Made it through the first two weeks!

I'm happy we started earlier this year.  It means I have 2 weeks done...even though they were both short weeks.  I am going to really like my class.  Except for a couple of challenging personalities.  One was yelling and throwing things on Friday.  Not my favorite.  Going to have to keep it pretty mellow.  It's when we do fun things that it got crazy.  

Anyway, after I could check Parent Night on Thursday (on zoom of course) off my checklist, I felt like--okay, I can handle this.  So we'll see if I can keep that zen with all the afternoon activities starting this week and Derek off at Mariners.

Got this pic of Libby's first game.  Cute, right! 

Also, Libby and Sarah have been teaching Ben to play their instruments--trying to encourage him to choose the right one for band.  He chooses next week and is so excited! 

Labor Day Fun!

 Each Labor Day we get together with some of our Mountlake Ward Crew.  It's hard to believe that we moved from there almost 8 years ago.

The Walkers have finished a beautiful home on a lake in a more rural area along I-90.  It was so lovely! 

I'm so glad we have a recurring event to bring us back together.  The kids are all getting so big! The oldest 2 Stephens have already left home!

Love the house!  They designed it from scratch!  It's so awesome.

The taller Walker there is around Ben's age :)

Apparently Libby hit Ben in the head a time or two....

SW Football & Drill Performance

 So I've been attending athletic events at SW for so many years.  Like 19.  And every time I would look around at the HS parents and know that they were thinking, "What is that young mom doing here?  I wonder why she's here."  And now--I AM NOT THAT YOUNG MOM!  I AM THERE BECAUSE I HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.  What?????

Libby has a little way to go in actually knowing her choreography. (She also forgot her ADHD meds that afternoon). But it's so fun to see her performing and having a group of friends already.  It's what I never had in HS, and what would have made all the difference for me.  (And it wasn't for lack of trying out...I tried.  But HS in Utah was just a different ball game.)

Back to School 2021

 I really thought this day might never come.  Even until right up until it did, with all the Delta variant stuff.  But--we did it.  We went back to school.  And...it's basically fine.  I can't hear kids unless I get really close to them--and I don't love wearing contacts.  But it's school.  And family relations around here haven't been so good in about 18 months.  It turns out, this is what kids should be doing! 

I dropped Libby off at school first, because I still needed to sign her ADHD med release form. But it hadn't come in yet.  So I was unsuccessful.  But I got to snap a quick pic.  She was wearing her drill shirt and drill ribbons.  So cute!  She had a good first day.  And I got to be the drill advisor that evening for practice, because the advisor had a COVID test pending.  That was fun too (even though I was totally beat).  Libby said, "Mom, you should have been the drill advisor..."  (WHA??). Anyway, after I'd been to practice, then she asked for my advice on her drill performance and we worked on it a bit on Thursday (after hitting up 3 stores before we found the right nylons for her football game performance...ugh.). Anyway, she enjoyed her first day.  On Thursday she had her first day of seminary.  After fighting us on it all summer...she just got up and went.  It was amazing.  I think she'll enjoy it--but I know she'll never admit it. 

I dropped Sarah at her bus stop.  She got a little lost during school, and took the wrong bus home from school. But other than that it was a good day. (Luckily Derek was home and could go pick her up from Echo Lake where the bus dropped her --and her whole bus stop of kids--off.) She has a different bus number in the afternoon.  WHY??

I am leaving Ben home in the mornings to walk to school with the neighbors.  It feels a bit weird, but he's 10.  And it's only like 30 minutes.  He's so grown up.  Except when he's not.  There have been a lot of big feelings around here at home lately.  Missing the Hardies, not getting a glove at the football game on Saturday, etc.  But I don't mind his tears and that I get to give him big hugs.  I love my Benny! 

He's a little embarrassed to be seen with me at school these days. Haha. 

I did get him to take a pic with me.  

So happy to be back!  Praying COVID doesn't take us down again!