loving the amount of extra freezer space we have for the first time in ever.  Not having to play Tetris with all the food in my freezer to make everything fit is a nice way to live. I've also significantly reduced the amount of milk I buy at Costco.  We now go through four jugs of milk/week instead of 8.  Hooray! 

It was time to retire this amazing doormat :( I cannot live a lie.

Landon on his first day of high school.  He's loving it and usually stays after with friends or goes to the gym.

Parker didn't even seem nervous for 6th grade.  I actually had to wake him up or he would've been late!  He had no problems getting his locker open so he's off to a great start.

Henry loves the color red and never does anything halfway.  He is so cute and so small and such a stinker.

Walking to the bus stop alone.  For the rest of his life :( Good thing he doesn't care.

Marcus drove himself down to BYU.  I was praying the whole day that the van wouldn't die on him and it ran great.  He had it packed to the gills.  He's on his second day of classes and LOVING playing lacrosse.  He goes on a date with a different girl almost daily.

This is me waiting impatiently to get access to Ethan's dorm room.  He probably took about half of what Marcus did to school.  Utah State is the perfect place for him! Ethan is majoring in biology and thinking about a future in medical/dentistry.

While we dropped off Ethan in Logan, we met up with our Oki besties who we haven't seen in over ten years.  I cried when I hugged Joy.  She's incredible and I'm so glad we got to hang out for a bit and introduce our boys to each other.  Ethan and Calvin are now great friends and Joy sends me pictures of them together because Ethan refuses to. 

I have a feeling we will be traveling to Utah whenever possible so we can see our college boys.

End of School

School finally ended for everyone (June 20th) and everything just kind of blurred together into summer time.  This was the first year I can remember since living in the PNW that we had so much sunshine my kids actually had farmer tans from playing outside at recess and sports.  Squeezing in a few boat trips also made the transition from school to summer blend seamlessly.  

Parker was all smiles as he ate our traditional ice cream cookie dough sandwiches--best snack to celebrate the end of the school year.  He had a great year in 4th grade, although I know almost nothing about it.  This boy doesn't tell me anything unless I specifically ask.  For example, a boy in his class suddenly died and Parker didn't tell me.  I found out from a phone call from the school notifying me!  Even though it was a very big deal, I didn't ask Parker if anyone died that day so he didn't tell me it happened.  But I appreciate that he's easy going so I can focus on my other not-so-easy children :)

Landon finished off 7th grade with his final choir concert.  Our long-time favorite teacher/choir director is moving away.  Marcus was her student in her first year of teaching, Ethan had her along the way, and Landon had her for her last year of teaching at our school.  Landon decided to quit choir next year so this was the last choir concert I'll attend for probably a very long time, which makes me so sad.  I dragged all the boys to the concert and when former choir alumni were invited to go up to the stage, Marcus walked up and when Ms. Garsson saw him, they hugged for the longest time.  It was so sweet!  I love a good teacher who knows how to influence students for good.

My hug at the airport with Marcus might not have been as long as this hug!

Another cool thing that Landon did this year was enter a video contest for all middle/high school kids in the district.  I saw the prize was $1,000 and figured hardly anyone would submit entries so I told Landon he should do it and he actually listened to me!  His video was actually really awesome and he did a great job on the editing.  Landon is a natural on camera, just check out his old YouTube channel.  I knew he'd win something and he did.  He got first place in his category and received $150 for a video that took him less than an hour to create.  Not bad! 

Landon was not happy to be at this event.  I guess the kids who do this stuff aren't the cool athletes that Landon likes to associate with but whatever.  I'm still proud even though he told me I'm not allowed to tell anyone about this.  His video about how terrible Covid was, was really good!

Back to School COVID-Style

 First day of school and no one was dressed in new clothes or had to leave the house. There was arguing, tears, and a couple brothers brawling until I pulled them off of each other. Then quiet descended as they logged onto their classes and their zoom calls began. Funny how back in the spring I thought we might return to school for the last few weeks and here we are in September and not much has changed. Washington is a pretty horrible place to live during a pandemic.

