Artesians Game

Saturday was a lovely day for soccer. The season is over for Ben, but the local soccer team is still playing games. I loaded up the boys and we headed out to see the Artesian Womens team play Oly Oly (in a confusing turn of events, I believe both teams are actually from Olympia).  It was a toasty 80 degrees out and the bleachers did not have any cover (actually a little unusual in this area) so it was quite warm and sunny - not typical here.

Though, to Ben, this weather still warrants a jacket and pants.

The boys have apparently completely adapted to the Pacific Northwest - despite hats, all they could do is complain about how sunny it was and how the sun hurt their eyes.  And thus I was conned into buying four $2/pair sunglasses.

Gotta support the team!

The boys also spent a fair amount of time at the food truck purchasing lemonade and mini-fry breads. No complaints from them about either.

Sure there was a lot of real soccer that happened over 90 minutes (by the way - 90 minutes! Nobody told me real soccer games were 90 minutes! I've been going to Ben's 60 minute games for over 5 years!), but my favorite pics are from half time. (Do they even call it that in soccer? So much I still do not know.) They placed a huge inflated soccer ball on the field and invited the kids to come out a roll it around. Isaac had a blast.

The sun really was unrelenting and all the boys except for Ben lost interest before the game was over, so I called Jason to come rescue them and bring me some sunblock. Ben and I stayed to see the Artesians win 5-0. It is always hard to see a score like that, but that score really reflected the type of game it was. It was exciting to watch a game at that level and I think we'll try a college game next. 

Virginia and a Septuagenarian

Your father only turns 70 once. And since we are big fans of the base 10 system, a multiple of 10 feels like a bigger deal than your run-of-the-mill birthday. In light of that fact, I contacted Diane a while back to see what she thought about me (and potentially Rachel and Doug) coming to visit as a surprise for Dad's birthday. With an enthusiastic "yes!" from her, we began our plans. It took a little while to work around Rachel's work schedule and the German covid-19 travel restrictions, but we found a weekend really close to Dad's actual birthday we could all work with. Several emails, texts, phone calls, WhatsApp chats later and we had a plan.

Doug got to town on Monday and Dad thought that was the big surprise of the week. Rachel landed on Monday but visited a friend for a couple of days before meeting up with the rest of us. Last, but definitely not least, I did my cross-continental hop on Wednesday. That night we gathered at a restaurant in Winchester. Our arrivals were a little staggered, but Mark, Marilyn and Becky came as well as the Lattin crew. Dad was pretty surprised to find Rachel there when he arrived and then surprised again when I covered his eyes and said, "Guess who!?!" 

Catching up with family is always fun...even if my selfie skills somehow make me look like the short one. Spoiler - I am not the short one.

After a delicious meal, we parted ways (temporarily - there was more family fun coming over the next few days) and Doug, Rachel and I headed back to Dad and Diane's house.  I had only been to this house once before and it was right after a redeye flight so, to be completely honest, I don't really have a strong memory of that visit. And, if I understand correctly, they've had a few different sets of horses since then, and since that is the most important part of the property, that was going to be new anyway.

The current occupants of the barn are Jake and Bella. And we were delighted to discover that these rather large animals with huge teeth and sharp hooves were temperamentally very similar to large, friendly puppies. Rachel was less thrilled when Jake sneezed a very large, very green snotty sneeze on Rachel's brand-new, white shirt. I told her that she should never wash it and keep it as a memento.

She was not amused.

I don't know if you can tell, but Diane is pretty attached to horses.

And the feeling appears to be mutual.

After brushing Jake and Bella and then putting a saddle on Bella (these newbies were too wussy to ride bareback), Diane took us around for a little ride one at a time.

Which was really pretty cool.  Though riding something with a mind of her own that could potentially decide at some point that she wasn't interested in having you on her back anymore and then removing you, is a little unnerving. What was incredibly amusing (to me at least) is that while I was riding Bella, Jake spent most of his time shoving his butt in Rachel's face. It turns out he really, really likes having his butt scratched and put it in Rachel's face every chance he got. Diane offered to let her get a glove from the barn and help him out, but she decided to pass on that one. Ha!

