Being a Part of Shorewood HISTORY!

Mid-Winter break ended with the State Wrestling Tournament in Tacoma.  It is insane.  And amazing!  And Shorewood had 4 participants! That is a first, at least in a long time.
It was also historical in that it was the first female state participant ever for Shorewood.
And--we came home with 3 medals!  Amazing!
We took home a 4th, and 2 8th.  If you know about tournaments, then you know that to win an even number place, you end on a loss.  So the second day was kind of heartbreaking.  But the first day was EPIC and painful and WOW!
We went down with Auntie Maren, who also got us a hotel room for the night in Tacoma.  This meant we got to watch more wrestling!  The kids loved it, but Ben was very confused.  He kept asking when we were going to Utah, since in his life, we mostly stay in hotels on the way to Utah.
The kids watched TONS of movies, ate a fair amount of JUNK, and actually did pretty well for having to sit in one place for most of 2 long days.

At the DOME!

Outer DOME selfie.  We are hiding it with our heads...

Christie--the first Shorewood Female to make it to state.  

Cotton Candy Bliss

Libby taking a break from Cotton Candy to eat some Sno-cone

The Star Spangled Banner.  And one of the relatively few times Derek made his way up to sit with us.  We had a Shorewood match about every 20-30 minutes all weekend it seemed.

The 3 captains this year, and the 3 medalists.  So proud of these guys!

They are goofy, but great!

Another Visit to George

This President's Day I have been so busy I was tempted to forget about our visit to George.  But I decided that since I wasn't planning to do anything else fun with them over mid-winter break, we better do it!  The weather was AMAZING!  We wandered around campus, showed them our old haunts, like Smith Hall and Suzzallo.  It was so much more interesting to them this year because now the castle-like buildings remind them of Hogwarts and Harry Potter!  So, they had images of Ron and Hermione and Harry hanging out in these awesome places.  The UW campus is truly beautiful.  I am always amazed at what new buildings have been constructed in the year between our excursions.  We finished at Sholtzy's as usual.  This was more fun because now, instead of wrangling kids while we waited for food, we played "Heads Up" on the iPhone.  But, it was also more expensive because now we have to order them each food!  I'm not going to lie though, I love having more grown up kids!

Libby continues to love posing with statues!

GEORGE!

Love this shot of my little family!

Ben offering me a beautiful blossom!  (We are usually too early for the cherry trees on the quad to be blooming, but there were 2 already in bloom because of the mild winter we have had!)

Silly faces!

Sarah took this pic of us.  Mt. Rainier is in the background, but it was getting too dark to tell.  

Kid-isms

This week the kids had some great quotes.

Libby sat down to eat this delicious Beef and Barley Stew and said, "Just looking at this makes me want to throw up."  I was so wishing Derek was home to handle that one.  But don't worry, I gave her a strong talking to and made her eat it.  It was amazing!

Ben at the same meal.  Enjoying his bread/mask.

Libby chewing a delicious bite of stew.

Love this little face!  On the way into my physical on Thurs. I offered him my hand.  Then I took it away again to lock the car.  He said, "You're KILLING me mom! I'm trying to hold your hand!"
He also left Derek and I in the bathroom one night after we brushed his teeth.  "Goodbye SUCKERS!"
Poor guy is also being subjected to (and loves) movies that are way too old for him, like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  He woke up in the night last night yelling, "Get out of my ear SNAKE!"  He was really freaking out.  My bad!

Libby really wanted me to bring out and plug in our Sentsy air freshener the other day.  I said that I didn't want to deal with it, so NO.  Yesterday, low and behold what is plugged in and full of scent?  Hmmmm....
This girl is full of spunk!
(Also, she loved the Valentine's dinner and proclaimed that I am the best cook ever.  Wish she would remember that all the time!)

This week I got the exciting news that Sarah's 2 mornings of testing were worth it.  She tested into the Highly Capable program in our district (which is luckily at our school!).  I was so excited.  I told her, and she burst into tears.  She is so sad about not being able to be with all of her friends.  Poor thing.  It was the same argument I made to my parents.  But I am pretty sure that I am going to talk her into HiCap.  Especially because one of her cutest little friends will be in the HiCap program too.  Plus, the one thing we have been learning, is that friends move away!  So we have to make the best decision for our education--regardless of the friend issue.  

