Life & Times of 5 Busy Nortons

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Sarah's Choir Concert

 Yesterday Seattle Children's Chorus had their spring concert.  It was so good.  It's always my favorite because they bring all the choirs together.  I do love hearing the younger choirs.  Especially because they sang some of the songs my kids sang when they were in the younger choirs.  Very nostalgic.  

Sarah looked lovely.  

Libby sang as an alum. 
This is the only picture I got because I was selling merch after and she went home with Derek. But we sat on the correct side to be able to see her this time! 

Another Good Week of Wrestling!

 We had 2 Einstein matches this week.  Ben won both his matches.  The team lost their first match, but dominated in their 2nd match (also the 2nd team was really small, so we also had lots of forfeit points--but the final score was crazy.)

My Tiger Tracksuit game is very strong with some assistance from Adrienne getting us loans from other Einstein teachers.  It's been really fun to work with these middle schoolers.  Also this week we did camp training for our 5th grade camp counselors.  Libby is going to join us this year.  I'm so happy that she's in such a better place then when I went to camp last year. 







Ben wins with a cradle! 



We've got Jeremy Tatrum back on the photos.  He does such a good job! 

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Hide & Seek

 Okay, so I've mentioned that I'm not a fun mom.  But I've been unwinding a bit.  Just a bit.  After my relaxing mid-winter break I had the idea that we should play family Hide and Seek a couple of weeks ago.  And it was so fun.

We've done it twice now.  Big hit. The first week Libby had us all put our phones on the counter to play.  A kid.  Voluntarily putting a phone down for family time.  Now that's a win. 

Libby won 3 times in a row the first week with a crazy spot (top of the front closet.)

Last week we couldn't find dad.  He forced us into the garage and wanted a picture of us there before he'd come out so we wouldn't find his spot.  The kids were threatening to put him "straight into a home."  haha. 

Anyway, big kids are fun too.  And sometimes so are moms.  (But warning, don't hide where Buddy can find you.  He'll spoil your spot!) 




Man Camp becomes Coed

 Derek and his coworkers used to do a "Man Camp," near Mt. Rainier.  They'd get a cabin, hot tub, eat steak and bacon and hang out.  (Many of them would also drink and smoke cigars.)  Anyway....as they got married and got older, and moved to different jobs in the department, they stopped Man Camping.  But this year they revived the tradition AND invited wives!  It was late enough in the year that high school season was over.  It was at the end of my conference week, so I only had to get a 1/2 day sub!  

It was a nice relaxing weekend.  So fun to catch up.  So good for these guys to be able to vent about the tough things about their jobs.  And they made some delicious food.  Have you had chicken fried bacon?  Well you should.  I got to put my feet in snow (in boots) without having school cancelled.  It was great! 

Derek and I had lots of time to chat on the way down and back.  We also hit up IKEA to get new bedding for our grown up bed that is arriving this week.  (Yea, it's evidence that we are super old that we CAN'T WAIT for our new mattress.)  We got to reflect on how blessed we are to have such a great life together--and we can even work together as coaches and it's been great.

A couple from our ward stayed with the kids and they all had a good time.  I'm so thankful for life.  

Such a cool waterfall! 



The Man Camp Crew


Ben's Wrestling!

 This is finally the season Ben has been training for!  Ben's practiced wrestling a lot.  Like for years.  And finally, it's time for him to actually get out on the mat and wrestle for his dad.  (We haven't done any folk style tournaments at all because they are all on Sundays.)  Last year he did a few freestyle tournaments, but that is just different. 

Ben's first match at Einstein was a challenge match at practice, since there were several other kids in his weight class.  He lost to a really strong but inexperienced 8th grader.  He was devastated.  So he had to wrestle up a weight class for the first week of matches.  He won his first match against Kellogg.  Then he lost his match against Brier Terrace.  He was bummed.  But he wrestled hard.

Then he won his challenge match on Friday, so he'll get to retake the 98 lb. weight class and the 8th grader he beat out will be the one wrestling up.  I have almost no pictures, since I'm helping to coach/keep score, etc.

But I'm super proud of Ben.  We got Red Robin to celebrate his first win. :)

All dressed up for match day! 



I haven't been to RR for a long time.  They don't have the jalapeno chip things anymore.  But the banzai burger, still delish! 


