Two Down, One to Go

Where have I been? I've been having a secret heart attack during the three weeks that Evan was getting his license. 

He went in for his first written test: Fail.

Second written: Fail.

He studied and studied and my brain wouldn't settle. It just nagged at me to quiz Evan, get him to read the book, look up all kinds of quizzes. Quiz quiz quiz study study. 

It was so stressful because he knew all the facts, but he is a terrible multiple choice test taker. 

I signed him up for a written test that they read the questions out loud. 

He passed with a 90%. 

YAY!! 

I was seriously about to die waiting for him to come out with a smile or frown - smile. 

So next was the stupid driving test. Practice all the things that people don't really do in real life etc.

 I told him he needs to exaggerate every safe thing: stop at the stop signs for three seconds etc.

He failed. Speeding and not fulling stopping at the stop signs. 

All the things I told him to do. Listen to YOUR MOTHER>

blahhhh

So then we practice practice practice. 

My brain can't settle because Evan should be practicing at all times.

Second drive test: Jim had to take him because I was subbing.

I was full up on butterflies all day, then in the middle of class I got a ding on my phone from Jim:

"passed!"

I was soooo happy. I announced to the class that Evan passed his driving test. 

The final step: get up early and get in line at the DMV.

I wanted him to get the dumb license before we left town for the weekend.

We waited about an hour and a half, and then 

CHA CHING he got his stupid license.

It was the longest marathon of my life and I'm so happy it's done. 

He is loving it. I am loving it. 

After that giant marathon, this is the only picture he would let me get.

Evan is 16

Helping Andrew bench press. Hopefully the puberty puts muscles on his arms like it did for Evan.

Evan LOVES Koda.

My biggest piece of advice for people who are about to have teenagers:

GET A DOG for your teenagers. 

Koda is the biggest...hmmm what's the right word...de escalator.

calm

peace

heart and mind regulator

focus 

turn down the temperature

We all gravitate to her and become melty putty in her hands.

No one is "non chalant" the minute koda is involved. Everyone talks to her like she's the best thing they've met all day. All teenager pretenses are turned off. Care taker mode is turned on. 

We turned the Superbowl Party into a Birthday party.

Yay Seahawks!

At school the next day on Evan's actual birthday, Mr Dahl brought his accordion in and sang Happy Birthday. 

Evan often complains about having a sore but bone. 

We went to the doctor to get it checked out. They looked at his CT scan from last year's appendix situation, and found this fun situation:

See how his tailbone makes an L shape there at the end? 

Yeah. 

I don't know.

We wonder if his sacral dimple has something to do with it. 

But he has an appointment with a surgeon next. 

And we are working on getting his license. Why does the written test have to be so hard? 

He failed if for the second time today and my heart is just broken for him. He knows alllll of the facts but has such a hard time with multiple choice tests. 

So i don't know.......

First Day

Avery got up before the sun and met with her class at the beach for 

SENIOR SUNRISE

Fun right? I love this. 

Then she came back home for front door pictures. 

Another thing seniors do these days is wear backpacks with their favorite kid cartoons.

I think it's so cute. haha

Let's just for fun look back to her very first day of school ever.

Just for fun, just to make your heart stab and ache. 

Look at Evan in the window. He was half naked because of potty training, so I didn't let him out. 

This is so hilarious to me.

It also absolutely kills me. I miss these days so so much. I can't really think about it.

I probably don't even miss it. I THINK that I miss it, but do I? 

Yes. No.

I have learned that it is best to keep looking forward, because looking back right now is too hard. 

Anyhoo. 

Look at this cool kid. 

Sophomore year. 

He starts with this tough guy look, 

then I tell him to smile, give me a break,

then he legit smiles/laughs at something Andrew is doing, and BINGO,

there's the cute smile I know and love. 

And last is our 7th grader, with his knee all bandaged up.

I will allow the close mouthed smile until we get some braces going. 

Last first day picture with all three.

I don't know how that happened. 

 

Day 30 :: A Picture of Me and Three Good Things that Happened

Thing number 1:

My cousin Andrew's family came through Birch Bay this weekend. They are good friends of Joe and Lisa's good friends, so we got together and had a beach BBQ for Father's Day. 

It was fun catching up on people we both "kind of know". 

They came through in 2017 too! 

Look how little we were back then. 

Good thing number 2: 

Andrew had his last soccer game on Saturday. It was a fun season.

Also it was their last rec season. Next up is middle school ball. 

This was from his first-ish season. 

Look how little we were back then.

Good thing number 3: 

Evan got his braces off. He's so dang handsome.

He also got a haircut, so that's even MORE handsome.

He had those braces on for 3 school years! 

Oh man I was so ready to be done with his ortho treatment. So many ortho appointments and so many broken brackets. 

Look how little we were back then. 

FIVE YEARS AGO

Day 23 :: Something I Never Get Sick Of

 

I think I never get sick of watching my kids grow and become the next version of themselves. 

HOWEVER - I know where this is going. I know that Avery is about to launch right out of my nest. And then the other two will follow. It will break my heart, but also make me so happy. 

Today Avery got her patriarchal blessing. It was so amazing. She has such an amazing soul. I'm a little bit speechless about the things Brother Hoyt said about her - about her premortal, present, and future self. It made me realize she is a complete soul sovereign to herself. Not just my daughter. She is such a gift to this world. 

FIVE YEARS AGO

On Mother's Day, Evan made me chocolate waffles and brought them to me while I blogged in bed. 

Avery gave me a foot massage and painted my toenails. 

Andrew opted out of Mother's Day this year. Sometimes he is so thoughtful. Sometimes he is so oblivious. 

He is currently in his middle school era though. So we can't totally blame him for his addled brain. 

He went to the color dance last week - a middle school right of passage. 

It was on - rain or shine - and it was RAINY. 

Avery went to the prom last weekend. She planned and planned all her things, and in the end said she didn't like how she looked. Darn it. Well, I think she's the most beautiful. And she had lots of fun. 

Evan is in his "getting a license" era. 

Every day when I get done with soccer, he is there by my car finished with track practice. He drives us home. 

So yeah, I don't know what to do about my kids getting older. I love watching them grow and become. But I know it's bringing me one step closer to letting them go. 

The paradox of being a mom. 

I remember this same exact feeling when they were newborns. I wanted them to stay tiny skinny and red in my arms forever, simultaneously wanting them to gain weight, not be so fragile, get into a routine so I could sleep. 

Can we have it both ways? 

No.