August 2019
Hot times in the hottest month
No kidding around, this August was HOT. We did all the things we could that were either in the water, or in air conditioning: A bowling and swimming day with the Patels, a long evening of night swimming when it was just too hot in the house to go to bed (complete with color-changing lights in the pool and a greeting from owls and bats), a movie night featuring the newly-released Descendants 3, and so on. Of particular note was Family Day at Apple Park, where we got to go to “the spaceship” for a tour of the public areas and the grounds; we had the Carneys over afterward for swimming and grilling (of course).
No kidding around, this August was HOT. We did all the things we could that were either in the water, or in air conditioning: A bowling and swimming day with the Patels, a long evening of night swimming when it was just too hot in the house to go to bed (complete with color-changing lights in the pool and a greeting from owls and bats), a movie night featuring the newly-released Descendants 3, and so on. Of particular note was Family Day at Apple Park, where we got to go to “the spaceship” for a tour of the public areas and the grounds; we had the Carneys over afterward for swimming and grilling (of course).
Santa Cruz Sauce
Our friends Kent & Kylie and Skyler came out for a week in early August, and since the tiny house was rented and we needed more room, we made it a beach house weekend at the Aalgaard family’s place in Santa Cruz for the Extended Sauce Universe — everybody was there, including the rarely-seen Dong and Mandark. We lazed by the pool, walked down to the beach, closed down the Boardwalk on the first night (the kids both rode the Big Dipper and other stuff, and Lukas made the leaderboard on a sort of escape-room thing where he had to dodge laser beams), and generally had a grand time with this family of friends.
Our friends Kent & Kylie and Skyler came out for a week in early August, and since the tiny house was rented and we needed more room, we made it a beach house weekend at the Aalgaard family’s place in Santa Cruz for the Extended Sauce Universe — everybody was there, including the rarely-seen Dong and Mandark. We lazed by the pool, walked down to the beach, closed down the Boardwalk on the first night (the kids both rode the Big Dipper and other stuff, and Lukas made the leaderboard on a sort of escape-room thing where he had to dodge laser beams), and generally had a grand time with this family of friends.
Back to school
It was a more fraught than usual back-to-school time this year, with Annika starting middle school and Lukas alone at Los Alamitos. We were glad that he got Mrs. Merrell for his teacher, but a little irked that none of his main pals were in the same class — oh well. Annika and the rest of the 6th grade had an orientation day the week before, which ended in LARGE AMOUNTS OF TEARS: She’d not only been put in the Accelerated Math class (which covers 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in one year!!!), but had also been assigned the hated Orchestra class for her elective, and nothing else mattered. With Lukas home with Grandma & Grandpa, I picked her up at the close of the session, along with Niamh (who also wasn’t happy with her schedule), and took them to BJ’s Brewhouse for a late lunch and pizookies, then to both Office Max and Target for locker-decorating supplies — which cheered them both up but did not solve The Issue. The girls, plus two others who have younger siblings still in elementary, practiced their walk to school a couple of times in the week before it started — meeting up at Los Alamitos and walking the mile as they will normally do. One morning, I took Annika and Niamh to decorate their lockers (with little mirror magnets, fake succulents, little rugs, etc.), and then Annika went with Raina to do the same thing another day. But in all of this, Annika was inconsolable about being in Orchestra instead of Art. Finally, exercising my newfound ability to leave both kids at home alone for brief periods, and saying Nothing to Anyone in case it didn’t work, I went to the school office and requested the transfer into Art; less than five minutes later, the deed was done, the rest of her schedule unchanged, and I’m the Mother of the Year LOL. On the last day before school started, we covered a lot: went swimming (minus sunscreen) in the morning, got the kids’ haircuts, chilled with too much screen time. And then the first day came — topping out at 106 sizzling degrees right at pickup time. Lukas and I picked up Annika and Niamh, and the whole gang of us went to My Milkshake for an afternoon treat, then to Office Max to shop the school supply list for all the girls’ classes. The heatwave lasted the whole week, finally letting up and dropping to a balmy 85 on Saturday. Gaaah.
