First Day of School…like, two months ago

Everything I do is late these days, especially blogging. My kids have been going strong in school for over 2 months now. They are surviving and thriving. Thank goodness.

I thought I post a few photo’s for memories sake. Better late than never.

The boys started 4th grade. They are in the same class again this year. I loved it so much last year that I thought I’d do it again. They complain about it a bit, but someone with more discerning eyes (mom) observes that they are closer than they have ever been as brothers. It’s fun to listen to them lay in bed at night, laughing and talking about their day at school. When they are in the same class they have lots more common ground on which to connect.

They got the new 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Hathaway. She is wonderful. I’m particularly grateful because she can understand some of Jeffrey’s learning challenges on a personal level. That’s always a nice things to have in a teacher. Jeffrey is making great progress and I’m very encouraged by how much help I’ve received from all the teachers. The most common question at our house is, “why to we have to go to school?” but I know that they really do enjoy it…for the most part.

I’ve already spent lots of time at the school and it’s fun to catch up with everyone. Odyssey is a pretty tight knit community and you get to know everyone pretty well. The book fair is coming up in a few days. It will be a long week for me, but the boys still think it’s pretty cool that their mom is in charge. They bring all their friends in to meet me (and to beg for books and trinkets).

As for the daughter…

…the start of this school year was a big mile stone for her. This is her first year at the high school!

To be honest, she has dealt with quite a bit of anxiety about starting high school and the first week or two was quite bumpy. There were lots of tears shed. I totally get it. It’s a big adjustment. Lots to take in. True to form though, she has settled in really well and is loving the experience.

She’s already met some new friends, made it on to the Shakespeare team, is accompanying on the piano for choir and seminary, and is enjoying her classes and the extra long lunch hour. The only thing she complains about is riding the bus. She is already begging for a car. Good thing we have another year before we have to worry about that. She’s studying for the written test so she can get her driving permit though. Somebody help us!

There are only a couple of kids Mary Kate’s age in our neighborhood and most of them go to other schools. Noah has been Mary Kate’s friend since she was five years old. It’s fitting that they went to the first day of school together.

They were too nervous (and probably too cool) to let me take pictures of them in front of the school before they went in, but I snapped this one without them knowing. That’s a big building I just left my baby to navigate.

All summer MK kept asking me why high school is better than Jr. High. I couldn’t even count all the reasons. Last weekend, she and her friends went to their first high school homecoming game. They were all jacked up on school spirit. My guess is they didn’t actually spend much time watching the game. I made this guess after flipping through the pictures on MK’s phone. Goofy selfies are abundant with the teenage set. There were also a few choice videos of she and her friends singing silly songs after sucking a few helium balloons empty. It doesn’t take much to entertain these people.

 

There is definitely more work required of Mike and I during the school year, but I love the structure and routine of it all. I love to see my kids working hard and striving towards good things. I’m always grateful we live in place were my kids can get a good education.

And it’s good to see them having fun too.

A Sure-Fire Cure for “Nature Deficit Disorder”

My sister-in-law, Laura is of the strong opinion that many of America’s children (and adults too) are caught in the terrible grip of a raging epidemic called “Nature Deficit Disorder.” When I first heard her pontificating about it, I thought it was a term that she just made up (being the passionate nature advocate that she is), but if you Google it, it’s a real thing!

After reading all about it, it makes perfect sense.

This summer it has been a constant battle to get my kids off the screens and out into nature. There is something about screens that reels kids in like a fish on a hook. I was fighting the good fight all summer. It was exhausting and I lost more than I won.

Then we went to Lake Powell for a week.

Deep in the heart of a isolated canyon, floating on a house boat, on a lake with a combined shore line longer than the Pacific coast; there was no phone service, no Internet, no TV, nothing; just an abundance of nature to assault all one’s senses.

Be gone Nature Deficit Disorder!

Once again, owing to the good graces and generosity of our friends, Greg and Heidi Johnson, we were able to spend 6 days on a house boat sucking the marrow out of life in one of the most incredible places on God’s green earth (although this place doesn’t boast much of that green color).

