Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday...random things I'm thankful for today...

1. Our local landfill. I'd never been there before, but a week or so ago Noah and I took our old sectional to the landfill. It was a bit of a chore but less work than breaking each piece down to fit in our trash can week by week. I'm thankful to have it out of the house relatively easily and quickly. (It was literally falling apart and taking up a good chunk of space in the basement.)

2. That Asher still sings while doing homework. Lately, it's been songs from Hamilton. :)

3. Finding good deals on some workout equipment. Since we've frozen my gym membership and I've been doing boot camp from home since March...and since Micah, and sometimes Nathan, has been also working out in the basement...it was nice to add a couple more pieces to our collection recently. I'm particularly thankful because certain pieces have become either very difficult to find in stock or very expensive during this pandemic. 

4. Finally organizing our masks. Yeah. I'm anal like that. I'll own it, lol. But having all our masks just thrown in a box by the door was driving me a little crazy. So, I finally did something about it:

Yes, I labeled the pockets and everything. It was annoying having to sort through the masks to find the ones that fit my face (mixed in with the larger ones to accommodate Nathan's nose, lol). I also added the reminder sign on both doors leaving the house because it's not quite automatic yet.

(I'm debating whether to cut off those bottom pockets or wait and use them for things like gloves come winter...)

5. Prospector. Our local library participates in the Prospector program to borrow items from nearby libraries. It had been shut down earlier during the pandemic but has opened back up recently. I'm thankful for that because I love being able to access the larger pool of materials.

6. Throwback Thursday. I don't always remember that Thursdays can also be for throwbacks, but here's a sweet shot from 15 years ago...

Their eyes are shut because of the sun, lol. Aren't they adorable?! And look at all of Micah's hair and sideburns! (He was a few weeks old here.)

And that's my list for today. :) 

Thankful Thursday

This week's Thankful Thursday is brought to you by Noah's moving day! Yup, moved Noah to his first apartment today. So...here's what I'm thankful for...

That even though it felt like a lot of stuff, Noah doesn't actually have too much. We fit it all in two vehicles (and had to make one last trip just for his bike--if we hadn't taken the tv stand that we ended up taking back home and if we'd really had to, we probably could have fit it all...but...we live 10 minutes away so didn't bother trying, lol). Fortunately, too, his apartment came furnished with living room furniture, beds, desks, and dressers. I don't think I'm exaggerating to say that most of the volume of our load was electronics--one large flat screen tv (from our basement that wasn't being used, so happy to have the space back, lol), one large computer monitor and one "regular" sized computer monitor to go with his desktop computer, one laptop, one iPad, etc.

That the move in process was staggered and went very smoothly. Rather than having everyone move in on the same day (as is usually the case), move in was spread out over three days primarily this year, with assigned windows. We pulled up and stayed in the car to get all the paperwork and keys and such and then were able to unload right up front before moving our vehicles. Had everything out and up to his room in about half an hour. 

That the brief rain this afternoon held off until just after we'd gotten everything up to the apartment. :)

That Nathan and Asher were available to help load and unload things. :) Last year it was just Noah and me moving everything, but this year we had Nathan and Asher also. Micah had his one time a week in-person class at CEC today (chemistry lab...that's actually been divided into smaller sections so he only had 9 students in his lab) so wasn't available to help move boxes. (See? There's a small benefit of this pandemic...Asher didn't miss any class to help us, Nathan, working from home, had a more flexible schedule, and staggered move in meant that we were able to pick a time that worked better for us.)

That the apartment, itself, seems good. Every room, except the bathrooms, has windows, so the light was nice. It wasn't the cleanest apartment I've been in but it wasn't bad, really. (It was as if I'd asked teenage boys to clean something versus if I'd cleaned it, lol. Just not quite as thorough, if that makes sense. I wiped everything down when I got there for my own peace of mind and am just ignoring the random dirty sock each guy found under his bed, lol.)

