School starts

James and Andrew are on a new adventure this year. They started last week at a new school in a new school district.

Our school board voted in July to not give parents a choice of online or in-person like the other districts. It said we would only be remote learning. But the school district just a couple blocks south of us has an in-person option. 

So I fought to get them in. I called and went to and applied at many schools, finally getting them into one that I was told was "a hidden gem of a school."

I cried about this probably every night. But this week I have praise and gratitude for this opportunity for them to learn and grow. 

Andrew has already made a few friends. James gives us a report on the food every day on the drive home. They quickly caught on to the rules of distancing and hand-washing, but they are not allowed to touch the playground equipment, which I think is too extreme.

I also tried to get Ben into the other district's junior high (which is a closer drive than our district middle school btw), but I think they were inundated by parents like me. And, last spring he tested into the Honors/Extended Learning program, so in the end he's staying in our district. So is Max, who is a sophomore also in the honors/ELP program, and on the tennis team. A very hard thing to transfer.  

They both got their school-issued laptops this week and will log on at 8 AM next week and I'm already getting an inbox full of emails. PTSD from the spring is coming on strong. My eye twitches, my jaw clenches....what is this feeling? Burning like a flame...does it have a name?

It's so hot

 

Boy, were we grateful to hear from an old friend inviting us to use their backyard pool in these triple-digit temperatures. We went on a Friday evening and had it to ourselves. 

Max and Ben shooting hoops

I also fill up our backyard kiddie pool, and it's Millie's favorite. Especially if daddy comes out to sit and soak with her. (James and Andrew boys beg for it, then splash for a second, squeal "HE'S GETTING ME WET!" and stomp back inside.)

Sometimes I take these littles on a walk around the block and stay under shady trees

The boys rigged up a swing in our back yard.

Millie is <kind of> trying out the Strider bike. We should probably help her fix the helmet and wear it the right way.

We try to get the kids outside in the morning to be active before the heat of the day. One morning we shoved everyone outside at 8AM, and it was 75 or 80 degrees and Millie asked for a jacket.  

JB's birthday

Summer birthday season is now over for the family (we have four in a row). We ended by celebrating JB's birthday with treats and new bike gear for him. 

I usually make him a carrot cake, but this year I overdid it on the carrot cakes. Our daily lunch we go drive-through and get from school almost always comes with carrots and applesauce. So I made lots of cakes and we needed a step back. So he had yellow cake with chocolate frosting and to be honest, that's a great birthday cake.

Here's a picture of JB and the girlie that will keep him young forever!

 

Recommendations continue

Movies

Hamilton -- I listened to the soundtrack when it started to get so much buzz on Broadway, and watched YouTube clips of the actors, etc. Then I saw it in London with my brothers earlier this year. Now that it is on Disney+, it is fun to just scroll through to my favorite songs (although purists would say you must watch it beginning to end to fully appreciate all the musical themes)

Mrs Miracle -- Doris Roberts seems to magically make everything better. Forgiveness and moving on are a theme.

Two Turtle Doves -- Hallmark but not sugary sweet. The characters are dealing with grief and loss and talk about it a lot. 

Family for Christmas -- I have some issues with the way they portray a newsroom and reporter, and could talk your ear off about career/family balance and how that's portrayed, but I would watch this again. It was funny and sweet to me.

A Veteran's Christmas -- Any Hallmark movie with the troops I will watch (Holiday for Heroes, Operation Christmas, Christmas Homecoming, etc). This one has a female veteran and missing her K9. I smiled a lot and laughed out loud to JB about how cheesy it was. But let's be honest, no small town I have ever lived in is anything like this one.

Once Upon a Christmas Miracle -- based on a beautiful true story of organ donation. I DVrd all these Christmas movies mentioned above for Christmas in July on Hallmark (I tried others but they were one and done for me).

In Love and War (2001) - Based on a true story. An English soldier is captured then escapes and is helped by Italian families, especially one young lady who teaches him the language. I loved it and recommended it to my in-laws.

Leap Year -- Amy Adams and Matthew Goode. He later said he hated this movie. I love this movie. It makes me laugh every time. She goes to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on Feb 29 but gets stuck and needs help getting across the country to Dublin.

The Fifth Element -- Ian Holm recently passed away and I loved him in this movie. Bruce Willis and Chris Tucker are hilarious. Not watchable with kids in the room, though.

