As I get older, I struggle more and more to choose the name of the member of my family I am trying to address on the first try. Add in over a year of COVID and the “ding” associated with the kids being let into their Zoom classes and I sometimes resort to “tall one” and “whose your brother?” in my litany of attempts at the child’s name. I was so happy to see a social media post by Mental Floss talking about a 2016 study by Duke University saying that our excuse for mixing up our kids’ names is “love.” The researchers explained to Quartz that we group similar information together so we can recall it easily. Apparently in a parent’s mind, you and your sibling’s names are in the same “basket” and the researchers argue “it’s a little less about the mistake and more about the basket: Parents love their kids, so they put you all in the same top-tier basket.” There is no doubt that when I try to explain this the next time I goof up a name attempt I will get a reaction similar to when my grandma used to call me “Joe.”

The feeling of worry that I won’t get a name right (out of equal love for either kid) is definitely coupled with the feeling that I am forgetting more things than I usually do. With a year of schedule changes and the whole nothing-is-the-same-two-days-in-a-row thing, I am nervous to miss school emails. This week, the Edmonds School District sent a districtwide email with the subject  “Important information for the 2021-22 school year.” While I am always grateful for information in advance, I did have that  “What day is it?!?” confusion you have if you take a nap and accidentally sleep until it is dark. The email links to the 21/22 Family and Community calendar, which is great for planning ahead, the first day of school is Wednesday, Sept. 8. It also includes online learning programs in the district from kindergarten through high school. I was excited to read that there will be an opportunity to change your student’s intent form in the first week of August. All district families will receive an email confirming their choice and families who wish to make a change will have the opportunity to do so from Monday, Aug. 2 to Friday, Aug. 6. After that time period, the district says changes will be made on a case-by-case basis.

I have been watching my email closely to make sure I didn’t miss any summer school correspondence because we haven’t done summer school before. Per the email for my high schooler, summer school runs Monday through Thursday from July 6 through Aug. 12. Some students will be remote and others choose an am or pm schedule. For those in person needing transportation, the district sent another email saying that school bus routing information is in Skyward Family Access. Under the “Busing” tab, you should find route numbers and stop locations.

They also shared that LIVE bus routing information is available to families through the Edulog Parent Portal app and it is also available for download on both Apple and Android devices directly or through the Edmonds School District Mobile App. If you can’t find the info or if it is different than you expected, you can call Transportation Services at 425-431-7230 or email routing@edmonds.wednet.edu.

A great way to start summer in Edmonds is a low-tide beach walk and there are two more this summer, July 9 and Aug. 8. These walks, which are $5 for residents and an additional $1 for non-residents, are chances to explore the waterfront at low tide with a Discovery Programs Naturalist. Participants can learn about the “plants and animals that live in the marine sanctuary.” We hired a naturalist for a kid’s birthday party years ago for our own private walk and it was such a fun way to learn about what we were seeing while teaching them how to interact with the area safely. There are a few spaces available in each of these hour-long walks, and registration and more information can be found at https://tinyurl.com/LowTideBeachWalks.

After a record-setting heatwave, many are concerned about fires. CNN quotes the National Weather Center in Seattle saying, “With no rain in the (extended) forecast, fire weather concerns will remain elevated.” Locally, South County Fire is asking you to consider fun and safe alternatives to fireworks for your kids this year. They recommend the several public fireworks shows in Snohomish County, including an Edmonds Kind of Fourth or to choose from some suggested at-home alternatives including glow sticks, confetti or a piñata. Use of fireworks is now banned in unincorporated southwest Snohomish County and continues to be banned in all cities served by South County Fire: Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace. If you are unsure if they are banned in your area, you can use an interactive tool to find out at SouthSnoFire.org.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time.