Halloween!

We kicked off the month with another year of the Stein Dash.  Both Chris and the kids ran and did a great job!  And then some chicken dance, pretzels, beer and root beer later we hit the road. 

Zoë earned a Student of the Month award for Responsibility (of course she did).  We are so proud of her.  She is THRIVING in Kindergarten and her favorite part of the day EVERY day she has school is "School.  All of it."  But more details about that later.





Chris and I had a super fun date day at the Adventura High Ropes Course in Woodinville mid-month.  It was SO much fun.  I haven't done a ropes course in about 15 years and was SO nervous about my skills and how my age may have compromised my ability to climb anything.  It was scary but fun to do together!

















Coordinating family Halloween costumes is getting slightly more difficult now that both children have opinions about what they want to be.  However, they are both still pretty committed to "matching" as a family, so we settled on The Incredibles this year (along with every other family in America thanks to the second movie being released this past summer).  Zoë quickly chose Violet and wished SO HARD that Oliver would pick Dash but nooooooooooo.  He chose Frozone.  And it was perfect.  And he was the only Frozone we saw out and about.  I chose to be Elastigirl because, duh.  And Chris chose...Edna.  To be fair, his wig was awesome.  So, we rocked that family costume for, what I fear might be, the last year we can get our act together as a group. 





We had to skip out on our annual friends Halloween party because Zoë ended up being violently ill quite quickly so we stayed for the evening at my parent's house and watched football until she started puking and we made a quick exit.

Chris took the kids to the CHE school Halloween Dance (only a little bit reluctantly) and they had a blast.  I was in Albuquerque but got lots of fun videos of the two of them dancing.  They definitely LOVE to dance.  They also attended another friend's Halloween party that weekend.  I missed out on a lot of Halloween fun this year!

But I had SO much fun going to ABQ and spending time with the Palevich family AND meeting my NEW NEICE NATALIE!!! 




















Zoë's class had a Harvest Party the morning of Halloween and Oliver and I got to go and help and enjoy the Kindergarten costume parade through the school AND the party in Ms. Keil's classroom afterwards.  Oliver was the BEST helper, stuffing all of the treat bags for each student and then he got to participate in the games too.  Lucky brother!

Ms. Keil's Kindergarten Class

Zoë and her BFF Bailey

Telling jokes with Uncle Connor

On Halloween we headed to Proctor Treats again with Grandma and Grandpa and honestly, I don't think I would choose to do it again.  It's basically standing in line for an hour.  The kids, of course, love getting candy but when we got home after a chaotic dinner (have five different adults telling you what to do is stressful), we quickly ran (in the rain!) to the houses on our immediate street/cul-de-sac to do some legit Trick-Or-Treating and the kids had the time of their lives!  I couldn't even keep up!  I'd start talking to a neighbor and they'd quickly squeak out "thank you!" and be halfway to the next house before I even started saying goodbye.  It made me so happy and I tried to be as neutral as possible when I asked which event they preferred and equally as neutral (though I was doing a happy dance inside) when they answered that they'd much prefer to Trick-Or-Treat in our neighborhood next year. 

Go Fish

Zoë had a great first few days of school and, surprisingly, she was very chatty about all of the details both days!  She thinks her teacher walks on water.  And I'm ok with that.  :)

Our kids are obsessed with games these days.  We play one or two nearly every night between dinner and bedtime and we DEFINITELY play Go Fish every time.  This is really Zoë's obsession but Oliver is getting freakishly good at remembering who has what.  It started out with him comically and accidentally showing us his cards every two seconds.  We would all yell "Oliver! Your cards!" and he would scramble to hide them while knocking many of them out of his hand into full view.  Or when he'd lean over to 'fish' for a card he'd flash the entire hand to everyone while leaning in.  Slowly, he has been getting better at protecting his cards and it seems related to how much better he's gotten at playing, too.  Zoë is the WORST loser in the entire world.  She pouts.  She whines.  She kicks her feet. She cries.  I'm not sure where she got it.  So, all of this game playing is either going to help her out of that rut or just make us all miserable every time we play a game forever.  Hopefully the former rather than the latter.  Oliver's game of choice is either Candy Land or the egg matching game we have that's adorable.

Zoë has been...emotional.  So whiny.  So pouty.  I'm trying to keep reminding myself that the start of school is the root of all of this emotion but it's hard.  We have sworn off any organized activities for the first several weeks of school (no family dinners, no parties, etc) but, against my better judgement, I took Z into town today for an adventure.  On Friday when Oliver was telling her all about his fun day riding the train and participating in Park(ing) Day she had some SERIOUS fear of missing out and sobbed about missing all of the fun stuff.  Oops.  So I told her that if she practiced the piano on Sunday I would take her on an adventure.

We rode the train from the park and ride into downtown and went to Tinkertopia, this super cool alternative art supply store.  They have an "Open Tinker" time for an hour and a half and for $7 anybody can have access to any tool there and most of the supplies!  SUPER FUN.  Zoë had the time of her life and it was so much fun to watch her mind work.  Twenty minutes into the time she was already planning her next trip.  To be honest, I'm excited to go back too!

