First Day of School

You have to do SOMETHING fun on the last day of summer. 

The high schoolers went to orientation for FOUR hours. Avery is a team leader, so that's cool.

Then we met in Blaine for some Marine Park and Edaleen and wandering around. 

Earlier in the day Andrew was brainstorming fun ideas. 

He mentioned "pic nic on the roof"? and I was like: no I don't think so. 

But then when it was dinner time, and our kitchen/dining table looked like this...

So I whispered to Andrew: let's surprise everyone with dinner on the roof!

So he helped me set this up and it was so fun. 

We spent most of the meal trying to convince Evan not to drop out of band. 

It's been a hot topic in our house for a few days. Just suddenly he doesn't want to be a cool drummer. 

He said he was going to go to the councilor first thing in the morning and change his schedule to art. 

We told him all the reasons for why that's a terrible idea. 

Then they set out their new clothes and Jim gave them each a blessing, and then we went to bed.

The first day was on a late start Wednesday this year, and it has been the best, gentlest start.

Evan said all his teachers are "goated" (that means they are greatest of all time).

He had a great day. AND he is sticking with band. He said it wasn't so bad. 

Andrew has the dream team Higgins/Minkler. YESSSS

Avery is just an old pro. She had to wear this ugly LINK CREW shirt on the first day so that people know she is there to help and give advice. But she also carried around her lanyard with car keys and license. 

Seriously I don't have to manage any part of her life. She has it all under control. 

And she drives them all to school.

This is the first time (besides stupid covid days) that I didn't take them to school on the first day. 

I just waved goodbye from the driveway in my pajamas. 

Avery sent this to me. Eeek! High School is so fun.

August

August ended with grey skies and rain. 

It was a slow end to summer. I never felt ready to give up the blue skies and heat. 

This was a hike up the mountain in Mt Vernon while the boys shot arrows on the course. 

You know it's August when the boys spend more time on the sand than the water because the water is getting too cold. 

A huge part of August was the exciting release date of some new season or chapter of Fortnite. 

The boys were stoked and have been discussing, ranking, playing it a lot. 

Evan won. I don't even try because I know I'm going to get beat by every single person. 

Ward party. Pie eating contest. 

Kinda gross. 

The party is over, time for clean up - we see Jim and Joe rolling together on the bouncy house. They are getting all the air out so that it can be folded, but it cracked us up to see them rolling around like that. 

We are so close. 

Currently the shower pan is installed, the bathroom tile is in place. 

Flooring is happening, carpet is soon. Then just the little details - trim, lights, doors.

Soooo close. 

There are workers down there right now playing some Pearl Jam. 

Galbraith days. 

This has never happened before, but we were hiking along and our teenagers rode by us on their way to Radical Dragon. 

Haircuts! 

Pro tip: give hair cut 1-2 weeks before school starts so that it's not a "thing" in the first wild days of school starting. 

Holy cow, so much better, right? 

Evan and Koda's love language: licking face. 

We are picking up steam now. 

Kids are at school. Avery's into the thick of soccer,

I have our first soccer practice today for Andrew's team. I don't totally have a practice planned, but also I feel like I've done it a million times, so I'll just go for it. passing, ball control, rondo? 

Full steam ahead, people. 

Summer's End

Here is the scenario at our house here at the end of summer:

The End meaning the last few days when we are very aware of every minute, every activity, every day that is our LAST. 

This was Saturday: the house is in full construction mode, Jim is doing the vinyl flooring himself. 

It's a big job, and it includes "sanding" down the concrete to even the two slabs. Which means there is concrete dust everywhere - all hands on deck to wipe it up. 

AND my dishwasher broke. 

Everything feels majorly chaotic. We are waiting for a part to come Monday before Jim can put the flooring project on hold to fix the appliance. 

The kids are deciding what we should do for our last Saturday before school. 

I need to feed them dinner. 

We need to get out of the house. 

I declare we are going down to the bay and roast some hot dogs for dinner. 

It's chilly, a little windy, grey. 

There's still a burn ban on, but it's been raining for 24 hours and I swear Birch Bay is the wild west when it comes to fire. 

I wonder if we will get in "trouble" - but then a fire truck literally drives by us, and the fire man literally looks the other way. 

Earlier in the day, Christopher got a hair cut. 

An end of summer haircut, but also a cut off his braids hair cut. 

When the Dicksons come and sit around the fire, I try not to make Christopher too uncomfortable by staring or making a big deal - but I do stare! and it is a big deal! 