My kids were in heaven, my husband was in his ultimate happy place, I got a much needed chance to relax and get away from it all…it was a wonderful, incredible, rejuvenating vacation!

(Look, some green!)

With this incredible backdrop, my camera was click, click, clicking away…

 
A floating house with a water slide right out the back door…that’s kid heaven right there.

This dog was ready for safe water adventures…

…but this stuffed Tiger was not! Mary Kate’s friend (that she can’t stand to sleep without) took a tumble down the slide and into the lake one early morning…with no life jacket! Good thing stuffing floats and dries out quickly in high temperatures.

The jet skis certainly earn their keep at Lake Powell. We spent hours exploring the wide channels and narrow canyons. When that water is glass, there is almost nothing better than being out there on those jet skies.

 

We water skied and wake boarded (well some of us did, and others attempted to).

Jeffrey worked hard all summer so he could try water skiing at Lake Powell. Before we had a chance to give it a real try, he jammed his toe going down the water slide. His toe was black and blue. After that he couldn’t get his foot into the ski without terrible pain. On the very last day, just before we packed up to leave, he braved it out and got up on the skies. Jeffrey is one tough kid!

My kids all voted tubing as the favorite water activity of the week. I’ve never seen Jonathan laugh so hard or MK hang on so tightly. The kids have got much stronger stomachs than me. I took one tube ride and promptly threw up. Never again!

We hiked to, and explored Indian ruins, petroglyphs and all.

 

We climbed up and through cliffs and even jumped off one, or two…or ten.

For some down-time, we did puzzles and played games (even though it’s not technically a nature activity, I still count it because it’s not a SCREEN!)

We had time to read and read. (My face looked exactly like that when I read “The Glass Castle” a few summers ago)

We took great care to stay hydrated in the extreme heat. You’ve never seen so much ice and so many beverages in all you life! Jeffrey single handedly downed an entire case of Sprite, something he would only be allowed to do on vacation!

 
(Genius cup organization, don’t you think?)

Jonathan adamantly declared to me one day, “Mom, we’ve GOT to get us a Challenger 3 as soon as we get home!” I had no idea what he was talking about. Turns out he was referring to this nifty, inflatable raft. These three boys spent the majority of the trip having adventure after adventure on the Challenger 3. Maybe we will have to get one.

Smack in the middle of our week, we enjoyed the experience of a life time. There was a wonderful thunderstorm/downpour that day and we suddenly found ourselves in a world of waterfalls. Mike stopped counting at 25. Water cascading off the canyon walls and into the lake…fantastic!

When you’re living on a lake, what’s a little rain?

Better than the wonders of nature surrounding us, better than the rest and relaxation, better than the break from any kind of screen, was the company. Best people to vacation with, ever! Wow, what great friends we are blessed with!

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And this family.

My favorite aspect of all…being with them for 6 straight, uninterrupted days. At the end of the trip I desperately needed to shower, I was longing for clean clothes, air conditioning and soft mattress; but when it came time to pack up, I found myself extremely reluctant to leave. On the ride home, I found myself humming happily and realized I was pretty nearly perfectly happy.

Then I looked at my phone and counted 62 waiting text messages, 10 voice mails, and 103 unread emails.

Back to real life and more Nature Deficit Disorder, but for those 6 days…bliss.

*key words and phrases for memory’s sake…boating in the dark, fish in the swimming suit, Lake Powell theme song, coconut popsicles, kangaroo rat looting at night, boys who can’t stay put during sleep, sleeping under the stars, swimming in the rain, fish and Jeffrey’s snorkel mask, long chats with Heidi and Holly, games all night long, canyon exploring, Jonathan’s 35 foot plummet, Werewolf at night, yummy food, teenage screams while tubing, reading aloud to the crowd, midnight swims, best popcorn balls ever, gas runs with Heidi, Greg’s hard work, Maggie’s smiles, Five Crowns, Challenger 3, twin toots, baby frogs, hot hikes, Jeffrey’s toe and tenacity, slot canyon screams, cliff jumping, waterfalls in the rain, loud Marshall, sweet Holly, food science, SPRITE!