The Night Before Kindergarten

Zoë.

Zoë Maxine.

Zoë Bo-ey.

Zoë you are starting Kindergarten.  You are a school-aged child.  Tomorrow you will walk up our street in your giant backpack plastered with pink and yellow mermaids and unicorns.  It is the most hideous thing I have ever seen and you LOVE it.  And the matching pencil case and lunch bag, obviously.

Your mama is not ready but you are SO ready.

I worry about you.  I'm worried about you melting into the background because you are the most compliant five year old and say "yes, right away" when you're given a directive.  I'm a teacher.  I know how wonderful it is to have children like you in a classroom and how easy it is for you to get lost.  Oh, I know you will be loved.  We have met your teacher and she is amazing and loves you already.  I still worry.

I worry about what other kids will say.  Let's be honest, you've led a pretty sheltered and controlled five and a half years.  We don't say "butt" in our house.  Or "shut up".  You don't hear us talk about our weight, you don't watch scary movies or tv shows.  You don't follow any YouTube channels to know about popular characters, toys, or songs.  Sorry, kid; your parents are the meanest.  But what if someone calls someone else fat?  Or stupid? Or ugly?  Worse yet, what if they call YOU any of those things (OMG)?  I worry.









I worry that you will be bored.  That you will be losing out on precious playing time.  That you cannot run wild and free imagining whatever and whenever you want.  What you could learn in half the time and the other half of the time you are sitting waiting.  Waiting for others.  Waiting for the bell to ring.  Just waiting.  I worry.

Always with the worrying.  I inherited it when I became your mom.





And then, I watch you.  I watch you rebel in small ways, testing out the waters at home.  You'll never just "melt" into the background.  You have too much personality.  Your ability to tease and to tell jokes is enough to keep you on everyone's radar.  You have a sparkle in your eye and adorable freckles on your nose and cheeks.  That red hair, alone, will keep anyone's attention.

I watch you with your brother; the empathy and care you show towards him when he is distressed, hurt, or hungry.   You know how to care about people and I know you will do so at school with your friends and the adults there because it is the right thing to do.  And we've taught you The Right Thing To Do. And when you hear something that is unfamiliar you'll come ask us what it means because we never balk when you ask us a question, no matter how absurd it may be, because we WANT you to keep asking us questions.

I watch your mind create when you have free time.  You create drawings and stories and songs so easily I am in awe when I hear it.  I know that you will not be bored because you have the capacity to create in any moment.  Your mind will never be bored.  Your teacher will be amazing and will keep your mind moving.  She will know when you need a push.  You will LOVE Kindergarten.  You will love the stories and the songs and the reading and the counting and the hula-hooping and the rhythm clapping in music class.  You will thrive.

I know that the thing I fear the most is your independence and how much of it will creep into you the more time you spend at school and that terrifies me.  I've been able to control almost every moment of your life until now.  I know what you watch, what you eat, how much you sleep.  I know your friends, your fears, what makes you laugh and scream with joy. I am aware that I can't hold onto you forever but I would sure like to try.


















So please, could you just glance back once at me before you disappear into your classroom tomorrow?  Could you give me one small wave so I know I'll be all right?  I know you'll be all right.  It's me that's falling apart because I feel like my baby is walking away and a big kid will return.  A confident, kind, smart, creative, silly big kid who is going to share so much of her personality with the world starting tomorrow.

I love you, big girl. Have so much fun, I can't wait to hear all about it!

Packing it in this summer

The Fourth of July was super fun.  We went and participated in the Browns Point Bike Parade again and had a fun time, and then spent the rest of the day at my parent's house with my sister's family!  Chris was thrilled to be able to shoot off tons of fireworks.  :)




































We have been busy, busy, busy this summer.  Chris started on the pool project mid-July and he's working his butt off destroying the yard, digging a giant hole, and putting together the pool kit.  He's my hero!  We are trying to stay out of his way.  It will be worth it next year!

Chris and I headed to Chelan to participate in Chelanman, the multisport festival they have there.  I ran (using that term loosely...) a half marathon and, despite not actually registering for the race and doing a last minute registration, he completed a half Ironman!  What an athlete.  We had a fun night away from the kids but decided that Chelan is not our favorite place (or place to race). 









The kids and I have been exploring parks in Tacoma for the past two months and we have discovered and rediscovered some amazing places.  It's fun to adventure with them and for the most part they are willing partners.  We hit up Charlotte's Blueberry Park, Chamber's Bay, Kobayashi Park, amongst others.  Such fun.
















We have three and a half more weeks before the school year starts for both kids and I am teary almost every day thinking about Z starting kindergarten and O starting preschool.  I really don't know how to hold myself together.  I need to get a grip, though, because I don't want my sadness to transfer to Zoë, who is really, really great about catching onto what her parents are feeling.  She starts Jump Start on Monday, a four day program for incoming kindergarteners to spend some time with their teachers and classmates learning about how to "do" school.  Well, that's what I thought anyway.  It has come to our attention that she won't be learning about who her actual teacher is until the LAST day of Jump Start.  I'm irritated, to say the least.  We have gotten nothing in the mail about how to prepare for the event.  Do the kids wear uniforms? Bring a backpack? A lunch? A snack?  We've gotten some answers from the school's PTSA Facebook page, but not all of them.  UGH.  Thankfully, Chris took the first day off from work to work on the pool (and provide emotional support).