Thursday evening we had a lovely dinner at Megan's and got a chance to catch up, meet the littlest niece (so little she still has cute little toesies that you want to eat), check out the home movie theater Aaron is building in the basement (more than a little bit awesome), and snag a bottle homemade BBQ sauce.

After running errands on Friday, we explored a trail Diane had heard about which boasted a family-friendly watering hole.  The directions were a smidge confusing, but we managed NOT to trespass on private property for too long and made it to the trail.  It was only a mile long, but had a lot of roots and rocks so it was a little rough for Dad who has some mobility issues these days. Diane had given him some nice walking polls for his birthday. He definitely got to break them in on this hike, though I think something less intense for his first time out probably would have been more confidence building.

However, with some effort and determination, he made it to the destination for a much needed break and snack.

In the meantime, the kids had gotten lost on the trail (Megan about had a heart attack) but were found and then were living it up in the water. To be honest, if we lived near this place, we'd be here all the time because it was pretty awesome. I think the boys would love it.

Eventually, we extracted the kids from the water and started the return trip.  Back at the house, Rachel and Michelle had arrived to find the place empty of people but filled with smoke. Diane had put ribs in the oven and then underestimated the length of time we'd be gone. Luckily, the house was not locked so they turned off the oven and opened the windows and doors. We were concerned that we would be returning to burned ribs, but they were actually falling off the bone delicious.

After dinner, I noticed sparkling lights on the lawn. FIREFLIES! Isaac has mentioned several times that he is sad we have no fireflies here. Apparently they are only an east coast denizen. Though, if murder hornets and ticks with lyme disease can make it to Washington, I don't know why fireflies can't make it too. So I grabbed a jar and informed Rachel that we were heading outside. It turns out that fireflies are not fast. But, they are also invisible in the dark except for split second when they light up. Just so you know, there is nothing at all ridiculous about two grown women running around in the dark with a Mason jar, using their phones as flashlights, trying to catch slow flying bugs.

Nothing at all.

So, we managed to catch a couple. But once they were in the jar, they didn't want to glow.  Apparently they don't take kindly to being held captive.  After we let the second one go, there suddenly weren't anymore of them around. Not sure if their time of night was over or the message had spread and they all left the area. 

Heads hung low from our firefly defeat, we returned to the house. Since the three of us and Dad were finally all together and no one had passed out yet from jetlag, it turned into a photo opportunity.  Many, many, many photos were taken. Probably none of which are good of all of us all at once, but here are a couple from my phone that aren't horrible.

Saturday was full of errands (I wanted to get little gifts for my boys and Rachel needed a covid test) and ended with more horse and family fun. Makenna and Shelby guided Bella and Jake so Rachel and I could do a trail ride around the property. These girls love horses and the horses love them right back. We were in very good hands.

I snapped this admittedly blurry image from the back of a horse - it was such a lovely evening.

After our ride, we helped get a bonfire fire started. S'mores were on the dessert menu for the evening. Bryce was our fire guy.

We were a little surprised the horses didn't mind the fire. And Corbin didn't mind relaxing bareback.

Fireflies were out again. Makenna helped us out by trying to keep this one on her hand while I struggled to synchronize my picture taking with its glowing. I finally caught the glow while video taping it so had something to show Isaac when I got home.

We spent the rest of the evening playing laser tag and watching Alyssa's parents try to keep her away from the marshmallows. Eventually, it was time to douse the fire with water and pack everything up. 

We stopped off at Mark and Marilyn's on Sunday to visit with them and the Fletchers before heading to the airport. I did not take any pictures and am. kick. ing. my. self.  Love my VA (and I guess technically now NC) family even if I do not love VA. 

Alas, all good and crazy humid things must come to an end. One five-hour flight later and I was back on Washington State soil.  Glorious views of Rainier, St Helens, and Hood awaited me along with 70 degree temps. Also, my insanely hot husband and fabulous kids (though only one would openly admit he missed me). 

