According to Aaron: "August is the worst: It's still summer, but there's school and no football yet." My feelings aren't quite as negative as Aaron's; although August does have my least favorite day of the year in it (the first day of school), that's not enough to knock out January or February for me for worst month. August still has long days with beautiful mornings and evenings, so I mostly find it an agreeable and pleasant time, and this particular August brought some nice things, such as . . .
Singing . . . in sacrament meeting. Actually, this happened in July, but I somehow forgot about it even though it happened right at the end of the month. Our family sang the song, "Close as a Quiet Prayer" as a musical number. Although we've performed many musical numbers over the years, we have never sung a song together. This may well be our first and only time performing something with all eight of us. It felt really special to me. And Silas put his heart into it and sung all the words with gusto. We had to move the mic away from him so he didn't completely take over.
Going . . . out for a birthday lunch. My parents came over a few days after Aaron's birthday and took him to lunch. Or rather, he took them (he drove), but they paid.
Packing . . . in the plays. I have wanted to go to the Utah Shakespeare Festival for years, and we finally made it happen! We drove down to Cedar City with our longtime friends, Tim and Ashley. (Fun fact: we used to have season tickets to Hale Center Theater with them, so our mutual love of theater goes way back.) We went to The Importance of Being Earnest on Friday night, Twelfth Night on Saturday morning, and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Saturday afternoon. It was such a fun weekend: the plays were so good with exceptional talent, and all the time with the Shawcrofts was a treat. Also, I just loved the general vibe in Cedar City: rubbing shoulders with lots of other theater lovers, seeing the same people at the afternoon play that you had seen at lunch a couple hours before, all the extra attractions that we didn't even know about before we went (outdoor performances, lectures, behind-the-scenes, etc.). Out of the three, I think Twelfth Night was probably my favorite, which is kind of funny because it was done by a traveling theater group from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, so there weren't even any costumes or sets, but I just thought they were phenomenal (Shakespeare made sense in a way he never has before!). Anyway, it took us a long time to finally plan a trip to the Shakespeare Festival, but I would be very surprised if we didn't go again next year (and the next, etc. etc.).
Hanging . . . out with FSY friends. Aaron and Bradley, along with their friend, George, drove to Kaysville one afternoon to spend time with three friends they had met at FSY the month before. Even though Aaron and Bradley had been in two different groups, they happened to have a sister in Aaron's group and a brother in Bradley's group. George had been Aaron's roommate, and the sister also had a friend for a roommate. So it was the six of them who met up for the afternoon and stayed well into the evening playing volleyball and other games and chatting. (But no photos because sometimes teenagers forget about such important things.)
Helping . . . his best friend move into the neighborhood. Clark and Jude have been friends since they were babies. We used to live on the same street and were so sad to lose them as neighbors when we moved. However, they also wanted to find a house in the same neighborhood we had moved to. They have been looking for the last five years, exploring every possible option and seriously considering every single house. And it finally happened! They bought a house just one street over from us. To say Clark was excited would be an understatement. He showed up, in bare feet no less, on the day they moved in and helped carry in boxes and put together furniture. He was just so eager and happy to have his friend back within walking distance, and they have been hanging out pretty much every day since.
Spending . . . lots of time on the balcony. It's been a long time coming, but the balcony is finally becoming the comfy hangout we wanted it to be. We still have more to do, but we got a sectional for it, which increased the comfort level by at least ten-fold. I have been going out pretty much every morning to write or knit and watch the sun come up. Even when I want to sleep in a little bit, the early mornings call me. They just could not be any nicer, and I can't stand the thought of missing even one of them.
Taking . . . a tour of Hale Center Theater. Max and Bradley went with the teachers quorum in our ward for a backstage tour of Hale Center Theater. They got to see the costume workroom, basement, and green room. They saw some of the large set pieces for Frozen and Phantom. They went up in the roof where so much of the magic happens. They talked to one of the set designers who is in charge of programming all of the movement (they found out he used to work for Disney and helped design the Rise of the Resistance ride). Having been to many plays at Hale over the last couple of decades, I was jealous they got a glimpse behind the scenes.
