The End of the World

 According to a 6-year-old who has just finished their first year of school.  I had the pleasure of keeping Katherine today while her sister went to track, and she burst into the living room saying, "Today was just the END of the world.  I'll never go to kindergarten again."  I think I saw a few tears.  And in the next breath, she said, "But then I get to go to first grade, and it's okay for kindergarten to be over."

I think (and hope) that it's safe to say she will never experience a school year like this one.  She had one friend all year except for the ones on Zoom, and amazingly she became quite fond of the ones she saw on the screen.  Her day consisted of a little class of two second graders, two kindergarteners, Jadyn, the "teacher," the teacher's toddler Sawyer, a golden retriever, another dog, a mix of a poodle and something else, and a guinea pig.  Those are the ones I know about.  After I started back driving, I picked them up after school several days a week, and it was crazy.  I would knock and ease open the front door and be greeted by one or two of the dogs, always one with a ball for me to throw.  But he never released it for me to throw, just thrust it at me and ran.

Usually, the whole crew was tumbling up the stairs from the basement school, forgetting lunch boxes and coats and so excited to be telling me something about the day - all four of them.  I'm sure it wasn't easy on Jadyn to monitor four zoom classes and all the other stuff that goes with it or on the two parents who were working at their jobs in the front rooms of the house, but it was an experience I doubt any of them will forget.  Next week, Graysen and Katherine will be home with each other, and Ellis and Harper will be with each other, but little Sawyer, who thinks she has 4 big sisters, is bound to be lonely and wondering where all the excitement is.  

Jadyn sent this to Emily yesterday.  I wish it were clearer.  Graysen is on the right.  Harper in the cowboy hat.  Ellis in pink.  Katherine in the back in black.  And baby Sawyer right in the middle of it!   

As far as we know, they will go to Cascade View Elementary as two first graders and two third graders in September, and that will take a lot of getting used to.  I'm sorry Katherine missed her year of kindergarten.  That's always such a special year, and she had Graysen's beloved Mrs. Boyles too.  Then they changed all the teachers around to accommodate those going back to school, and it was all mixed up.  Graysen had two teachers have babies during the year, but she will have her same teacher for third grade, since Mrs. Duncan is going up to third grade.  I hope that eases things a little bit for the girls.

So summer begins.  Emily sent me a list of things the girls want to do on the 4 days a week I have them, and they seem quite organized.  Emily sent me a copy of their brainstorming before bed last night.

Praying for energy!

 They plan to do chores and exercises as well as playing.  Piano has been cancelled for the summer, so maybe I'll have the keyboard at my house and continue with her lessons - somewhat.  I hope Noreen is prepared for the noises she'll be hearing next door.  Katherine want to practice reading, so we'll be going to the library some and to the parks.  There is a nice sidewalk for drawing on, a long block of sidewalk.  They want to do some crafts, some sewing, a few tea parties, and swimming on Fridays.  They'll have gymnastics and a week of tennis to see how they like that.  

We finally had a day warm enough to sit on the balcony in the sun today.  I checked the weather forecast for the next 10 days, and I saw a 92 in there.  Wow.  We don't even have to wait for the 4th of July for summer.  I saw very little rain in that 10 days, so we'll be complaining about the heat.  

I'm probably 3/4 of the way finished with packing.  It's looking very empty in the old apartment.  I think this weekend I will be allowed to visit the new apartment and do some measuring and planning.  I'm going to try to coax Carly into letting me at least put in shelf paper and organizers before moving day.  Ryan is going to try to get my shelves moved from the old garage to the new before then too.  There's going to be a lot of painting going on and new appliances and carpet, so I know I need to stay out of the way, but I do want permission to start planting some hostas out front anyway.  With the girls with me, I'm not sure where I'm going to find time for all that.

Katherine helped me empty a bottom cabinet and then the bottom of the pantry and got rewarded with a couple of ginger cookies and milk to dip them in.  Such a sweet afternoon in the sunshine.  I'm so blessed to have these sweet babies.  

Graysen and Emily came and picked her up and surprised her with McDonald's lemonade and fries.

Tomorrow is jam packed with activities, none of which involve me, but Katherine says she might end up having a meltdown by the end of the day.

There's a trip with their friend Camden and Branson to see some fairy trail - or something.  I really don't know, but it sounds exciting.  There is a two-hour school last-day party at the park or the school.  Again, I don't know the details.  They are doing something special for Jadyn for being their teacher also.  Emily and the girls are going to Cannon Beach, I think, with friends for a few days.  I can't find one in Washington, but there is one on the Oregon Coast.  Seems like a major trip, but I may have it all wrong.  It's hard for Emily and me to have a conversation long enough to get all this straightened out.  We just communicate on the fly, and I pick up nuggets where I can.