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. When I sit down each week to scan through my screenshots of posts/events/options I’ve saved over the week – I’ve always utilized this option but my focus is worse than ever, a truth validated by Tina Fey’s appearance on the season finale of Saturday Night Live last week, “I can’t focus anymore” — there is often a trend. This week in my feed and life, it is less yeast, still some banana bread, and now more bike talk.

Having a bike for myself isn’t something I’ve thought of in a long time. Since nice weather is becoming more frequent during our time at home, I’ve heard a lot about adults riding bikes this week. I’m not talking about the fancy bikes with special shoes and shiny clothes, but more like any ol’ bike that takes you away from your house.

This week there is a chance for your elementary-aged student to win a bike, plus, Storytime Zoom meeting, a virtual 5K supporting Girls on the Run, and other options for fun at home.

Both the Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace Library Facebook pages have posts about a Bikes for Book Talks contest for readers ages 5 to 11. Supported by the Mill Creek Masonic Lodge #243, both posts say that they have two bikes to give away to two lucky readers. The contest begins on Monday, May 18 with all of the particulars to be posted that day on both Facebook.com/LynnwoodLibrary and Facebook.com/MountlakeTerraceLibrary.

The Edmonds Library announced this week that Ms. Kat will be bringing Storytime to Facebook Live and Zoom starting the week of May 18. You can join them on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live for Preschool Storytime, for the 3 to 5 age group. During this time, Ms. Kat will share “fun books, sing-along songs and creative activities that prepare young minds for the adventures of reading.” On Thursdays at 9 a.m. they will have Baby & Me Storytime on Zoom, which will require pre-registration. This class is for babies 0-18 months and promises “fun and engaging” activities — the library says that the toddlers “haven’t been forgotten” and that something is on the horizon for them. You can find more information and registration for the Baby & Me Storytime at Sno-Isle.org.

In the spirit of encouraging families to keep moving forward during this challenging time, Girls on the Run of Snohomish County is offering a virtual Celebration 5K and Festival. The event, which is open to everyone, will take place from May 29 to May 31. For $35 you get a training plan, race bib, swag bag, finisher’s certificate and a special 5th birthday medal. If running isn’t for you, GOTR also has Physical Activity Cards, which include “fun physical activity challenges that celebrate the joy of movement and highlight some of the important lessons that girls learn throughout our program. The group had to cancel all of its spring classes and its in-person 5K, which had a profound impact on their financial situation. This Virtual 5k, while offering options for activity, will also raise critical funds so GOTR can support girls next year with the supportive programming they’ll need post-pandemic.

It has been so wonderful to see this organization start in Snohomish County and grow into the force that it has become in the community. I’ve watched friends help build the program, been inspired by founder and Executive Director Megan Wolfe as she shared the message the program teaches participants, watched people I know participate as coaches or students, and recently visited their new office, which is filled with the same welcoming energy the program teaches. If you are interested, you can find more information and registration at GirlsontheRunSnoCo.org/5k.

Edmonds Parks and Recreation is offering its Beach Ranger Program Online for FREE this spring. “To continue to provide marine education to our area’s students, the City of Edmonds has created a series of six videos that presents our spring Beach Ranger program online.” The videos, most suitable for students from kindergarten to 5th grade, are around 3 to 4 minutes long and meant for viewing in order as each lesson builds on the previous. The content includes information on what lies beneath the shore in Edmonds including anemones, sea stars, eelgrass and moon snails, and wraps up with “How to be a Beach Hero.” You can find all the videos on the City of Edmonds YouTube Channel.

The city is also offering an option for your class to call in for a virtual question-and-answer session with a beach ranger. You can contact Environmental Education & Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Leach for more information and scheduling at Jennifer.Leach@EdmondsWA.gov.

I saw on the Edmonds Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Facebook that Meadowdale Preschool Director Mrs. Parker has been working hard to keep in contact with her students, even though they aren’t in school right now. They posted a picture of a socially distant Mrs. Parker and a smiling student at the Meadowdale Preschool drive-thru packet pick up. The city took the opportunity to let us know that there are still a few spaces left in Meadowdale Preschool for the fall. My oldest went to Meadowdale Preschool with Mrs. Parker and we couldn’t love her or the program more. We met friends there that we still have now and are really grateful for Mrs. Parker’s influence on the beginning of his education. For more information and registration you can visit EdmondsWA.gov.

Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline is a great part of a Seahawks game and they are a big deal in our house. With two kids into percussion, we’ve been following them for some time. Years ago, we went to an event where they were and after performing, they all posed for a picture with my oldest and gave him multiple sets of used drum sticks that he has to this day. I was excited to see that they are offering weekly challenges. The most recent challenge includes a song that up to five people can play and features “instruments” that might be found at home. You can use a spatula and a cardboard box, wooden spoons and salad bowls, pan lids, or a box cheese grater and butter knife. We have meant to do this for our daily (ok, we intend to do it daily, but we miss the mark a lot) “lunch and learns,” where we try something new or do an activity to get everyone some face time before we disperse again, but we had a lot of noon time obligations this week. I am really looking forward to this one. The Seahawks are also offering a TikTok challenge with the Seahawks dancers and an opportunity to meditate with Blitz. You can find all of these options on Facebook.com/BlueThunderDrumline or on Seahawks.com.

At the end of the week, I saw Ikea furniture forts making the rounds on social media. The plans read like any Ikea furniture instructions with pictures and titles with umlauts. Our house is full of Ikea-brand furnishings — kitchen table chairs, cabinets, dressers, beds, and a desk — and we still don’t have the exact items modeled in the instructions, but the instructions are still a fun idea and made of many common furniture items. Plus, sometimes just the idea coming from a third party is a good enough reason for a kid to consider it. You can find the directions HERE.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time.