Ethan started his freshman year of high school and is pretty excited to not have to go in person. He’s hit a growth spurt and is hoping to catch up to some of his friends and is thankful for more time to grow. He built himself his own desk in his bedroom and hides out in his room all day during and after school where no one can bug him.  My only request is that he makes his bed before school each day because it's in his background (and in our family we make our beds every day as part of being functioning human beings, or at least that's the goal).

Parker started 2nd grade and has a great teacher who has handled the remote learning so well.  I wondered how these little kids would sit in front of their screens all day but they do a lot of activities on their own.  After only a couple weeks of school he has learned how to navigate Zoom like a champ, can lead a discussion in a breakout room, and knows exactly how much he can get away with by turning off his camera.  I have to watch this kid like a hawk!  I have no idea how working parents would navigate this.  

Marcus is a junior and definitely the most frustrated with remote learning. He set up a table in the den and enjoys laying on the couch behind him when things get boring.  Without early morning seminary he's not nearly as sleepy in school.  He keeps his camera on most of the time and tries to engage with his teachers and classmates but he says most students don't talk or show their faces.  He is hoping to go to school in UT next semester if he can't play lacrosse again here.  He is keeping busy working out, training people (they pay him!), and looking for a job.  He still manages to have a social life which makes everyone happy.

Landon started 5th grade.  He misses his friends, recess, and PE but is pretty happy to be using a computer all day and thinks the new gaming headphones he wears are the coolest. I bought them after a friend who homeschools her kids by choice, recommended them for their good microphones, sound quality, and comfort level. Sadly they’re meant to be worn for hours at a time and they definitely are. Landon has a group of neighborhood boys he hangs out with and they are constantly together any time they finish their work and have a break.  Sadly, none of their schedules have recesses that coincide  (they are a blend of public and private schools), but they usually manage a few minutes together during the day until they finish in the afternoon.

I am happy to report that after a few weeks of this new "normal" that things are going better than I expected.  I definitely don't think my kids will learn nearly as much as they would have but at least they are being held accountable for attendance and are required to do all their work.  Some days things go smoothly and sometimes I want to cry for myself.  Mostly because I have to keep the little boys on track while Henry is fighting for my attention.  Toddlers make almost everything so much harder!  

The other hard thing is keeping track of when the kids need to log back on.  For example, Parker's teacher will tell him to log off Zoom and silently read so he has to keep track of when to return to class by logging back on.  We use a lot of timers and alarms all day long to keep him on track.  Unfortunately they don't work so well if he's outside playing.  The second day of school I found myself riding my bike around the neighborhood yelling at the top of my lungs for him.  He finally appeared fifteen minutes later after playing in the woods and missed half of his math lesson.  I was so mad!  Marcus and Ethan have lunch at the same time, which starts earlier than the elementary boys so that makes it hard when there's lots of commotion in the kitchen and the little boys are still trying to endure thirty more minutes of school. But then they go back to class and the little boys are still eating lunch and having "recess."  I've heard Marcus say multiple times, "Sorry, I have four little brothers at home," as he apologizes for the noise in his background.  But we are getting by.  

Thankfully everyone has laptops from the school and we have a hot spot so the wi-fi is fairly reliable, but definitely not always.  On the rare occasion when Henry plays by himself, I want to cry tears of joy that I can clean up the kitchen before it's time for lunch.  The nice weather also helps since the boys can play outside with their friends.  I'm trying not to think about how the rainy months ahead will drastically affect the way we cope with this new life.  It's going to get ugly. 

Back To School

The boys are back in school, the house is mostly quiet and stays clean for more than five minutes, and summer seems like a distant memory.  The first day of school is always a little nerve-racking for me as I wonder how the kids are faring.  This year I was relieved that everyone came home happy with positive things to say.  What a relief!