That Thing You Do -- I hadn't seen it in years and checked out the DVD from the library to show the boys. Super good. So quotable. "As in, I wonder what happened to the O-ne-ders?"

Pizza My Heart -- Two Italian families feed over their pizza restaurants until a son and daughter fall in love.  It made me laugh and want to eat pizza (I saw it on demand on Freeform).


Books

Dear Mr. Knightley -- A modern day Daddy Long Legs, chock full of Austen lines that the main character, Sam, quotes to help her relate to others and get over her past. I stayed up too late a couple nights reading it.

The Orphan Band of Springdale -- My library's twitter account asks what book you just finished or what your favorite book is, then they suggest a new one. I had just re-read The War That Saved My Life, and they suggested this one next. Easy, quick read. Enjoyable.

The Founder of Our Peace, by John Hilton -- JB enjoyed this and then the library needed it back so I requested it again so I can read it. There's a wait list so hopefully our county is feeling some peace.

Where the Crawdads Sing -- meh, I don't think I actually recommend this one. I just wanted to make it look like I'm reading as much as I'm watching movies. I just don't believe a 7 year old could survive alone in a shack and then grow up to be a great author while never leaving said shack. Great nature descriptions, though.

Emily of New Moon -- I'm re-reading this series by L.M. Montgomery, though Anne Shirley's adventures will always be my favorite. This series is a little darker, and I cannot stand the Dean Priest character, but I am fascinated by the way of life 100 years ago. And I love the descriptions of Prince Edward Island. 

Timmy Failure series and Origami Yoda series -- 9 year old Andrew is loving these. Thankfully I can do pickup holds at the library, even though we are not allowed in.  Timmy Failure is like Diary of a Wimpy Kid Style. The Origami Yoda includes titles like, "Emperor Pickletinee Rides the Bus" and "Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling." It's two of Andrew's loves, Star Wars and art.

Maxwell is 15

As you can see, Max is growing a lot taller! We celebrated our day-apart birthdays with each other at the Richards house. JB made the cakes and pudding mix is the key.

For his birthday, he wanted things to help him with tennis, like more tennis balls or cones to help with training, and a water jug for those long days. He plays many hours a day, getting up at 6:30am all summer.

Last month his tennis coach held a socially-distanced banquet outside to finally say goodbye to the seniors and thank the rest of the team. Max has found a place to flourish. He was in basketball for so long, and when he didn't make the freshman team he was crushed. (Then he grew 3 inches so joke's on that coach). But Coach Janine is so much better for him. She is supportive and her style is exactly what speaks to Max's teachable spirit.

Here he is with his best friend Andy, who joined the developmental team with Max.

JB goes to play with him, sometimes. Look at the lights and sunset last Saturday night!

Max wants to stay at his high school for his sophomore year, even though it will be remote only. If/when they do go back to class, the plan is to split the high schoolers into four groups and they each go in-person one day only.  He has a long list of hard honors/AP classes and I pray he will be ok.

My birthday and the hot springs

Finally we got to go to the hot springs on the 24th of July that we tried on the 4th of July. I wrote to them about our bad experience and they sent us passes. And we had a great time!

It's great when the boys get brave and go down water slides over and over.

They loved the hot pools

And fought (played?) in the cooler pools.

I convinced Millie to try the slide on my lap, but my feet slipped out from under me at the bottom. Here I am holding her up out of the water as I try to regain my balance.

She didn't want to go down again.

The next day was my birthday. It is fun to live in Utah with your birthday by a state holiday.  It is also fun to be in the primary presidency. All year I've been taking my turn to sneak into front yards to put in these signs. And on my birthday I got one!

I had a great birthday. I'm wearing in these pictures one of my new shirts. JB and I went to Lone Star Taqueria drive through for lunch but  couldn't sit at the restaurant because of the pandemic. ISo we went to the same park where I've met my BYU roommates over the years, but it was empty because of the pandemic too, I guess. 

I've spent the last week crying or having my eye twitching, because of the stress and anxiety and worries of my children's education. Our school district decided to do remote learning only, so I'm trying to get them in other schools where they can be in class. I changed schools every 1-3 years growing up as my parents moved. I only wanted stability for my children. I worry about them falling behind, about their friendships, about their own fears, etc etc.  At the same time the nation and our city seems to be going crazy.  I also am immersed every day in doing stories as a reporter on these very topics that keep me up at night as a parent. 

I am fasting today that we can go back to church and school and the temple full-time soon.