Sunday, February 25, 2024

JET Trip 2024

 I had a great mid-winter break.  Jen, Emmi and I headed to Kauai for a relaxing trip.  It was so fab.

We went to HI so it would be less flying for Emmi.  In the end she got a much shorter trip than the other two of us, and had to spend the night in the airport in Honolulu.  So--not better in some ways.  But AHHHH!  Hawaii was amazing.  I haven't been there since Libby was a baby, and never to Kauai.  It was a blast--just what I needed after a stressful wrestling season.

View from our room at the Hanalei Bay Resort.  It was an awesome place to stay!  Pools, hot tubs, beach access.  A fridge for our grocery store haul...it was great! 

On our way to the beach! 

We did about 2+ miles of beach walking on day one! 

Then hot tub time! 

Shaved Ice for the win.  This was seriously the best dessert I've ever had.  Jojo's Haupia (coconut). 

Day 2 we went on an 8 mile hike on the Alakai Swamp Trail. If you scroll back up to the pic of us on the beach, we are basically at the top of that mountain behind us in that pic.  The view was looking down on our resort and the public beach next to it.  So cool! 

It was not an easy hike.  I was super proud of my body for holding up just fine! 

Day 3 we went on a Captain Andy's boat ride (5 hours on the water). I took Dramamine, drank plenty of ginger ale and still got a little queasy, especially when we slowed or stopped.  Lots of waves.  But we also saw dolphins and multiples waves.  It was too chilly for me to snorkel.  But I really enjoyed seeing the Napali coast. 


Day four started with dropping Emmi at the airport (another sad part of the trip for her.) Jen and I ate at this yummy joint before hiking the Sleeping Giant trail. 

Sleeping Giant.

This is from Day 1...the lighthouse

Also Day 1--the concert we stumbled on.  Slide guitar.  So cool! 

From Alakai hike (Yeah, I was the peak of fashion!) 

We had several rainbow sightings.  So amazing! 

One day we all had navy and white suits.  Had to capture. 

My virgin pina colada...yum. 

It was so much fun.  Highlight is that we talk and talk and talk through all the problems and highs and lows of life.  Girls trip for the win.  I came home so happy to see my family too. Derek asked if I would go back to Kauai.  Yes...but we did lots of the things, so next time maybe a different island adventure? (I'd go back just for the Shave Ice and the sandy bottom hot tub though...haha.) 


Shorewood Wrestling Makes History with Top 10 Finish

 https://www.shorelineareanews.com/2024/02/shorewood-girls-wrestling-finishes-in.html


I almost didn't make it to state.  Like physically, emotionally.  I'd been holding it together under all the stress pretty well.  But then I just fell apart.  Thankfully a therapy appointment, a decision to get a sub for seminary to give myself some breathing room, a night of sleep, a bit of journal venting, and a funny journal entry I wrote with my class helped me get grounded again.  The stress of "what if" Libby didn't place...it was a lot! 

But--it was a great weekend at State. 

Even as I look through the photo albums taken by our great photographer I can feel the stress in my body.  But we did it! 

Love my girl and I'm so proud of her and all the girls.  I'm proud of Derek.

And I made it too.  Whew.

 Here are some of the awesome pics of her matches (in order.) 

Libby vs. Zaragoza from Pasco.  Libby pinned her in 47 seconds. 


Proud Dad. 

This is her second match against Johnson from Lincoln.  Libby actually let her get a cradle in--I was very nervous for a minute.  But not long. 


Libby got out, took her down and pinned her in 1 minute and 8 seconds.  



YES!!!  Because she had a first round bye, this meant she was on to the medal rounds for sure! 


Her first match was Libby Roberts.  Libby took her down and pinned her in 1 minute and 40 seconds on her way to winning her 3rd state title.  (Our Libby lasted longer than her final opponent.  The girl who took 2nd only lasted 50 seconds.) 


4th match was Serati (man arms girl--seriously--zoom in and check it out!).  She's the one that Libby beat the weekend before to take 1st at regionals.  This week Serati won the day (and ended up taking 4th). 

Libby went into the 5th 6th match ready to get back to winning.  She took care of Born from Curtis in 57 seconds.  


It was a sweet day!