Marcus rarely wears his glasses but was going for the "serious student look" on his 1st day

Marcus is in his sophomore year at Skyline.  He's taking drivers ed so that's exciting and scary but mostly exciting.  Drivers Ed isn't offered through the school like it was when I was a kid.  In Washington, you have to pay to take the course and it's offered through different companies but there's also a class offered through the school, which is what Marcus is taking.  He has class every T/Th for a couple hours after school and then has drives scheduled around that.  It's long and torturous but at least I don't have to drive him to his class which is why we're doing it at the school, even if it's a longer program.  He's still working one or two afternoons a week at his lifeguarding job and is playing his first season of box lacrosse (indoor lax which is a lot more physical and a lot less running) with a game every Saturday.  So basically we never see this kid even though it's not track and lacrosse season yet.

So handsome!

Ethan started 8th grade and Pine Lake Middle School.  He's the kid I worried about the most and came home the most excited.  Turns out being the oldest grade in the school is all it's cracked up to be.  He's got a few friends in every class, a lot of familiar teachers, and is running cross country after school.  He bikes to school on days when it isn't rainy and other than getting an intense bout of stomach flu on the second and third day of school, he's off to a great start!

Landon's pose says it all

Landon is in 4th grade at Creekside Elementary.  He lucked out with a great teacher.  Bless her!  Ten-year-old boys are obnoxious but she seems to think they are cute and almost as funny as they think they are.  She had short 10-minute interviews with the parents of each student on the second day of school and I was so excited about that.  It gave me the chance to get to know her a bit and tell her about Landon.  After sharing all of Landon's good qualities (he's a great student) I told her he has four brothers but that doesn't mean she should let him act like a wild animal and if she sees any behavior like that to nip it in the bud.  Having five boys is a blessing and a curse.   I've quickly realized that when people discover my boys come from a family of boys they immediately assume that my boys are out of control with no manners.  I'm always happy to prove them wrong.  For the most part.

Parker finally got to wear his new shoes!

Parker started 1st grade at Creekside.  He had a great group of boys in his kindergarten class and it's sad to see them disbanded.  He's already made some new friends and has transitioned from playing tag and "spying" at recess to playing soccer.  His brothers are thrilled with that.  He's also super grumpy and I'm working on figuring out if it's due to lack of sleep or feeling overwhelmed by changes.  It's probably both.  But he and Landon are good buddies and ride their bikes to and from school most days because they love the freedom of not riding the bus.  I love that they get good exercise!  The school is almost 2 miles away and there are a lot of hills so they work up a sweat.

Henry is in the throes of the "terrible twos."  He is grumpy and very particular about everything. At every meal, he insists on eating with at least four utensils.  And don't even think about trying to get by with three!  He still naps like a champ and is lucky he is the cutest thing ever because some days I want to dropkick him out the door.   Thankfully he plays happily with our next-door neighbor, giving both of us a break from each other.  

Everyone made it to the bus stop on time.  Win!!

Back to School 2018

I blinked and summer is over.  Judging by the smile on Henry's face I'd say Henry is pretty excited for a quiet house again. We are on day 3 of school, day 2 of early morning seminary, day 1 of kindergarten, and everyone is doing great.   I'm relieved!  The first day of school is so nerve wracking for me as I wonder how each boy is doing.  I can't wait for them to get home so I can hear the good and the bad while we eat cookies.  This year it was mostly good.  Marcus said, "I think I'm going to really like high school!"  That's a big deal because Skyline High School has a bad reputation for being ridiculously rigorous, so much so that the kids think college is easier.  We shall see.....

 (No, he hasn't colored his hair, but it sure looks like it! You know you've got a confident kid when he wants to take his little brother's backpack to school.)

 Early morning seminary starts at 6:15am.  The plan is for me, or Randy but probably me, to drop Marcus at our friends house and they will drive him the rest of the way to the church which is 15 minutes away.  Unfortunately Marcus has had to be at school early for stuff so I've been driving him to seminary and waiting for him, then dropping him off at school.  I need a nap!  Marcus is on student council and ASB.  I'm not sure what that actually means except he ran for office and won, and spent 15+ hours the week before school going to meetings, making posters, going to a retreat, and prepping for an assembly.  He just texted me and told me he was elected to be the Freshman class president. Pretty cool!  He's doing all this in hopes of making new friends and getting involved while all his guy friends are out on the football field.  I know he wishes that's where he could be but I think he's benefiting from all this other stuff much more.