That Noah's roommate didn't mind me hanging out and chatting with him while Nathan took Noah to get some groceries. Noah's apartment is a two bedroom and he's in it with his roommate from last year in the dorms. They're both pretty excited about having their own bedrooms and bathrooms, a nice shared common area and kitchen, and a washer/dryer in their apartment. Even though they lived together last year, too, we didn't actually know much about the roommate because Noah doesn't share much...so it was nice to chat with him and learn more about him as we put away some of the kitchen stuff. Seems like they're a good fit and understand each other. :) 

Here are some not great pictures of their apartment, in progress:

They've still got some unpacking to do, lol. Being guys, though, we'll see how much decor actually happens, lol. (I keep seeing so many pictures of dorm rooms on the CSU parent group and am a little jealous of all the lovely decorations already up in most of the girls' rooms (and some of the guys'). Noah's bedroom growing up, though, doesn't even have anything on the walls, so his lack of inclination to put anything up doesn't surprise us, lol.)

That they let me take this picture just before we left.

(Apologies to the roommate who had just taken a bite of his apple so was trying to smile and not chew, lol.)

And that, on a larger scale, this pandemic hasn't prevented Noah from being able to take this next step on his growing up journey. Obviously, yes, he could have just stayed home with us this school year given all the online classes. But. Living on his own and learning to cook and pay bills and all that is good for him...an education beyond the classroom. :) 

(Course, given the precautions we've been taking as a family, we realize that Noah's now a separate "household" from us...so we won't be having him come home from time to time to just hang out and such. And that's hard. But, we'll just have to find ways...like meeting at a park for a socially distanced picnic. Sigh. Thank goodness for technology and the ability to text and call and even video chat.) 

So, Noah goes to campus tomorrow for a Covid test (required as an employee due to his work study position) and classes start Monday. I think some of his classes are hybrid (not sure what that will mean), some are online only, and some have an in-person lab. 

And now we step back and wish them well and see how this school year goes. :) 

Thankful Thursday

Today's Thankful Thursday is brought to you by Nathan...it's his birthday today! We don't have any big celebration plans because...we celebrated some while in Idaho, we've got a fun thing planned for next month, and the birthday gift I had planned for this year ended up getting canceled by Covid (tickets to a Yo Yo Ma concert down in Denver). ;) Anyhow. We've got a cake here that Noah made and will order a special take out dinner tonight. Join me in wishing him a happy birthday virtually! He's so very appreciated here for all that he does...from the big things like providing for us all and feeding us to the small things like reaching things up high. :) 

Another reason we're not doing anything big tonight is that the past week has been pretty full, lol. We spent last Thursday catching up and doing laundry and restocking things. Friday, we had eye appointments, Micah had a friend's birthday party (outdoor AirSoft so everyone was masked and distanced the entire time for survival, lol), and Asher and Micah both had another friend's birthday party that night (outdoor projected movie in a backyard). Thankful for finding ways to enjoy friends while staying responsible and safe in these pandemic times!

Saturday, Micah had the second day of his drive camp. This one focused even more on skid training, spin control, crash avoidance and emergency situations and decision making. Asher and I got to ride along with him at the end...

...as he went through the course a few times. And then they gathered to finish up:

Thankful for this program and the confidence it's inspired in our boys, along with the security we feel in knowing we're preparing them as best we can to be responsible drivers. 

Monday, then, Micah and I took another road trip. Back at the start of July-ish, I suddenly realized that we wouldn't be able to just walk into our local DMV to get Micah's permit on or after his birthday. Given Covid, the offices that had opened back up here are only taking appointments for certain services (including, of course, drivers permits). When I checked to make an appointment, I discovered that we couldn't get in before the end of September anywhere nearby (within a couple hours). I had a pretty sad boy. 

So. Because I'm awesome like that and because it was his birthday (and maybe also because if he isn't able to get his permit until the end of September then he can't get his license until the end of September 2021...and with Asher off to college next fall, I'd be the one who'd have to drive Micah everywhere, lol)...I checked every DMV in the state and found that I could get him in down in Lamar, CO...a mere four hours away. ;) 

And so we drove to Lamar on Monday. We packed ourselves lunches and ate in the parking lot when we got there...went inside and did what needed doing...and drove home, arriving at dinner time. Micah even drove the first hour on the way home to start logging the required drive time. :) So, thankful for Lamar for being a not very desirable location such that I could get an appointment. Apparently, they've been seeing mostly people from far away, as the situation is playing out across the state. The ladies there seemed fairly happy about being busy.