Attending . . . the most perfect wedding. Our nephew, Steven, married Maddie, and it was such a joyful day. We went to the sealing at the Taylorsville temple, luncheon at Wheeler Farm, and reception at Heritage Park. There might have been some stresses behind the scenes, but from our point of view, it was completely perfect, right down to the fall-like temperatures for the outdoor reception in the middle of August. It seemed like a good omen. At the luncheon, both sets of parents, all the siblings, and Maddie and Steven all spoke. In general, I would anticipate twelve speeches to be something of a drag, but that was not the case with these: they were short, entertaining, and so cute and sweet. Overall, it was a beautiful day celebrating Steven and Maddie, and we felt blessed to be a part of it.
Cutting . . . out treats for a month. My sister, Anna, was doing a no-sugar challenge. I thought it would be good for me, so I joined her. But honestly, it was kind of the worst. Not only did my kids seem to be making chocolate chip cookies all the time (my very favorite treat), but there were just a lot of occasions throughout the month where dessert was part of a celebration or event, and it felt like I wasn't fully participating since I wasn't eating. What's more, I didn't feel like I was getting any real benefit: I didn't have more energy, my skin wasn't magically clearer, I didn't lose my taste for it, and I didn't lose any weight. (Actually, I take that back a little--I didn't have any canker sores for the whole month, and that is super rare for me, so I'm going to credit the lack of sugar for that.) Anyway, I'm all for eating lots of fruits and vegetables and whole foods, but I'm not ready to cut out treats from my life entirely because I think they play an important role.
Eating . . . ice cream. Speaking of treats, I lost no time going out for ice cream after my treat fast was over (it went from mid-July to mid-August). Mike and I had been wanting to try Blacksmith Ice Cream. We were a little deterred by the incredibly long line going out the door but figured there must be a line for a reason. And . . . we were pretty hooked from first bite. The ice cream has a nice consistency--very stretchy--and the flavors are top notch. We got a flight of four, and then the next week we went back with the Gardners and got another flight of four. So we've now tried eight flavors and haven't been disappointed by any of them.
Wondering . . . how things become instantly popular. A few weekends ago, Aaron texted to say he and his friends were in the middle of KPop Demon Hunters and was it okay if he wasn't home by curfew? That was the first time I had heard of KPop Demon Hunters but within days, it was everywhere. Everyone, from 3-year-olds to 60-year-olds, from Utah to Great Britain, were talking about it, watching it, and singing along with the music on constant repeat. It was kind of crazy how fast it took over, and I have to admit that even though I haven't watched the movie from start to finish, I do know the words to most of the songs. (Also, if he hadn't strictly forbidden it, I would share a video of Clark singing and dancing to Soda Pop with Ian and Silas. Pretty cute.)
Surviving . . . the first day of school. We were not done with summer; we did not want school to start. But the day came just the same, and now we're on the other side of it. I don't know how to not be sad about my kids getting older. It's not that I don't like the people they're turning into; on the contrary, I think they're pretty fabulous. It's just that these days with all of them still at home feel so fleeting, especially this year with Aaron being a senior. I am not ready for this change that is barreling towards me. (Aaron, 12th; Maxwell, 10th; Bradley, 8th; Clark, 6th; Ian, 3rd; Silas, preschool.)
Beginning . . . preschool. People have been asking me where Silas is going to preschool this year, and the answer is, "Home!" I had negative desire for him to go to preschool two or three times a week, and he felt the same. I am in absolutely no hurry for him to grow up and leave me; I'm savoring every minute of having him be my little guy at home with me. Last year, following my sister-in-law's recommendation, I had purchased a digital preschool program (Playing Preschool from Busy Toddler), but then I didn't do a single thing with it--not even one lesson. I had more obligations last year, and I couldn't figure out a way to do it consistently, plus Silas still seemed pretty young, so I didn't even try. This year, I was fully committed: I had the curriculum printed off and bound, I purchased all the supplies and cleared out a space to keep them, and I came up with a planning schedule so I would always be ready to teach. We jumped right in on the first day of school (I needed it to distract me), and it has been the best thing. I love spending this time engaged in learning with Silas every morning. We sing songs, read books, do crafts, practice writing, and do learning activities, all based around a specific theme. I did preschool like this with the older boys, but it was always in a co-op setting. I have to say, I love this so much more: I don't have to wrangle five preschoolers for a couple of hours or stress about messy crafts getting out of control or feel like I can't let up my engagement for even two minutes or I'll completely lose them. Silas and I rarely do it for more than 45 minutes at a time; we can use the time very efficiently, and when he's done, we can just stop. It's just the best. We both are having such a good time with it.
