Jack is still obsessed with boba. He can persuade Todd to take him out for one any time there's a hint of a cause for celebration, like the kids' last day of USYVL volleyball. Todd claims he's sick of it, but he can't seem to say no.
The last week of school included some dress-up spirit days. Gemma had a chance to dress up like a favorite book character, and wanted to be Hermoine Granger. We had fun making her hair bushy.
Gemma has been super obsessed lately with tetherball. She begs for three-game tournaments from anyone who will head out to the court with her. She can jump seriously high and holds her own against everyone with a mighty showing.
We have basically decided that Ginger is Gemma's cat. He prefers her over absolutely everyone else. He'll mew at the door for ten minutes straight, but if anyone but her opens it, he runs away. If it's Gemma, he twines his body between her legs and purrs.
Gemma enjoyed participating in the school's Hoe Down. She got to be in a square dancing group with her friend Imogene, so even the practices were fun for her. I was excited that the 4th graders danced first, because I could come and go quickly. It was especially lucky for me, because it started to rain and the performance was paused for an hour to wait out the weather. Meanwhile, I was off doing other things, my kid already praised and photographed!
Apparently, Todd had been talking with Jack and Lucas George about how they should all get haircuts, why don't they go get their hair cut together, they should have a haircut party, they all needed a haircut so bad. Suddenly, it was the last week of school, and Lucas wanted a haircut before Promotion. So Todd booked a triple appointment at Great Clips and the three of them went down to get shorn together.
Hazel rocked her 8th grade promotion night. Each department awards a couple outstanding students, and Hazel was recognized by both the Athletic and the Physical Education departments (after-school sports, as well as PE class). In addition to that, one student each year is chosen for the all-school award. Hazel walked away with that one, too. She was "chosen by the staff based on high academic achievement and contribution to school service. [She] is respectful, mature, wise for [her] years, focused and driven yet still knows how to have fun and be a kid." She didn't officially earn the academic awards, because they were looking for a three-year record of achievement and we homeschooled 6th grade, but theoretically, she was on those lists as well. She's so busy and successful and well-rounded and happy. All signs point to her thriving in high school.
We flew out to Sitka the first day of summer break, bringing our friends the Georges with us. Jack had sushi in the Seattle airport, ticking another box on his list of dreams come true.
The first half of the week was drizzly, but we got some sunshine in the second half of our trip. Todd was nervous to drive Tom's new, bigger boat, but he did great! And the Georges were a good pick for traveling buddies. The kids kept each other super happy the whole time.
The sea lions were waiting for us on the buoy, and we saw a seal within the first ten minutes on the water.
All three kids took a turn driving the boat this year.
Jack kissed a slug.
We did have some major plumbing issues, which was a huge downside to our stay. Several water pipes had burst during the winter, so when we came and started using the sinks, toilets, and showers, things started leaking all over the place. It was bad. What started as a hole cut in the ceiling escalated into the water getting turned off, a bucket being used for the toilet on the trail, and Todd and Ryan going down to the septic tank to look for clogging and getting sprayed by poop water. It took Todd three showers, a hair washing with vinegar and baking soda, and finally, a dip in the ocean to get the smell off. This situation did dramatically cut into our adult hang-out time/ability to relax, but thankfully, didn't seem to do anything but increase the sense of adventure for the kids.
We went to the totem pole park after church on Sunday.
Still conserving water, but thankfully with it back on, wall the kids rinsed off in the shower together.
We went on a sweet boat tour with our friend Andy, from church. He owns a business taking tourists out on Zodiaks. We put five to a boat and all the kids got to take a turn driving. We zipped all over one sound and another, checking out the sites; a fishing boat bringing in a catch, a cave in the mountain, a cool camping beach. It was our first sunny day and we felt the energy from that vitamin D burst. It was nice.
We tried a new/old hike we hadn't been on in several years, with a lap around the lake added: Herring Cove Trail to Beaver Lake. It was my favorite part of the week! We hiked alongside a river the majority of the way up, with cascading waterfalls and bridges interspersed every once in a while. The whole thing was beautiful. After a couple miles, we came to Beaver Lake, which had a trail all round its border, also quite scenic. At one point, the trail was these small boulders right along the water's edge. I would do that hike again in a heartbeat.
We spent a choppy hour hunting for whales, to no avail. Ryan got sea sick and declared that worse than getting sprayed by poo water. The kids, however, donned life jackets and went to the front of the boat for a free, wet Disneyland ride, and listed it as one of their trip highlights.
Jack found a belut egg at the grocery store and begged us to get it so he could have a Survivor food experience. He Googled how to eat it, but the woman in the video didn't start out by saying you should hard boil the egg before digging in. Jack cracked it open and was instantly nauseated by the colors and textures before his eyes. It was too much, and gratefully, he "accidentally" knocked his paper bowl full of duck juice off the balcony before he could eat any of it. I can't even bring myself to watch any of the video footage I took. It was truly stomaach-turning.
We hiked to Salmon Lake, which is usually our highlight for the week. Sadly, it was raining most of the time and that really put a damper on things. When we got to the lake, it was cloudy and wet. The kids still went out in the rowboat from the dock to the other side, but we adults just sat in the camper cabin staying dry, when I've got memories from years' past where we soaked up the sun on the dock for hours.