Micah's permit should arrive in the mail soon, and I've scheduled his three on-street driving sessions with MasterDrive for the coming months. 

And then, as I've already posted, school started Tuesday. Boys seem to have mostly worked out the kinks in the system and are successfully logging in to their classes and completing homework. Thankful that the transition to synchronous classes is taking place this week and next so they can sort out all the technology stuff before also having to figure out how to wake up for their 7:50am classes, lol. (Synchronous classes are ones that will be live at the assigned class time. Asynchronous classes will be recorded such that students can watch that material whenever they're able.)

Lots of other little things happening around here and getting crossed off the lists. Feeling like we're in a bit of a transition period as things are starting up and getting sorted out. I'm looking forward to a couple weeks from now when all three boys' will have all their classes going...when Noah will be in his new apartment...when the next climbing season and schedule will be sorted out...stuff like that. Whew.

First day?

Okay. Soooo. Officially, today's the first day of school for my high schoolers. The school is in online learning mode right now, so we're schooling from home and they're a little grumpy as they're sorting out logins and expectations and such. But, in my attempts to establish normalcy, I made them take first day of school pictures anyhow. They were delighted. ;) 

Those were the best of a LOT of attempts. Trust me. 

I gave them the option of having the pictures in their pajamas...and we thought about taking them in front of each boy's computer set up...but tradition won out and this is what we ended up with. :) 

So, Asher and Micah are at CEC. They're doing online learning until at least mid-October. Lab classes are supposed to be in-person, but we don't have the details yet on how that will happen. We're set to drive through the parking lot to pick up books later this week.

Micah is a sophomore this year. He has four college classes at CEC this semester. He should have one lab actually on campus in-person for chemistry. At the moment, he still has demo team practices at karate and climbing team practices to end out the summer. We're working on setting up somewhat regular times for getting together with friends outdoors in small groups. And he has some personal plans for exercise and learning web design skills on his own. 

Asher is a senior this year. He has two college classes at CEC this semester and one college class at the Front Range Community College Larimer campus. The Front Range class will meet online this fall, with the lab occurring in person. Front Range classes don't begin until August 24, though. He still has demo practices at karate and will spend a portion of the coming months working on college and scholarship applications. He's scheduled to take the ACT and SAT next month, hopefully. We're working on figuring out more exercise opportunities. 

Noah is a junior at CSU this year. He has four classes this year and they'll begin August 24. They're all upper-level mechanical engineering courses and will be a mix of online, hybrid and in-person (two of the classes have labs). Next week, he'll be moving into a two bedroom apartment with his roommate from last year and will be able to bike to campus when needed. He'll also have his LA (learning assistant) position part time for fall.

So, our first day looks a little different...no backpacks or school supplies or heading out the door. But our computers are set up, we've figured out webcams and microphones and all, and logins are being tested. Over the coming weeks, we'll establish more of a routine and figure things out. For now, this is how our 2020-21 school year looks. :)

Thankful Thursday: Roadtrip Edition

Whew. So...we got home late last night. We'd roadtripped to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for a week. Originally, the plan had been to attend a family reunion, but that got cancelled in light of the pandemic. We decided to keep our reservation, though, and basically quarantined ourselves there and enjoyed the change of scenery before the school year starts back up. It was a fantastic decision. :)

Last Wednesday, then, we drove the 1000ish miles from here to Coeur d'Alene and checked in late at night to our timeshare unit. (Technically, check in had occurred over the phone earlier and the attendant just walked our keys out to our car when we arrived. All amenities were closed due to Covid.) Thursday we got settled and Nathan drove into town to get groceries for the week (our unit had a kitchen). We played some board games and just chilled.

Friday we drove around to the other side of the lake (Lake Coeur d'Alene has more than 100 miles of shoreline) and met my baby sister and my mom at a park where my sister's family has their boat docked (it's a private HOA thing...they're in the process of building a cabin there). We visited (outside, socially distanced) for awhile and boys had a picnic lunch before my mom and sister headed out...and I neglected to take a picture. :(

After they'd left, we took advantage of my sister's kind offer to let us borrow their kayaks and boat...

