Summer, Cryptids, and Decision Makers

School has officially ended! I’ve taken a million different alarms off my phone (alarms waking me up, alarms reminding me of kindergarten regular pick-up, alarms reminding me of kindergarten short-day pick-up, alarms reminding me of older kids regular and short day pick-ups); we’ve cleaned out backpacks (a marvel! last year we didn't clean them out until ... we headed back to school five months later); we've returned school books; signed yearbooks, and made it through a nutty school year of masks and occasional quarantines. (There was a time there when it seemed we’d get a call practically every time Goldie stepped foot in the school informing us she’d been near someone with Covid and would have to quarantine). 

But overall, it was a surprisingly good year. And when my kids left this morning it was with an odd mixture of excitement and forlornness. They've had so many good teachers, and made so many friends, and learned so many things. And endings are always a little sad. 

But also exciting! It is summer after all. (And, as if in acknowledgment, the temperatures are planning on switching from the nice 70s they've sat at to the 90s next week.) We've got our calendar all dotted full of Bear Lake trips, girls' camps, high-adventure camps, birthdays, officer retreats AND Abe coming home! So there are good things in store for the months ahead. In fact, as I type, I'm waiting for the last load of laundry to finish so we can pack up for the cabin and leave this very afternoon! 

So I'll sign off with a few pictures of Starling:

A few pictures from Penny's 14th birthday. (I pretty much thought she was 14 her entire 13th year.)

A few quick pictures with my sisters at my niece's wedding shower. (Shannon complained it appeared she had a lamp on her head in half the pictures, and Megan didn't realize for a bit that she was holding baby Bruun's binky between her teeth. But it's rare for us all to be together at once so a photo was called for.)

A picture of this box that arrived on our porch the other day. Everyone is always excited when a package is delivered. It always could be something fun. But it only took Goldie reading, in a flat voice, "Genuine Part" before all hopeful excitement drained away. (Maybe Mike was still excited. I'm not sure.)

And to end, no more pictures, but a few ... things:

The other night while Daisy was tending, she sent us this text:

Starling: “Goodnight Jesse!”

Jesse: “Goodnight Starling!”

Starling: “Goodnight Starling!” a pause, then in confusion, “I’m Starling.”

She seems to be in a stage of Starling self-awareness. She will also occasionally look at herself in the mirror and say, "Hi Starling." And today after pointing out the eyes on a toy bug, she quickly reached for her own face saying, "Where's my Starling's eyes?"

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Daisy gave Penny a “decision maker” for her birthday. (A bit of a joke since Mike often gets on their cases for not making decisions decisively.) It’s a pendulum. You swing the ball and it eventually stops on one of the magnets surrounding the base that say things like “definitely” and “no way”. It quickly got out of hand however. Before going to bed on Penny's birthday night, I asked the girls (who were still playing games and giggling about who knows what at the kitchen table) to turn all the lights off before heading to bed themselves. Daisy looked at me non-committedly and said, “We’ll discuss it with the decision maker”.

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Another funny thing. The other day Daisy was chasing after one of her little siblings when Hans said in wonder to her, "I didn’t know you knew how to run!"

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Speaking of Daisy, she now works at both a dental office AND as a cashier at our local grocery store! It's fun to go through her check-out line at work. (Which we wasted no time doing -- having come to get a few items about two hours into her very first day last week.)

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Summer asked me recently if "worms come down from heaven". I wasn't quite sure what she meant. But after a little questioning it became clear that she wanted to know if they have spirits and will live again after they die. Because, as she explained to me, "Mette says they only get one time to live". Hahaha. Poor worms. Those low lives. This is it for them. (I assured her that all of God's creatures would go on existing beyond this life. And that was that.) 

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Anders, as you may know, is fascinated with Bigfoot. And that's not all! He recently checked out a book called, "Tales of Cryptids". (I'd never heard the word "cryptid" before. But all you need to do is glance through the book at Bigfoots and Lochness Monsters and the like and you understand pretty quickly that cryptids are.) 

As we drove to school the morning after he'd checked out the book, I reminded him of the Great-Salt-Lake-Monster mystery. "Wow," Jesse said. "We've got a monster close to us." Anders looked at him with wide eyes and replied, "Trust me, Jesse. There is more than one monster close to us." Hahah. He is always trying to pin me down with an admittance that I believe in some of these creatures. (And seems disappointed whenever I sound unconvinced.) He's not fully certain of everything though. A few moments after his comment to Jesse he said, skeptically, “I’m not sure what I think about the Loveland frog holding a wand though.” I don't know anything about the Loveland Frog, but a magic wand? I'm glad even Anders has his limits.. 

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My dear little Jesse is not only ending the school year, but graduating elementary. (He's been a bit sad at the thought of leaving such a familiar and comfortable place.) Anyway, at his 6th-grade graduation I was so so happy when he was one of only three students (one from each class) chosen to receive the "Citizenship Award". (The award for kindness, politeness, respect, example, etc.) There's no award that could matter more to me. And it's a big deal! They really only do a few awards. And this was one of the only ones with a cash prize attached. (Finally, he's getting paid to be kind! Ha.) 

One of the other kids who received the award happened to be a boy from our ward. He and Jesse are planning to be locker partners next year. After hearing that he and Jesse both received the kindness award, Mike commented that this was a real problem because all next year Jesse and this boy will arrive at their locker at the same time and both keep insisting, "Oh, you go first." "No, I insist, you go first." "No. No. I couldn't. Please, go ahead." And they'll end up late to class every day. 

Jesse really is a consistently thoughtful and kind boy. Always thanking everyone for the littlest things. He'll even say things to me, after a rushed verse of scripture on the way out the door in the mornings like, "Thanks for always teaching us the scriptures, mom." Yes. Give that boy all the money! 

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All right, the laundry is long done and packing is calling!