We went to the hot pots. The ride out was easier with the new boat - definitely quicker and smoother! We anchored the boat and rode the dingy in to shore. The hut nearest the water was full of cold water; something wasn't working with the spigots. But we hung out and waited for another group to leave and then enjoyed the upper hut for an hour or two.
The kids played a lot of hide and seek on the island. They slept at the old cabin, while the adults slept in the new house next door. They felt like they had tons of independence and freedom and everyone loved it.
We got home late, and the very next morning, Hazel was off to Trek, sort of pioneer-garbed. The girls were supposed to wear a bonnet, and the instructions said specifically not to bring a baseball cap, but I knew the only way Hazel would wear a hat at all was if it were a cap, so we fudged here and there. She had a good time playing "Joseph Smith Tag" with the boys in their white shirts and suspenders and came home exhausted.
We sold Sasha via Carvana. I had my dream convertible for a little over a year and found out it wasn't so dreamy in the everyday life of a mom. I usually either felt conspicuous or inconvenienced and fell more in love with our van than ever before.
After a years' trial, we determined that the playroom/kid cave wasn't getting nearly as much use as we had imagined it would, and chose to give the girls their own rooms instead. We returned the sectional to Costco, cleaned the carpets, and did a deep-clean of all the nooks and crannies of the two rooms, deciding what to keep and what to toss. With a months' reflection to look back on, I can say it was a good choice. Everyone is sleeping better, nobody is hiding from the family behind closed doors, and there are fewer piles of Hazel's stuff in the main part of the house (because she finally has enough space to keep all her things somewhere in her room). Gemma opted to put the giant bean bag in her room, and day one I found her entertaining Ginger in her new space.
I was asked if I could substitute teach Sunday School the week we covered Jesus's Atonement. I was intimidated but accepted the opportunity to teach to a room of adult women and men. The material was as good as it gets, and Hazel encouraged me to share what I teach when I'm leading scripture study with my kids. When I took those five morning mini-lessons and put them together, I basically had my whole lesson prepared already. I shared how Jesus has compassion for all of the hard things any of us go through in life, and listed some situations that are especially hard: drug addiction, homelessness, mental illness, abuse, infertility, job loss, divorce, cancer. I pointed out how much more able we are to help others after we've gone through something hard because we can understand better what they might be feeling, and pointed out how that is a small taste of what the Atonement must have done for Jesus. I closed with Hebrews 4:15-16: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
The Wilmoths came to visit for a day. Jonah and Jack melded so well, knitting together and giggling and comfortable immediately and all day, that April and I both ended up crying, wishing they could go through high school together. They are so good for each other.
Gemma had two days of stake primary day camp. Jack signed up as a youth counselor and seemed to enjoy the experience. Hazel discovered that the high school volleyball and basketball coaches are both running open gyms and other training sessions throughout the summer, so she's been happily participating in those whenever she's had time. Gemma and Jack were hired as the Zoerhoff's rat sitters for about ten days. They would spend an hour a day, easy, over at the Zoerhoff's house playing with the rats after checking that their food and water was filled. They have been asked to help again in a few weeks because they do such a good job.
Hazel attended FSY with her friends from our ward, Kate Ellsworth, Mike Nelson, and Noah Lloyd. It wasn't our stake's turn to go, but there were open slots up at Sonoma State. They had a great week. Hazel came home and shared her notes from class and her funny stories from the kids she spent time with. We all missed her while she was gone. I hugged her every chance I got for the first three days after she got home.
We had our first summer weekend at the cabin. We brought Juno with us to help with the manual labor. We needed to clear the ground near the house so it would meet fire prevention requirements. While Hazel, Todd, and I raked pine needles into piles, Jack, Gemma, and Juno each gathered over 300 pine cones. We then took multiple loads over to the community burn pile. Thankfully, we still had plenty of time to play on the swing, hang out at the lake, and eat at the Mexican restaurant in Arnold before coming home.
Here's the road sign we've been taking pictures of the kids next to all winter long. Most of the snow is gone now, but there are still piles everywhere. The lake was open, and the big beach was exposed, but the little beach was still covered in snow.
Jack busily crocheted at every free moment until at long last, he finished this blanket that he started probably two years ago. Todd and I banned him from starting another project until this one was finished, and gave him a 4th of July deadline to boot. We are now all enjoying its luxurious softness while we read or watch movies on the couch.
Ryan and Xiao welcomed their new baby girl, Zoe, into the world on June 20th. We are so thrilled to have her here, although it is super hard that they're in China and we don't know when we'll be able to hold the little squishmallow.
Hazel wrote a poem for a Holocaust remembrance competition and won second place. She writes beautifully.
Jack passed his Certificate of Merit examinations in the spring and was invited to participate in a state-wide student recital at the Music Teachers Association of California Convention. He played a Mozart sonata. His dynamics and emotional connection to the music has improved vastly since he started studying with Beth Tomlin this past year.
They had a practice room filled with keyboards and kids in earphones. It was a pretty cool vibe!