Regional Wrestling Results

It was another intense day of wrestling for Shorewood.  There was a bit of heartache when one wrestler decided during the week that he didn't want to make weight any more.  So he backed out of the tournament.  But one of our alternates got in.  (And another would have if he had been there to weigh in, but we didn't know in time to bring him.)  We ended the day with 2 3rd places and a 2nd. I feel immense relief that these 3 deserving senior are going on to State.  I am excited to see them rock it this weekend!  Praying for 3 state placers!

True Love

I love Valentine's Day.  Mostly because I love pink and red and telling people I love them.  I overcommitted this Valentine's week.  I started teaching my classes again.  I got in all 4 yoga practice sessions, I had 3 new client sessions, and I taught buddy school.  In my efforts to heal my hip, I had a massage, a chiro, acupuncture, and my annual physical.  And I wanted to make all the yummy Valentine treats I could!
So, I was up at 5 am on the 13th (the day we celebrated) finishing up Valentine prep with a final batch of sugar cookies, muffins for breakfast, and a batch of cinnamon caramels for my aerobics peeps on Saturday.  Cinnamon scented love was in the air!
Until the kids got to hungry waiting for Derek to get home from wrestling and we started Valentine's dinner without him.  But other than that...it was a good day.
On the actual Valentine's Day, we went to regional wrestling...a true act of love.  (Another post on that topic...)

Cookies for Sarah's class

Our Candlelight Dinner (we ate Salmon which the kids call "Pink Fish")

Valentine glasses from Grandma Debbi

Derek got me a chocolate fountain instead of flowers because I think flowers are a mess to deal with.  Imagine my surprise (and Derek's) when the fountain erupted, spewing chocolate all over him and the room.  One of the funniest things I have ever seen.  But not as fun to clean up.

District Wrestling Results

I was proud of my kids this weekend.  All 3 biological ones, and the 20 wrestling ones.  If you haven't been to a wrestling tournament, it is a bit of slog.  They last for HOURS.  And in this one, we had 20 wrestlers.  So I wasn't being very present as a parent.  I was busy watching wrestling.  But the Norton kids managed to entertain themselves quite well.  Libby helped out at the concession stand.  (Not sure where she got this idea, but I am pretty sure she invited herself.  We just noticed her there helping on a trip to the bathroom.)
Sarah entertained herself in various ways, hanging out with the managers.  Both girls did some origami project with the managers (I think--that is what it looked like).  Ben played with his truck and chatted occasionally with wrestlers or daddy.  His favorite part of the day was the finals, when the closed off half of the gym.  Ben went to the deserted half and had a blast running in the bleachers.  The Edmonds Woodway Coach's mom used the kids to help deliver food to the table help.  They all 3 pestered Aunt Maren for her electronics.  She graciously bought them Harry Potter to watch.  We got a good hour break from whining (at least) from this purchase.  I think I don't give them enough credit for how hard it would be a to be a kid in the bleachers for an all day tournament.  Only 3 more days to go.  Sigh.  
As for my wrestling boys, I was proud.  And disappointed, and proud and happy and depressed and elated and worried and nervous and upset and horrified and so many emotions I was exhausted by the end.  There were SO many close matches.  And SO many losses in the heartbreak rounds.  We had some guys really really wrestle so well.  Some of them still lost in painful, last second ways that will hurt for days.  There were 2 guys in particular that really, really could have won and advanced.  One is a freshman, that one I can accept.  But one is a senior.  And he was SO close.
Excited for next weekend to watch Braden (1st), Erik (1st), Erca (2nd), Fidele (2nd) & Rhaye (4th).  And hoping my heart can handle it!

Harry Potter Time

Erca went over to chat with Ben.  It was adorable!

Dad and Ben

Grammy brought hair color for the girls. 

Apparently Libby eats the top off her TWIX bars first.  

One of Derek's wrestlers, now reffing.  Fun to see our boys grown up!