It was a pretty wonderful afternoon on the lake. :)

Then we put everything to rights there and strapped a couple of the kayaks to our van and headed back to our unit for dinner and showers and games. 

Saturday we picked up the two paddleboards we'd reserved and found a lovely spot to put in on a quiet bay. Between the paddleboards and kayaks, we had a fun time on the water...learning our way and exploring the area. I also stacked some rocks, lol. 

Our evening was pretty much the same...back to our unit for dinner and showers and games. 

Sunday, we continued our routine of sleeping in and having a quiet morning...eating lunch at our unit...and then heading out. We went back to the same spot and continued our paddleboard and kayak fun. Nathan's parents joined us there with their kayaks after they'd set up their campsite nearby, and we all visited for awhile on the water (a fairly easy way to maintain social distancing, lol). After that, we each went back to our respective spots for showers and dinner (and returning the rented paddleboards) before meeting up again outside our unit to watch the sunset and celebrate birthdays. 

Once it got dark, we went our separate ways for the night. Monday, we did lunch at our unit again before meeting up with John & Nancy in Coeur d'Alene at Tubbs Hill. We launched Nathan in one of their kayaks and he followed the shoreline as we hiked the loop...stopping at three different points to do a little cliff jumping. Nathan took some videos from the kayak and I took some from the shore but they still weren't terrific (hard to get the right angle). Regardless, we had a really good time! Asher, Micah and I jumped at the first spot...only Asher was brave enough to jump at the next spot (easily twice as high)...and then everyone except Noah jumped at the last spot. (Noah opted to have at least one day where he stayed dry.) The last spot was the least high, Nathan thinks (though pretty close to as high as the first spot). He and Asher switched in the kayak so that Nathan could also jump...and then Asher kayaked back around the shore at the end. 

(Clockwise from the top left: Asher at the first spot, Nathan at the last spot, Asher at the high spot, Nancy at the last spot, me at the first spot, Nathan at the last spot, and Micah at the last spot. John also jumped but I can't share those pictures, lol.) 

Along the way, Micah also did some impromptu rock climbing and Micah and Asher did some swimming. 

And then we got ice cream before separating for dinner and showers and reconvening at John & Nancy's campsite. We sat around the campfire and visited and eventually said our goodbyes, as John & Nancy left the next morning for more travels. (Thank goodness for warm weather and the ability to visit outdoors and socially distanced right now. We figured we'd best take advantage while we're able.)

And then on Tuesday we did lunch at our unit again before heading back around the lake to return Cas' kayaks. When we got there, Nathan and the boys headed out on the boat while Cas, I and her boys did some kayaking and visiting. I got mud flung at me by my six year old nephew, lol, but it was fabulous to visit and enjoy the water. After that, Cas took her guys and headed out and my guys came back to get me for a last boat ride and some pictures before we stowed everything away. We stopped for roadtrip groceries and gas and got back to our unit for dinner, showers and packing everything up. 

(Btw, Noah's contacts are actually transition lenses, so they get darker in the sunshine...hence, he's the only one not wearing sunglasses.)

And Wednesday, we got up extra early and drove the 1000ish miles home (took about 16 hours again). Whew. 

So. That was our roadtrip. This post got really long. ;) I meant to also say that I'm thankful for...

• Cruise control
• Packing for a roadtrip vs packing for a flight (so much easier, particularly when it comes to toiletries and not having to make everything fit into quart size bags, lol)
• Rest areas (encountered pretty nice rest areas, actually...masks were required along the way and everything was clean and stocked)
• The fact that my mom, sister and Nathan's parents were able to meet us for even a little bit (this pandemic has made visiting more complicated but we managed pretty well)
• Sunglasses (I don't usually wear sunglasses but they came in very handy on the water)
• Free wifi (our unit had free wifi, which helped us keep tabs on school decisions that changed while we were gone and also enabled us to chill with some streaming shows)
• Vinnie (Our minivan is named Vinnie...and he's been on a great number of roadtrips and has been reliable and comfortable. He's been to both the Pacific and the Atlantic...to San Diego, Seattle, DC, the Outer Banks and a great many places in between...in the 11.7 years we've had him.)
• Home (there's no place like it)

And now I'm done. Really. Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this post, lol.