I admit it – I am a fair-weather land owner. When the sun is shining, I will happily clear fallen limbs, stack wood, and run the burn pile. Taking long breaks at the beach with a lunch and magazines is also on the to-do list. We had no trouble getting boys to help out, but of course, they want down time too! Zach split his down time between the comics page and throwing pitches. Being Koenigs, we have about ten projects going at once: finishing up the deck, the door on the shed, making furniture, and splitting/sawing wood, pruning fruit trees, etc.

Hope to be up and running with the wall tent early this year, but we’ve been saying that for a while now….

Last week, we found out that our beautiful home was once home to several dozen young college men in the 1960′s – as a FRATERNITY.

Now, I had heard many stories from neighbors about the last three families to hang their hats at 3722 N. 8th St., but I never would have guessed that this elegant home had ever housed frat boys.

Two older gentleman came to our door last weekend, hoping that they could take a peek at the attic, which once housed 8 pledges at a time – including themselves. Amazing! Considering you can only stand up straight in the center of the room!

We hope to learn more from these guys when they come back for a tour, since Joe was on his way out the door to a meeting when they knocked. But in the meantime, it doesn’t take much (with a memory of how fraternities function, and three hearty boys who often have friends over) to imagine what these walls have seen and heard!

 

This is a busy, busy time. Boys have many activities, often at the same time. Joe has many projects,

at work and home.

Jen has classes three afternoons a week, an internship and two part-time jobs.

Too much. Even though we are all saturated with ‘have tos’, we get cozy and snuggled together every evening.

Getting through winter for me has always about putting on jammies as soon as I walk in the door

in the evening, and reading a lot.

This winter, we are eating more quesadilla dinners, and reading more high-falutin’ research than fluff.

We still know what is important – being together… and marking the days until March 8th, when classes are

DONE!!!

 

The boys are changing with every holiday!

This year our Halloween was super mellow, with boys assembling their own costumes and goulish makeup, and the candy-eating did not cause mayhem. We simply hung out with friends, enjoyed the dry (!) night and then warmed up by the fire.

The Thanksgiving weekend was lovely – filled with cousins and food and even in the rain, we had fun. Movies and games and walks kept us entertained when the food lost it’s focus.

Perhaps because of their parents’ nutty work schedule this fall, the boys have had somewhat low expectations for this Advent season. Usually any forgotten Christmas tradition, like a TV special or holiday candy, is lamented (loudly) by one or more boys. This year, they are so forgiving. We’ve forgotten tons of things: we forgot to make our countdown paper chains, and when I remembered (Day 10!), no one cared. When the dog ate one boy’s entire chocolate advent calendar, he didn’t even fuss. Another brother offered to share his treats without asking. Raffi’s Christmas album is getting far less play this year, since the kitchen radio is constantly manipulated by Top 40-seeking boys.

So much for the holidays bringing stress: tonight we danced and embarrassed the kids while we made dinner and cut snowflakes and packed boxes and watched Aidan make his school’s potluck offering. I think the idea that we should/or can create traditional holidays has slowly given way to the reality of simply being with our kids, and stepping back to watch the holidays unfold.

Man-hike with firstborn. Olympic National Park.

And so it begins – now he is 13.

 

 

you need to get on a plane, or in a boat, or drive and then put on your hiking boots and just walk away from the kids, the dogs, the work, the phones and the computer. You need to escape with the person you chose to spend your life with and yet sometimes see the least, and enjoy the beautiful days of September.

 

So, the morning went off without too much fuss. Zach: Lowell Elementary (3rd), , Aidan: 7th grade at Bryant Montessori, Charlie: first year at Jason Lee Middle School (6th). For the next week, we are hoping to get the older boys trained in safe biking routes as well as the public bus that leaves one block from here and ends up at both of their schools. OF COURSE they start at different times, and can’t go together. grrr. Charlie walked in a pack from his school to Zach’s today, and enjoyed the socializing with kids from last year.

Other than not having classes with their best buddies, the boys report that things are ‘fine’, ‘good’ and ‘okay’. All of the boys seem to have handled the changes of new teachers/schedules with grace. Next week will be the true test – after we enjoy a three day weekend, and 80 degree weather (unheard of for Labor Day weekend around here!).

 

Even though the weather took it’s own sweet time getting here, we made the most of our family gatherings this summer. We camped on Lopez Island and at Kalaloch – enjoying the company of our dear Demings and Regans. Then, last weekend, we hopped over to Port Townsend for the big Regan clan get-together, and it was wonderful. Not only was it fun to re-connect with lovely relatives, the weather was spectacular in one of our favorite towns.

Even though we all don’t live in the same city, it is such a joy to see all of these cousins snap together so easily for fun and games. I know that my cousins were a huge part of my childhood, even though we may not have seen each other more than twice per year. Of course we’d love to make that more frequent!

 

 

We had such a good time relaxing, reading, swimming and going on nature walks, that we often forgot to take photos of regular, non-touristy Costa Rica.

Here is a sampling of what we saw:

Downtown Cahuita, where we stayed a week:

When Costa Rica lost a match to Panama, we had a hard time getting service

Beach trail:

Zach is quite the stray dog whisperer.