He looks so different, so handsome, so old, so fresh. I've only ever seen him with a forehead, never covered by hair. 

"Well you look very handsome Christopher". 

Eventually all the kids scatter, leaving me, Lisa, and Lindsay at the fire.

We sit and talk and watch the sun go down, the fire turn to red glowing coals, the sky turn dark. 

 I sit closer to the coals to warm my body -  put a hot rock in my pocket. 

End of summer. 

We are discussing the haircut with Lindsay - this big step in his and her life. 

Then she pulls out her phone and shows the pictures our friend Jen Bogle took of the event. 

I was sitting on the driftwood log, next to Lisa. She was holding the phone, scrolling through each of the pictures. I had to look away a few times, cover my eyes. They are too beautiful, too intimate, too painful?

We both started crying. 

I don't "cry" over many things. I'm just not totally a cryer.

But this...

We both say "I wasn't ready for this". 

I have cried a few times since then. Every time I think about the pictures I tear up, and then Lindsay posts them on Facebook. I can't not cry. And WHY? 

It's because I love my friend and I love Christopher and this is such a milestone! So many emotions for both of them.  

But more specifically because the ART of the pictures makes me see myself, and my kids, and all my mom moments. It's suddenly "about me". 

It's about separation. 

This time of year when we launch into a new school year. 

The kids grow and become less mine and more theirs. 

They spend their days, and I spend mine. 

We come together at the end and tell our stories.

Every day and every year we are just practicing for more and more separation. 

From childbirth to schooldays to adulthood. 

We separate. 

So then the kiss on the top of the head, and the hand on the back - this connection of love that has to be invisible. It's invisible because it has to exist even when we aren't together. 

Group Camp :: Heather Lake

What do you notice, right off the bat... 

PUDDLES?

Yes. 

We got to camp, set everything up, and then the clouds clapped and it started pouring rain. I don't love camping in the rain. We had everything out and organized, but then chucked it all into shelter as the rain was coming. So you know, chaos. 

But then the sun came out and it was so pretty!

You know when the sun and the drops of rain are happening at the same time? It's so cool. 

Burn ban on, of course. There is not enough space for all of us around this fire. 

Next year we are bringing another one. One for adults, one for kids. ey ey ey. 

The next day we went and hiked up Heather Lake. 

There were so many cool trees and roots and rocks on this trail. 

PS All the pretty pictures are from Lindsay and her nice camera. It's the best to have a photographer making every step of the way look extra magical.

Behind the scenes of the selfie. haha

We got a "mom picture" with three extra kids snuck in. It wouldn't be a mom picture without that.  

The dogs were living their best best life for a couple days. 

Koda and Scout kept swimming after the ducks. Is there anything more fun for a dog than to get teased by ducks. 

On the way back down the mountain, Lisa found Hunter's wet undies that must have fallen out of someone's pack. She walked them back down the whole trail. 

When we got back to the parking lot, the dogs became pancake dogs. So tired. 

We were sitting here on the log, waiting for everyone to finish the hike, 

 when a poor girl in a sky blue body suit - that had obviously fallen or schooched down a part of the trail - butt and back covered in brown - backed her car into the Cotter's car. 

crunch.

She was not having a good day. Her car was heavily dented; the Cotters was not even phased. 

Back at camp: 

archery, beebee guns, dinner, 

(surprise! my kids are sick of Mountain House meals! time to go back to cooking real meals)

River.

The crossing to get to the other side is always a thing. Me and Lindsay find a stick, figure where the best place to cross, take it super carefully...meanwhile the kids just wander in and out of the river without much ado. 

Fishing.

Clay bath,

swimming. 

We always end the second night freezing and wishing we brought more towels after swimming in the river. 

Everyone gathers around the little fire to bring the core temperature back up. 

Johanna and Dane were helping the little kids get smores, and of course the teens got in on it. 

I'm not sure why we let the kids take over the fire. Us adults huddled in the sprinter van. 

In the early morning the second rain storm came. 

In my sleeping stupor I heard the drops on top of the tent. It was a lovely, cozy sound. 

But it was also a "dang it" sound. Our morning was overtaken by huddling in our tents, and the clean up was extra dirty with everything soaked. 

I love this campout. We look forward to it all summer. But we also don't want it to happen because it means the end of summer. It means we have to settle down and go school shopping and say goodbye to our fabulous summer days.