 Ethan is in 7th grade at the middle school and is enjoying not being a lowly 6th grader.  He also gets to go to the brand new middle school.  It is faaaancy!  We walked around looking for his classes and locker and I was even feeling a little intimidated by the huge size of the school.  After enduring the long 45-minute bus ride, Ethan realized he'd rather bike to school with his buddies so that's his new thing.  He loves it and I love that he and his friends cruise through the neighborhoods looking like the gang of boys from the movie, E.T. 

 Landon started 3rd grade and is relieved to finally have a nice, experienced teacher.  All he really talks about or cares about is recess so I'm happy to report he played football and soccer. Oh, and Landon really loves his shoes.  He said his high tops are so comfortable it's like having a couch for shoes.

This boy is ready for kindergarten!

Bus stop with best friends is an awesome bonus

I almost cried at this moment

I'm so glad he has Landon to show him the ropes

Parker left for his first day of kindergarten this morning, two days after everyone else started school.  He was so excited!  I thought about getting sad and emotional that my little shadow/buddy was leaving me after six years but then I looked over at Henry sitting in the stroller and the sadness was quickly snuffed out as the reality of having another shadow for five more years is now my reality.  To put this into perspective for you, Marcus will graduate from high school before Henry starts school.  If you still aren't feeling sorry for me then let me share this little tidbit.  I will have had at least one little boy tagging along with me for a continuous span of eighteen years before Henry starts kindergarten.  Eighteen!  That's just crazy.  While I don't envy people that have lots of kids close together in age, the benefit is definitely that their kids all move out of the home faster.  Oh well.  I still love Henry.

Minutes after returning home from the bus stop and Henry discovered the garbage can is a fun toy.  My life is never fair.

Back To School

The first day of school was unlike any other.  I had spent the previous day having surgery on my face to remove my skin cancer.  It's a post for another day but lets just say we were most definitely not ready for the first day of school.  Luckily it was on a Wednesday so we only had to get ourselves through a few days before we could reboot.  It was also a late-start day so the older boys didn't leave for school until 10:00am and Landon started school at the regular time so he was the first one out the door.  He barely made it to the bus after I frantically took a quick picture of him.  We were not expecting the bus to arrive on time because they never do on the first day but this time it came on schedule and the drive knew right away we were "that family" that can barely get their act together in the mornings.

Marcus and Ethan headed off to middle school together.  This is the first time in four years that Marcus has had a sibling at school with him.  He's not so sure he likes it but I love that they are together again because Ethan is a talker and I'm already learning much more about the way the middle school works than I ever did with Marcus. 

Marcus had to wear his purple WEB shirt on the first day.  I don't know what WEB stands for but about 75 8th graders are leaders at the school whose specific job is to help the new 6th graders acclimate to middle school.  Their theme is "kindness before cool" and it's one of the many reasons I love their school.

 Ethan eventually figured out how to open his locker, got to all his classes just fine, and quickly grew tired of all the girls telling him how cute he was and that he's a "mini Marcus."  He came home and said, "I love middle school!"  That made my heart happy.

Landon started 2nd grade just fine.  It was the second week of school when he had a complete meltdown where I had to practically throw him on the bus, after chasing the bus halfway down the street in my bare feet.  It was ugly.  So Randy and I have made an effort to give Landon a little more one-on-one time because obviously he's feeling the pains of all the changes going on at our house and he seems to be doing much better.  Plus, I finally bought him a new backpack.

 

 Parker started preschool and is just fine with it.  I miss his last teacher who was laid-back and happy to get him out the door if I was in a rush.  Now I have to stand in line, sign him in and out, and wait patiently for the teacher to have her "high 5 moment" with him.  It irritates me to no end.  But we will get through it.

 Henry is getting used to spending a lot of time in his car seat.  Newborns are so unpredictable.  I never know if he's going to sleep, scream, or just sit there content.  Usually he sleeps but I have had to pull over a couple times so I can pop in his binky so he'll stop screaming.  So far, so good. 
Getting all the boys fed, clothed, and backpacks loaded in the morning while holding/nursing a newborn is no joke but we are surviving.