Over the last couple of weeks, we (OK, I) have been hyper focused on taking the kids’ makeshift workspaces and preparing them for more long-term use — the Edmonds School District announced this week that the 20-21 school year would start with a remote learning schedule. It has been all kinds of cleaning out closets…
Earlier this month when writing about Southwest County Park, I found out that along with being the “largest single parcel of open space within the Edmonds city limits,” it is a Snohomish County Park. When I went through the list of Parks and Facilities listed on their site, SnoCoParks.org, I recognized more names than I…
After emerging from Southwest County Park recently, the kids and I ran into a parent from one of their schools, and within seconds it was dueling verbal firehouses from myself and my youngest, who has never met her before. I’ve noticed that when given the opportunity, even on phone calls to family members otherwise marked…
A popular subject amongst the group text we have going for our hockey friends is where to hike/walk with the kids. (We also talk a bit about how the kids talk to each other mid-video game as it seems to be its own language.) At our house, we’re looking for a mix of trying to…
After picking up my second set of books from the Edmonds library since they opened for socially distanced hold pickups and returns (still a thrill), I saw campers and staff at the Edmonds Boys are Girls Club in their camp t-shirts hanging out on the basketball court next to the building. The club has been…
This week, I got a phone call from a librarian from the Edmonds Sno-Isle branch. It was, frankly, thrilling. A hold I made back in March was ready for me to come and pick up and I could drop off any library books I had at home during the library’s amended hours — Monday and…
As we approach the last week of school (the last day was moved up to June 19), one kid in my house still has a few Zoom meetings left even though he turned in his “last homework of the year,” and the other has to use this final week to wrap up his missing work….
Sno-Isle librarians were in the middle of planning for their summer reading program when libraries closed on March 13th due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, our three local libraries offer wi-fi access from their parking lots and Sno-Isle has offered library cards online, moved Storytimes and Trivia online, laid out how to access books,…
On Saturday morning, Mountlake Terrace High School’s Facebook page shared a letter from Principal Greg Schellenberg to Mountlake Terrace High School students and community members. Schellenberg formally denounced the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, adding “There is no room in the Mountlake Terrace community for racism, misogyny, bigotry and hatred.” Schellenberg…
“Jelly Cam” is now something I blurt out at random times during the week. This is to alert everyone that the Monterey Bay Aquarium Facebook has a live feed of jellyfish running. They also have Kelp Forest Cam, Shark Cam, Penguin Cam, Sea Otter Cam, Moon Jelly Cam, and videos of things like a huge…
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My soon-to-be 11-year-old just informed me that he would be “zooming” with a friend if I needed him. People say “new normal” a lot, and we are certainly operating on a different set of rules, routines, and resources, but the new way we do things seems to get amended each week whether good or bad….
< It feels weird to talk about school when our students won’t be inside the buildings for the rest of the school year. Friday, May 8 was a half day, something that previously would have changed a lot of schedules but didn’t even register at our house. The learning and the locations are different, but…
During a daily class Zoom meeting for my youngest, the student support specialist had the kids make a “Bliss List” — a list of things that students are enjoying lately. It was so good for him to hear that other people shared his coping skills and also to get ideas for new options. Connecting via…
Back home, my sister organized a drive-by birthday party for my nephew where teachers, friends, and family drove by with their birthday wishes. They even rigged up a pulley system to lift presents to their deck, which is right above the sidewalk. Last week, we celebrated our anniversary with dinner from Salt & Iron. Of…
Some of our early quarantine “go-tos” aren’t fitting the bill these days. The kids are pretty burned out on sitting through a movie at night, especially because we’re still struggling to get a good amount of exercise — I’m going to add some new links below because it seems like it’s not just us. Virtual…
This week, Gov. Jay Inslee and State Superintendent Chris Reykdal announced that K-12 school closures will remain in effect through the end of the school year. The news comes as we are just about to cross the first estimated date of return, which was April 13, after spring break. When the kids were first sent home from school, there…
I started this week riding the high of a successful “Lunch and Learn” routine we had going in the first two weeks of our time at home. These “Lunch and Learns” — named after a midday event at my husband’s office — were planned to not only teach the kids some useful life skills, but…
Currently, there is a video chat happening in two different rooms of my house. The dogs seem hell bent on being involved in both of those conversations, taking quick breaks to make sure whoever is outside of our house is informed of their presence as well. One video chat is work related and the other…
Social media is full of families adjusting to their new set of circumstances and a large part of that is figuring out what to do with the kids. We’re looking for places for the kids to go, how to get them online/connected, and then once they’re connected what will they do?!? Both of my kids’…
School is out for six weeks, currently the plan is to return Monday, April 27, in response to the Covid-19 virus as we try to“flatten the curve.” School being out creates many different challenges for families, today we are going to talk about some of the free resources for information on talking to the children…
Editor’s note: This story was published before school closures and other program cancellations were announced due to COVID-19. Schools are now closed through at least through April 24, Sno-Isle Libraries are closed, and local government agencies have announced closures of many programs and buildings. Because the situation is rapidly evolving, please visit the City of…
The Tooth Fairy came to our house this week to deliver $2 for a molar. It is worth noting that the $2 was paid out in two separate one dollar bills, not a premeditated $2 bill or fancy coins, and the amount was pre-determined by the recipient in this case either based on what the…
Last week, we focused on fun options for teenagers and this brand new “selfie-ready” destination would have fit right in — or at least I think it would. As I enter this phase of parenting, all I really know is that the bar of what is fun/cool/acceptable moves frequently and without notice. Earlier this month,…
This week, I took my oldest son — now a teenager — to a show on Capitol Hill. He and his jazz band friends wanted to see Lucky Chops and their “high-energy brassy funk” so he got tickets for Christmas. The songs are mainly instrumental, except for some audience participation ‘la las.’ The band members…
There are consistently fun options for kid entertainment locally and as my kids get older, there are also consistently new events not offered when we were in the age range that I wish had been! I usually put the events together in a theme, whether it be free events, indoor/outdoor events, sports options, camp options,…
