Playtime

Lately, I’ve had a pretty exaggerated sense of nostalgia. It could be kids barreling towards young adulthood, trying to manage the incredibly early pitch black or the news or social media or the news about social media, but either way, I have a real hankering for what feels cozy. Whether it be familiarity or simplicity,…

Last weekend, while trying to stay the course during a power outage, the kids and I packed up our book report, history notes and rechargeable batteries to the Lynnwood Library to use their lights, Wi-Fi, outlets and heater. We had friends charging up at their hockey practices and others just resorting to candles for the…

Getting the most bang for my buck on a kid’s Halloween costume was a big priority when they were younger. Now that they’re older there are fewer pre-func opportunities and in our case, waning interest as well. On top of the return of Halloween Trick-or-Treat Night in downtown Edmonds after a COVID hiatus, I found…

After being thrilled it finally rained, moving the smoke out of our area, it didn’t take long to remember what it’s like to navigate daily activities when it’s wet out. School pick-up took longer than it did before, and the school dance I just did the drop-off carpool for required jackets and even an umbrella….

We talk about social media algorithms a lot these days, mainly because my youngest asks to watch Instagram reels with my husband some nights in hopes to delay bedtime. Some nights they just have a bad algorithm and don’t get any good videos and some nights their video sesh is oohs and aahs, oh nos,…

Last weekend, thanks to a generous gift from a neighbor, the adults in our house put the calendars aside and did an Edmonds Kind of Saturday (late afternoon/early evening before hockey practice). After visiting Puget Sound Bird Fest and seeing a great talk about the Union Bay Natural Area, also known as the Montlake Fill,…

As it turns out, my house has entered the Bob Ross “No mistakes. Only Happy Accidents” poster phase in our end-of-summer mood management program. It is a program that also includes random yet audible realizations that summer is almost over, continued wrangling over when summer school assignments will be finished, and a million lists and…

In the mid 2000s, I joined a message board for an online pregnancy magazine as recommended by my high school best friend who was a few months ahead of me, gestationally speaking. This was a chance to see what others were experiencing and to relate to those who also shared a need for stretchy pants…

On the way out of the Lynnwood Library, after picking up another round of holds, there was an adorable flier with a cartoon space shuttle and brightly-colored planets flying out of a wide open book that read “Countdown to Kindergarten: 100 Essential Picture Books.” Now the time leading up to kindergarten looks a bit different…

We have family in town next weekend and I find myself asking a question I see on local parent corners of social media, ‘what can we do around here to entertain the kids in our group?’ This time, the age range will spread from a newly minted teen to a newly minted high school graduate…

A pit stop at the new Lake Ballinger fishing pier in Mountlake Terrace was the perfect way to decompress after one of the last days of school this week – it was also a decent antidote to the seasonal section at Target replacing beachy outdoor items with school supplies — yes, already. I had only…

While I started today’s column excited to share summer options for school meal sites, play options, and outdoor movies, I saw a headline a few days old with some good news for students in our state. Students absent from school due to their mental health will now be able to have those absences excused in…

On the precipice of having both of my kids officially be teenagers, my attempts at ignoring it were repeatedly interrupted by of all things, emails. I got an email from Google telling me that my almost 13-year-old would have more access to the gmail account we signed him up for — well, the one where…

We just counted the number of school days left, as one with a teenager does, to inform phrases like “c’mon… there are less than 20 school days left” or “I know… but there are only 20 school days left.” It is a true sign that the end of the school year is near, kind of…

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As I looked around for some stats to lead into some local free resources, it is clear that the need is widespread and that the pandemic “exacerbated existing disparities in mental health services.” Many of us can see the negative effects, though some found a better fit in remote…

I just finished listening to a library book, Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia Wrede. The book was recommended to me by Annie Carl, owner of The Neverending Bookshop in Perrinville, as I was shopping for a Christmas present for a tween. Sure, it’s a fantasy book whose age range is 10 to 12 year olds…

Sometime in the last few weeks, amid an iOS update or a well-intentioned yet ill-advised choice, the notifications for my reminders on my phone were turned off. The length to which I depend on this function answers the question, Would I remember as much without my phone? The answer is a resounding “no” over the…

After checking on the Summer Music School page of the Edmonds School District website for good news (for what seems like the entire last two years,) it finally reads “Summer Music is Baaaaaack!” in bright red type. While slightly amended, Summer Music School in the Edmonds School District is happening this summer — the main…

Spring break in the Edmonds School District is April 4-8. My kids are at an age where they definitely require less spring break maintenance but it seemed to sneak up on us this year. Maybe it is because I feel like it is going by faster now that one is in high school or maybe…

Cherry blossom pictures have been a large part of my social media feed this week. The trees in the University of Washington Quad are in full bloom and while this year my only view has been via other peoples’ pictures, it looks incredible. I have seen how incredible it is in person once before. We…

The first semester in the Edmonds School District wrapped up and now it’s time for summer camp registration?!? I understand all of the reasons cities and other care providers have to plan this far ahead, but it doesn’t mean that the gauntlet of finding care and predicting the needs and interests of your kids isn’t…

In an effort to fill the time while I sit in the car waiting for a kid to do their outdoor sports practice in a spot that’s too far away to come home for (with something other than doomscrolling), I sought out some options. I tried reading, and also an audiobook but then I needed…

A couple of years ago at Edmonds Comedy Night, when we freely shared aerosols, either carefree from lack of knowledge or carefree from the generous pour at Edmonds Center for the Arts, Kermet Apio — local parent, comedian, host and co-founder of the event — made a joke about his daughter injuring herself rolling her…

Just this week, I was sent a video of a friend’s kid finding out she was accepted to a college she applied to, saw a post about another friend’s teen driving themselves to practice, and got a text in a group chat that included info on Running Start via Edmonds College. If you are interested…

From time to time, one of us will randomly remember something we miss due to the way our lives have changed due to COVID. The most recent one was the Alaska Air Fruit and Cheese plate, which is something you can purchase on the flight between here and where most of my family lives. While…