It was a more fraught than usual back-to-school time this year, with Annika starting middle school and Lukas alone at Los Alamitos. We were glad that he got Mrs. Merrell for his teacher, but a little irked that none of his main pals were in the same class — oh well. Annika and the rest of the 6th grade had an orientation day the week before, which ended in LARGE AMOUNTS OF TEARS: She’d not only been put in the Accelerated Math class (which covers 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in one year!!!), but had also been assigned the hated Orchestra class for her elective, and nothing else mattered. With Lukas home with Grandma & Grandpa, I picked her up at the close of the session, along with Niamh (who also wasn’t happy with her schedule), and took them to BJ’s Brewhouse for a late lunch and pizookies, then to both Office Max and Target for locker-decorating supplies — which cheered them both up but did not solve The Issue. The girls, plus two others who have younger siblings still in elementary, practiced their walk to school a couple of times in the week before it started — meeting up at Los Alamitos and walking the mile as they will normally do. One morning, I took Annika and Niamh to decorate their lockers (with little mirror magnets, fake succulents, little rugs, etc.), and then Annika went with Raina to do the same thing another day. But in all of this, Annika was inconsolable about being in Orchestra instead of Art. Finally, exercising my newfound ability to leave both kids at home alone for brief periods, and saying Nothing to Anyone in case it didn’t work, I went to the school office and requested the transfer into Art; less than five minutes later, the deed was done, the rest of her schedule unchanged, and I’m the Mother of the Year LOL. On the last day before school started, we covered a lot: went swimming (minus sunscreen) in the morning, got the kids’ haircuts, chilled with too much screen time. And then the first day came — topping out at 106 sizzling degrees right at pickup time. Lukas and I picked up Annika and Niamh, and the whole gang of us went to My Milkshake for an afternoon treat, then to Office Max to shop the school supply list for all the girls’ classes. The heatwave lasted the whole week, finally letting up and dropping to a balmy 85 on Saturday. Gaaah.
Annika’s bidness
For Annika, this was a time to exercise her growing independence — from the aforementioned home-alone stuff (GOD, how glorious to run to the grocery store by myself!) to things like going out with my friend Ami for a little fro-yo and girl talk.. Annika and all of her friends got phones over the summer or right before school started; hers was one of our old iPhones in a cover she chose herself. We had her sign a big long contract for responsible phone stewardship that I cobbled together from several examples on the internet (basically “I will not use this phone for evil, and I especially will not use it to take or send nudes, and if I break it I have to pay for repair or replacement, also mom and dad can check it anytime for any or no reason”). So far, so good, and even in the first couple of days it proved necessary for logistical communications and whatnot.
For Annika, this was a time to exercise her growing independence — from the aforementioned home-alone stuff (GOD, how glorious to run to the grocery store by myself!) to things like going out with my friend Ami for a little fro-yo and girl talk.. Annika and all of her friends got phones over the summer or right before school started; hers was one of our old iPhones in a cover she chose herself. We had her sign a big long contract for responsible phone stewardship that I cobbled together from several examples on the internet (basically “I will not use this phone for evil, and I especially will not use it to take or send nudes, and if I break it I have to pay for repair or replacement, also mom and dad can check it anytime for any or no reason”). So far, so good, and even in the first couple of days it proved necessary for logistical communications and whatnot.
Lukas Life
Things got more complicated for Lukas this month; we have had to move everything he does (swimming, gymnastics, etc.) to accommodate Annika’s 4:00 p.m. pickup time. But he rolled with it, picking up such activities as AVAC Warrior (on Sundays — an obstacle course and skill drills for kids, inspired by the TV show American Ninja Warrior) and drum lessons (which he’s asked for for the last year or so). We don’t have drums yet — going to see how he likes the lessons first — but he’s so excited for it and looks forward to his sessions. Sauce Generation II, baby!
Things got more complicated for Lukas this month; we have had to move everything he does (swimming, gymnastics, etc.) to accommodate Annika’s 4:00 p.m. pickup time. But he rolled with it, picking up such activities as AVAC Warrior (on Sundays — an obstacle course and skill drills for kids, inspired by the TV show American Ninja Warrior) and drum lessons (which he’s asked for for the last year or so). We don’t have drums yet — going to see how he likes the lessons first — but he’s so excited for it and looks forward to his sessions. Sauce Generation II, baby!
posted by One of the Grownups @ 2:24 PM
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