Playing . . ."All of Me," dare I say, ad nauseam. Aaron learned the popular piano solo "All of Me" by Jon Schmidt. It's fast and loud and percussive and energizing. If you listen to a recording of Jon Schmidt playing it, it is wicked fast, but Aaron's tempo has been gradually creeping up throughout the month so he's not that far behind Jon now. It's super fun to play (I should know--I also played it a lot when I was 17), but for those of us listening to it day after day, hour after hour, well, we might be happy if he moved onto something else.
Utilizing . . . the library again. I have two library cards--one for the city system and one for the county system. I haven't used my city card at all in probably the last decade. And to be honest, even my use of the county library has been reserved to mostly audiobooks and just a few physical books over the last couple of years. But I'm back to getting my full money's worth. Preschool with Silas has been the instigator because I have found that I can't get a lot of the books I need from the county library (mostly because the county system won't reserve board books). So I've been back at the city library picking up a stack of books and watching Silas play in the children's area that brings back so many memories of doing the same with little Aaron and little Max. I've also been finally taking advantage of reserving digital items with my city card--I don't know why it took me so long to add that card to my Libby account. It feels good to be a frequent library patron again. :-)
Attending . . . book club(s). As far as my own reading, I have not been good about logging my books, so let's see if I can even remember what I have finished over the past couple of months:
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (read this aloud to Ian, and it took us months to finish.)
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (read this for book club; pretty much hated it and would not recommend.)
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons (read this for my book club with Sarah and loved it. Just the kind of story and writing I was needing.)
I'm in the middle (and almost done) with several more, but I guess that's it as far as completed books. Kind of pitiful.
Fluffing . . . his hair. Aaron started embracing the textured waviness of his hair a few months ago. I didn't have a strong opinion of it either way but then realized I had seen that hair style somewhere before (see below), and now I'm all in!
Borrowing . . . toys. On our Thursdays with my parents, we have been going on walks, foraging in the garden, and playing at the park/splash pad, but Silas has been particularly enjoying playing with all of their retro toys from the 90's and early 2000's, especially the transformers and Rescue Heroes. Each week, he borrows one to take home and then brings it back the next week so he can trade it out for another one.
Auditioning . . . for jazz band. Clark decided he had nothing to lose and auditioned for jazz band a week into the school year. He started taking lessons from the same teacher Max takes from, but still knew his chances of making it as a sixth grader were slim. And then, he was not happy with how he played at his audition at all. However, the results came in, and he made it! The band teacher moved him to tenor sax, but Clark didn't mind a bit. I'm glad he and Bradley can have this year of jazz band together.
Plugging . . . away on projects. The only thing I finished was the hat for the class I'm teaching in September. However, I made a ton of progress on a cardigan, as well as a secret project for someone in my knitting group. I also cut out a couple of patterns to sew--hopefully I'll get to them soon!
Playing . . . with friends. Somehow, I ended up saying yes to three different people to watch their kids on the same morning. Silas was in heaven (he could seriously play with friends all day . . . as long as he doesn't have to leave me). I usually think it's harder to have more kids than fewer, but in this case, they all played so well together, I didn't have to intervene much at all.
Swimming . . . at the pool for the last time this summer. We definitely did not go to our neighborhood pool as much as we do some summers. In fact, I don't think Max set foot inside it even once. But Ian and Silas especially still loved it. This was the year that Ian bought his own popsicle card with 20 punches and used all of them in about four weeks. It was also the year that Silas turned into a little fish and jumped into the water over and over again and floated on his back and loved to swim back and forth to me. Besides our pool, this month we also went to our friends' neighborhood pool for a little end-of-summer party. Silas especially loved this because he got to jump off the diving board (something he isn't allowed to do at our pool).
Feeling . . . so happy because football started again. I began this post by saying that Aaron hates August in part because of its lack of football. So no one was happier than him when BYU had their first game at the end of the month.
That's a wrap on August and summer!