The Master Bath...Still NOT FINISHED

I have a lot to learn.  Patience is one of the things.  I feel like I have learned a little bit.  And my yoga and meditation is definitely helping me to calm down.  But I still have a hard time waiting.  I was doing really well with the Master Bath project.  I moved us all into the other bathroom.  I was taking the wallpaper scraping one day at a time.  We had 6 weeks until the shower installation.  Then, they called on a Friday and said they were coming the next Thursday.  YIKES!  I kicked it into high gear!
I rode Derek until he took off the countertop.  I patched and sanded.  I primed and painted.  Derek picked up one faucet, and then another.  I later picked up 2 more--couldn't decide!  We couldn't find the right one! Then, it took me 3 tries to get the correct paint color.  And I discovered that a 30 inch towel rod isn't something you can just buy.  In the store.  Must be purchased online. Silver lining (so I thought) the countertop I ordered came in!  Then, I was forced out of the room for the shower install.  I thought it was rough when the shower installation took 3 days instead of 2.   I thought I might go crazy trying to put up the lights.  I was fuming with impatience when we put on the countertop to check it and I had to scrape more of the cement (that was behind the tile countertop we removed) and fix the walls.  But, it was all looking like it was going to come together.  I found a matching faucet, toilet paper holder, 18 inch towel bar and 30 INCH TOWEL BAR on Homedepot.com.  (The faucet was out of stock, but don't worry I found it elsewhere).  THEN we put the countertop on.
AND IT WAS BROKEN.  Just one little corner.  But the little corner that is the most OBVIOUS.
Called Home Depot.  No problem, they will order us a new one.  15 days.  UGH!
Finally today, we moved back into the shower (which is AWESOME!  No more staring at moldy grout, and no water temp changes if someone flushes or washes!).  But since the towel rack hasn't arrived yet, we have nowhere to hang towels.  And we have no faucet and no countertop (well the broken one is still sitting on the vanity).  Oh yeah, and we still don't have a mirror.  Details.
I am learning to wait.
And Derek has committed me to NO MORE PROJECTS until April...even though I have already started removing the wallpaper in the other bathroom since we moved up the showerhead and had to repair the hole...want to place bets to see if I can wait?
My new goal is to finish our bathroom by March.  Maybe March 15th.

Nortown Neighborhood Gym Open House

I realized that I never blogged about my open house for my little personal training business.  I am so glad that I finally did it!  It was so fun to have a reason to invite my neighbors in and have a chance to chat with them about what I do!  Many of my clients also came.  Several people have told me they are putting the 4 Pronged Approach to work in their lives!  I am really happy!  Then I had to pay my sales tax to Uncle Sam this week.  Man, that was not fun.  Let's hope the deductions are worth it!

Here is my flyer.  I forced myself to deliver to some neighbors (I hate dropping stuff off to people for some reason).  But it was fun to meet people and have a chance to chat with them.  Two of my neighbors have booked sessions!

Practicing the 4 Pronged Approach!

Apples for the apple tasting.  It was hard!  Except for the Granny Smith, people don't really know their apples.

The goodie bags.  These were Derek's idea.  It was a great idea!  (He really is the idea man around here).

The 4 Pronged Handout.

A table full of yummy!

In other BIG NEWS!

Derek's team ended their regular season on an AMAZING NOTE!
Snapping an 11 year losing streak, Shorewood BEAT Meadowdale!
It was an incredible match, full of energy, excitement, and of course, WINS!  I was so on edge that my blood pressure must have been up 100 points.  It was really fun to be a part of it.  The kids were done about 1/2 hour before the match, but I made them stay.  Didn't want to miss the chance for an epic victory.
So now onto the post season.  I hope my nerves can handle it.

Seahawk Insanity!

This week has been all about the Seahawks here in Seattle. People are wearing the gear, flying the flags from houses and cars, and especially getting into the nail art.  My favorite thing all week though was Libby's note to the Seahawks that I think captured how all of us are feeling.  Hope this game is just as exciting (as in not that exciting) as last Super Bowl.  Their last game almost gave me a heart attack!