June on FB

I took Michael to get his second Pfizer shot yesterday and the volunteer checking him in didn't ask for his photo ID or proof of date of birth or anything...... like just because she was there when he was born she thought she didn't need proof of who he was or something

 
Two more weeks of school left. Anyone have any motivation they want to share with me? Cuz I'm digging deep and I've got nothing.


It is one of the great tragedies of Isaac's short life that his teen and pre-teen brothers do not share his early bird schedule on the weekends.

Jason and I are closing in on 20 years in a few years and I think it may not be too early for pet names. I thought I might take it to FB for a vote. So, if you know Jason, which one do you think fits him best:

1. Sugarboo

2. Sweetiekins

3. Shmoopy?

Or is the more important question whether or not Jason will need a team of surgeons to help fix his eyes when he rolls them so hard they get stuck in his head after he reads this post?

A conversation between me and Isaac on the trail, or how we entertained the other hikers yesterday:

Isaac: This is the worst day of my life.

Me: Look around and try to enjoy the beautiful trail. Look at all the flowers and mushrooms! Listen to the birds! Look for mountain goats!

Isaac: All I see around me is death.

Either my state or my weather app is broken

If you're looking for a confidence boost, let me steer you AWAY from a long bike ride with a 17yo and your mother on her fancy e-bike.

When calling customer support on a Friday afternoon, I would recommend first using the bathroom, charging your phone, getting a snack, and having a water bottle handy. Maybe have a book (something long but not too intense) or coloring book handy. If you have kids, consider hiring a sitter. If you have a job, take some leave time. Then settle in. And most importantly, remember, if you ever do get to talk to a live person, they probably don't want to be there any more than you do.

The TSA, it turns out, DOES have a sense of humor.

Heat Dome

I found this great weather app for my phone. It brings me a fair amount of amusement. This amusement has been extremely helpful recently as the Pacific Northwest has been experiencing an heat wave of historic proportions. As in three days of record-breaking heat - each day breaking the record set just the day before. 
 

They are calling it a "heat dome". I am not sure how that is supposed to be particularly descriptive for those of us puddling along, but there it is. We knew it was coming, so we were able to make some plans. Well, one plan: stay at Rachel's house and benefit from her decision to put in A/C. That's it. That was our plan. And it was beautiful in its simplicity. Though, I am sort of waiting for a bill from Rachel since I am sure keeping an extra 6 people cool probably took more effort on the part of her HVAC system than usual.

The first night we all piled into the van at 9pm to sleep at home. Our thought was it would cool down at night (ummm...yeah....) and we needed to open up the windows to take advantage of whatever coolness we could get so the house didn't just super heat for 3 days.  It was a good plan so far as it went. Not super conducive to everyone getting sleep though.

The second night, Jason and the older boys went to the house to suffer through a night of open windows while the younger boys and I enjoyed sleeping in the AC house. Not a bad way to go, folks. Not bad.

Monday. Well, this a Monday that took being a Monday very seriously.  It wasn't pretty. And it wasn't pretty fairly early in the morning.

And then, awkwardly, it just didn't seem to want to cool down...like ever.

In addition to AC, my sister also has a fabulous couch that, it turns out, three people can sleep on at the same time.

And then on Tuesday, it dropped 20 degrees and it was still hot, but by golly weren't we all so very excited to be a good 10 degrees away from 100. Let's stop flirting with the three digits, Washington, you're just not very good at it.

Before/After: A Year To Remember

20/21 School Year was an(other) year to remember! It was a rollercoaster of emotions and schedules. We started 100% remote and ended hybrid in-person (Mon/Wed in person for our kids).  In between there were so many zoom meetings and masks. Oh, and too many people using the Wi-Fi and Chromebooks that struggle to function as a computer.  

We sort of limped across the finish line with this one. Everyone was so burned out from school. Michael and Ben managed to pull off really great grades (well, Michael did fail Advisory {yes, they give a grade for Advisory [seems like you'd have to try to fail a class like Advisory though, right?]} but that doesn't affect his GPA) but it was worse than pulling teeth to have them get their work turned in the last couple months (or more!) of school. 

