First/Last Day of School

Since we weren't actually at school for the last day--our last day pics are going to be in our favorite summer place!

I didn't take any last day pics for me...but I took the kids to the pool right before my "Staff Send Off."  We are sending off like 30 staff members since Meridian Park Kindergarten is closing as the 6th graders of the district go back to the Middle Schools and there is room at the rest of the Elementary Schools to take their Kinders back.  My last day:

First Day of School

Last Day of School (I tried to get her jumping in--but I missed it.  So here is her prep--getting on the mermaid tail.  Which I think says a lot about who Libby is right now.  She loves her makeup, her braids (on shower days--kinky post braids on the 2nd day) and pretty, sparkly things. She didn't do much school work during the shutdown.  And I really struggled to find the motivation to fight with the her about it.  There are times I wish I could nail that girl's fins to the floor. 

5th Grade Sarah--First Day

Sarah's last day--she did so well with online learning.  She loves to get things done--and fast.  So she just did it.  She was up before I checked in most days, and cranked out the work fast so she could work on her own stories, play solitaire, read books, etc.  She didn't move much during this stay home time, and she did a terrible job of taking her meds--so you can't see how much balancing her insulin helped her.  But we are going to get on it again.  She has another appointment tomorrow. She loves swimming.  I'm so sad there won't be swim team this summer. 

First Day of School.

This guy has grown SO much during quarantine.  He worked pretty hard on is schooling.  He needed some help most days to unpack his assignments.  I helped him figure out a plan to get started.  But he usually did most of the work himself, without help.  I helped him type some of his responses since he still doesn't know how to type well (well, none of the kids do--and they just didn't get into typing club, sadly.)
When I asked Ben if he wanted a chromebook to borrow for the summer (from the school), he said, "No thank you!"  He is ready for a break! 

Sarah Moved ON!

Sarah officially "Moved On" to Middle School on Wednesday.  Her class combined with the other hi-cap 5th grade to have a ceremony.  This meant that I could just come and enjoy as a parent.

Dad joined the zoom in the sunroom.  Maren joined from her house.  Grammy joined from work and Grandpa Brion joined from home.  I didn't even think to invite Mimi and Papa, as I was only thinking of those who would have most likely come if it were local.  (Sarah wasn't giving a speech...and it turned out that they didn't even recognize each kid individually.)  It was a low key event and as soon as it was over, Sarah got out of her dress and we went to Dick's to celebrate (her choice...definitely her choice).  I wanted an excuse to sit down at a restaurant again! 

But she looked amazing and so grown up!

This is my jacket...but she loves it!  

This was before we decided to move and let Dad have the Sunroom couch.

Enjoying Dick's burgers and fries (for non-Seattleites, this is a favorite burger joint that I didn't understand the appeal of when I first moved here...but I've converted.)

Grammy & the Graduate 

Zooming in!  

Sarah's teacher, Mrs. Peterson also came to visit her this week...I stood out there and chatted.  Did I think to get a picture?  NO!  Oops.  

Off to Einstein she goes!  (Hoping for in-person school!)

School Spirit!

As a part of my Student Council Advisor job, I got to spread lots of joy this week.  I got to tell 15 families that their student was selected for an award.  The parents came and picked up the award and we surprised the student via zoom.  Well, most of the students were surprised.  Then I made a video collection of the screenshots from the calls.  It was awesome but exhausting. 

Awards video: https://youtu.be/7UyDOuGHSaQ

I also had a crazy idea to use a karoke app to get kids to sing the school song together.  I don't even love the school song.  But my desire to pull kids together was so strong!  I spent several hours pulling this together (even learned to create a screencast from my phone.)

The youtube uploader isn't working...but here's the link: https://youtu.be/xgnRR3Z8RBQ

I am looking forward to retiring from this part of my job!

Ben's Actual Birthday and Back to Normalcy Milestones?!

Ben had a great birthday.  We moved the party 3 times so we could hit upon a day that had good enough weather that we could do it outside.  It was lovely to have people in our yard!  Ben's neighbor Juliet made his cake.  I only had energy to make him cookies (and I only did that because I needed to make a few more cookies for student council).  We had spaghetti (Ben, of course at just buttered noodles) and Italian sodas.  Yum!  

Ben got a squishmellow named Ben! 

He also got a guitar!  I'm hopeful that he'll develop calluses really quickly!  These strings are tough on his fingers. 

The girls made up a cheer for Ben.  It was a version of the "Good Better Best" chant that Sarah's second grade teacher did with them at the end of every day.  

The cookies looked like 6 if you turned them upside down, but they were 9!!  I guess it keeps with our tradition of using whatever number we have handy in terms of candles, ha! 

On Tuesday we went and picked up the girls' dance costumes.  We were going to grab dinner at Cafe Rio (where we still have lots of credit from last summer).  They were closed, so we decided to go get Red Robin--they were SEATING INSIDE!  WOW!  It was so fun to eat in a restaurant.  

One other sign of normalcy returning is that Derek is back to working normal shift only.  Things seem to be peaceful here in Seattle, so the police are back to handling their normal call load. Bring on Normal LIFE! 

Coping with Challenges

It has been a long week.

Really long.

Derek worked 6 days in a row--all over 12 hour shifts, some as long as 17.

I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned...inside and out.  (Think every drawer in every bathroom, the linen closet, every dead branch in our yard and what I can reach over the fence in the neighbor's yard...) I also got a chance to hash out some of my feeling with my running partner. 

I am reading (listening to) Just Mercy, which is helping me to have a lot of empathy for the plight of my black friends.  It is helping me to see where our society and I can do better.

(Just some of the branches I took down--and one big one that our neighbor Joe brought down with his chain saw--I'm going to buy myself a chain saw with all this OT money!)

I am listening to Derek vent his frustrations.  It doesn't feel right that protestors who think we need to love more and better are spending so much time at the precincts.  This week he has been screamed at, spit at, flipped off, yelled at...it's just hard.  

I am praying for direction and healing.  And I'm cleaning.

Ben had Jed and Rory over for a birthday sleepover.  Libby and Sarah got to spend the night at Maren's.  It was a night enjoyed by all!

Ben's new Quarantined on my 9th birthday shirt (his birthday is this Wednesday).

His request, mochi ice cream

Movies & Popcorn, and lots on Nintendo Switch playing.

Libby living it up at Maren's.  Sarah and Libby apparently watched movies until almost 3 am.  Yikes !

Praying for a fresh start in this fresh week. Only 2 weeks of school to go.  We can do this!