Oliver has been doing better than, well, before.  His tantrums have subsided a bit and he's finally beginning to communicate with us when he's SUPER upset.  Prior to a few weeks ago he would just sit and sob and scream when he was mad.  Now he'll take some deep breaths and squeak out a few words so we can actually talk about the whole thing. 

He has been having a super hard time sleeping at night when he naps in the afternoon...sometimes.  He ends up in our bed a ton even though the portable air conditioning unit is in his room!  Zoë has also had a hard time sleeping, but I attribute that to it being so darn hot.

We spent a couple of nights in Pasco two weeks ago with Jenny and her family which was so much fun!  The kids had an amazing time playing with Taylor and Lyla, swimming in the pool, and I had a great time catching up with Jenny. 

I also had the great opportunity to be a TC at leadership camp this past week and it was so wonderful to spend four days with middle schoolers (truly!) teaching leadership skills and character development.  It was marvelous.  I hope I am invited back again next year because it's something that definitely filled my bucket in the absence of teaching.

Sunriver!!!

We went to Disneyland in January of this year.  And decided that Sunriver was not in the cards for us this summer which was a financially responsible decision.

So.

We went to Sunriver.

Chris REALLY wanted to do the Pacific Sports Festival again this summer and, well, we just can't stay away.

We went for three nights again and stayed at one of the Tennis Village condos with Grandma and Grandpa and had the greatest time.  We left at 6am to ensure we could get to the Village by 3pm to register the kids for the Splash, Pedal, and Dash and get their bikes set up at the transition area.

The kids triathlon was the cutest event ever!  At 5pm the kids started going through the inflatable obstacle course which ended in a run through the two wading pools waiting for them at the end.  Oliver fell face first into the first one when he came out of the obstacle course and it took him a little bit to recover, but he kept going!  They ran to where their bikes were set up, hopped on them, and started pedaling.  I jumped on my bike so I could beat them to the finish line but Chris stayed with Oliver.  Apparently, Zoë zoomed ahead on her bike on her own and made it the rest of the way on the course by herself!

The kids coming across the finish line was amazing.  Z was trucking and the look on her face when she was done was priceless.  Oliver was hoofing it too, but he looked wiped out.  :)  They both got a REAL medal to add to their collection of bling.

Per the usual, we visited Goody's every night for ice cream after dinner, visited the SHARC (twice), and went on a long bike ride on the river loop past the stables and the airport and back to the lodge for lunch on the patio.  Zoë rode the whole way on her own bike without a peep of complaint.  I was so proud of her!  That's a super long ride.  Oliver was content (thankfully) in the trailer.  It definitely would have been twice as long with him on his balance bike (we took a few trips to the village/SHARC with him on his own bike that were painfully slow).





Chris participated in the olympic triathlon on Sunday again and shaved ten minutes off of his time from last year.  Yay!  It was fun to follow him around again and watch him at the transition spots.

I'm glad we went...we're already planning the trip for next year!

Our First Trip to Seabrook

We had the good fortune of being able to spend time at our friends' cabin in Seabrook for a couple of nights at the end of May.  It was our first trip to Seabrook and we thought it was great.  The cabin, The Roosevelt, was so darn cute and we would stay there again in a heartbeat.  It was in a place called Beach Camp where there were other cabins all around a fire circle in the middle.  Super cute.

We arrived around 8:30 on Wednesday evening as we picked Chris up at work and headed straight to the ocean.  As soon as we found out where the cabin was, we ran down to the beach so we could get some ocean into our day and let Oliver see it for the first time.  It was cold and windy down there, but we were only down there for about ten minutes before we came back and settled in for sleep.

The next morning the kids rode their bikes while we walked down to the bakery, had coffee and pastries, and then biked back to the cabin.  We headed down to the beach and spent over two hours building sandcastles, flying the kite, and running in and out of the waves.  The kids were in heaven!  Zoë was waist-deep in the water and soaked but she was having the time of her life.  She eventually fell face-first into the water and popped up sputtering "It tastes SO BAD!".  After that she was not happy, but that was near the end of our beach outing.

We went back to the cabin, had hot dogs for lunch and then the kids and I headed out to explore the town while Chris went on a training bike ride for a couple of hours.  We went and played at the playground, went and explored the big stump, and ended at the candy shop and a cute store with all sorts of adorable things for pets when Chris met back up with us.




The pool called our name, so we hit that up (there was no one else there!) and then went to the pizza restaurant in town.  Oliver was SO tired he actually fell asleep at the dinner table (couldn't even get a piece of pizza into his mouth), so we headed home for a nice quiet night and early bedtime.

We LOVED it there and would definitely stay again.  It was the perfect combination of time on the beach and time in a cutesy town with lots of charm.  It would be a great place to go for a rainy/stormy fall or winter weekend away.