Okay, maybe it was only worse than pulling teeth because you get anesthesia for getting teeth pulled and no one gives you ANY painkillers to get you through the pain of nagging middle schoolers to get their work done in a pandemic. Kudos and all the heartfelt gratitude to the teachers who were in the trenches this year. 

Anyway.

::deep breaths::

I know summer is its own special crazy because the kids are home all the freaking time but we needed to be done. On the first and last days of school I took a picture of Isaac's desk and thought that the juxtaposition of his desk on those days of school pretty much illustrates the difference between those days in my head. 

The beginning

The end

Cellist

 

It is always amazing to listen to hear my kids perform and this weekend was no exception. Ben is not a fan of other people getting to listen to him play. And by not a fan, I mean keep a trash can close by. And by keep a trash can close by, I mean maybe being close to a toilet would be better. 

Luckily, he has a marvelous cello teacher, Meagan, who is both understanding and encouraging. She brokered a deal with him that he would prepare a piece and come to the recital; however, he could opt to just listen to the other students if it was too stressful.  So it was with a nauseous stomach and face mask that he found himself tuning and warming up with her other students Saturday evening before the recital.  

It was a small gathering of six students. Ben was the only cellist and this experience once again highlighted for me how deeply I appreciate the deeper sounds of the cello over its smaller (and higher pitched) cousins the violin and viola. Bless you, Ben, bless you. Anyway, Ben was third on the schedule and he very confidently played Musette from Suite No. 3 by J.S. Bach. Couldn't tell a bit that he was nervous. Afterwards, his teacher gave each student a bag of Pepperidge Farm cookies - Ben ate 5 1/4 of them in car on the way home and then he was nauseous for a completely different reason.

Michael is 15

Nothing says celebrate like having the dulcet tones of your parents voices singing in unison that perennial favorite "Happy Birthday" at 7:30 in the morning. 

It helps if the first item on the agenda is getting your second Pfizer shot. Yeah, you read that correctly.  I scheduled Michael's second shot for the morning of his 15th birthday.  In my defense, getting the shot on his birthday pretty much guaranteed that he wouldn't feel sick from it on his birthday. But, sure, not the best start to the day. I did sweeten the deal by getting him chocolate milk and a couple of cinnamon rolls on the way home.  (PSA: McDonald's does not serve milkshakes at 9am)

Also, I convinced Nana to volunteer at the shot clinic and managed to have her be the person who checked him in. Which turned out to be a little awkward because she was checking someone else in when it was our turn so I asked to wait for her. Michael couldn't see her up ahead and couldn't figure out why I was asking to wait for the next volunteer and thought I was being really weird. But it was pretty fun when she did get to walk up to the van window and get him checked in. Though, she didn't ask for his photo ID and proof of his date of birth. Maybe because she was there....

The bulk of the day was then filled with school stuff until dinner. We ordered pizza and he got his new favorite: ranch, mozzarella, chicken, bacon, and tomato (we keep telling him that's a sub sandwich not a pizza). We started watching Wonder Woman 1984 - that didn't last.  We actually contributed to a purchase earlier this year as his (early) birthday gift, but so he would have something to open got him a dog. Back story: he's been asking if we can trade Jason, Josh, and Isaac (who are allergic to dogs - though Jason isn't actually allergic so that's awkward) for a dog. That's a NO GO, but this seemed like a good compromise. His name is Gerald and he doesn't bark, poop, or shed.

Saturday morning, Michael woke feeling some Pfizer side effects but pushed through to go with me and Jason to drive around and check out garage sales in our neighborhood because he had birthday money burning in his pocket. He must live a charmed life because we didn't find much except a house where a guy was accepting any offers and Michael got this guitar for $5 . Because he already has a bass, but he needs a guitar.

AND the VERY LAST house a guy was selling the VERY thing Michael was looking for: an electric piano with a stand. Because he has a midi keyboard and we have a nice piano, but you can never have enough piano-like instruments. Oh, and an amp. Because he already has one, but you can never have enough amps.

So Happy Birthday, Michael!  Looks like it was a pretty good one!