I look up and see people walking with their phones out. They stop, do something on their phones, and then start walking. They look around, they stop and are on their phones again. I hear stories on the radio: boys foil a car theft playing Pokemon Go, teens find body in river playing Pokemon Go, come to the game, we will have lures set. What is all the hype, I had to find out. I downloaded the app with John and started walking.  I walked and walked and walked.  We went to Hovander and played, we walked around Ferndale and played, but not only that I found things out about my town. We headed to Boulevard Park, the meca for Pokemon. This time I took my camera and decided to photograph what I learned by playing Pokemon. First up was the marker between Fairhaven and Old Bellingham. It talks about how both towns came to be and how they merged together. Then onto the beautiful boardwalk along the water. Each bench place along the boardwalk was donated in memory of someone and includes something they were known for. I call it the memorial benches and I had no idea that they each had a little dedication to someone. We kept strolling and playing and talking. There was the tree that I see so many photos of and I've taken my share of photos as well.  The old boardwalk that is blocked off due to safety reasons, and the trail that leads to downtown Bellingham. There were more Pokestops where you could earn balls, but I found it interesting that there were so many interesting things along the way and it was incorporated into the game. You could play without taking the time to learn or you could learn along the way.  I do find it interesting that someone has come up with a video game that incorporates being outside and walking in order to play.  It was fun for a while but I'm not a video game kind of gal.  Job does jump on his unicycle and bike around the neighborhood to "hatch" an egg in the game.  We have stopped and talked to complete strangers and laughed because of the game finding something in common with others I may have completely overlooked or dismissed.  I see it as a game that incorporates being outside and moving and nothing more and I applaud the creators of the game for doing so.  It is amazing how they were able to pinpoint so many little things all over the US and other countries and release it all at once.  It must have taken a considerable amount of time to come up with it or to write a program that can search for things like a specific memorial placque or mural in each town. So I guess, I could say that I am pro-Pokemon for all that it can encourage.

He's been in Pullman for less than a week, but I really wanted to see him settled.  It had been about 23 years since I was there. I went to school at Moscow Idaho for a year and hadn't been back since then.  Moscow is only 8 miles or so away from Pullman.  Both towns have Universities despite being so close. When I was there, they shared some classes which was great and even had a bus that went between campuses. We arrived on a very warm Saturday afternoon and caught up with Isaac.  He had just finished lunch at the cafeteria and met us at him dorm building. One of three high rise dorm buildings on campus.  800 plus students live in these buildings. When we were there only one of two elevators were working and so we used the stairs.  He only lives on the 6th floor so it really wasn't a big deal. He gave us a round about walking tour of the campus.  Still learning his way around and some time directionaly challenged we were able to see the wheat fields bordering campus as we louped our way around the edge, then checked out the rec center which was amazing. We skirted the football stadium and entered the CUB from the opposite direction, walked across the mall and back to his dorm. After taking stock of what he needed, John and I went to Wal-mart while Isaac went off to an activity for incoming freshman.  Wal-Mart was an education in itself. I think the university students support that store with beer purchases.  They had the shelves stacked full and then three cases deep in the isle with beer.  We purchased Isaac some food, well lots of food, and a window fan.  There is no air conditioning in the buildings and the campus is built on a series of hills.  It was in the mid 90s and that started at 7 am. He needed a fan.  We met his roommate who was on his computer the whole time. (Watch the Middle.  I swear someone knows my life that writes for that show.) Then we went for dinner.  Isaac's only stipulation was no pizza.  Wow I never thought that I would hear that come out of his mouth. We made plans to pick him for church the next morning.  Our hotel was in Lewiston due to the fact every hotel in Pullman was booked. It was only an hour away.
I wasn't really anxious or sad about Isaac moving to Pullman.  It was time and that was the next step in him really growing up.  What I wanted was for him to be grounded in his faith. Its what I still want. I wanted to find a church he could call home and I think he's still looking just not as hard as I am praying. We found a church whose sole mission is to minister to college students.  The people are a very kind and welcoming but the message was soft. Isaac said there was no depth to it and he was right. I was hoping he'd get involved in a small group bible study to find the depth but that hasn't happened yet.  We keep encouraging him and he goes to church occasionally.  Going to this church did make me feel good though in that there are people who are seeking to serve the college population and he just needs to get plugged in somehow.  It might just not be at that church. Still I pray but not with an anxious heart but one that has hope.

We've spent 18 years with this boy. This is what we've been preparing for. This move to adulthood. It isn't about moving out to live somewhere else. It is about the move from child to adult. It's about the end to parenting and the beginning of a relationship between adults. He has to make his own decisions, evaluate what works and doesn't work and make those changes.  I no longer can tell him those things. I can offer advice when asked for. I can pray. I can call to talk but the time for parenting is done. He needs this time to learn about being the adult in a way that living at home or even near home can never do. He needs to be able to chose his own path, not only long term but daily. I am on the sidelines and no longer an active player in his life.  It doesn't mean that we don't talk or that he doesn't need encouragement but it does mean that it is on his terms. Do I miss him? That is a loaded question. Of course. I miss the laughter around the house that he brings. I miss his insight into different situations. I miss his help and his encouragement. Yet there is another side to that coin.  I don't miss being treated as his staff. I don't miss the mess.  Those garbage bags, well its his clothes that lined his closet and his floor. He can take that mess with him to college and figure that "organization" skill out at school because for 16 of those 18 years, I've been trying to cram it down his throat. I don't miss empty milk jugs on the counter or the fact that I couldn't keep enough bread and cereal in the house. And I think that he might just miss something of home - probably the dog and unlimited access to food.

When the kids were little I cleaned the house by myself while having toddlers, which doesn't really work. By the time one room is dusted and vacuumed another room is trashed or they just come right behind you with a trail of toys.  Then they got older and were able to start helping, funny thing is it took me longer to clean with helpers than on my own.  I had to watch and teach and then check to make sure they accomplished the task correctly. That lasted years. Cleaning the house was just part of homeschooling.  Although looking back I think I should have hired it out and done more fun stuff with the kids instead of trying to be a great homeschooling mom, have a clean house, run errands, cook and do laundry.  There would always have been time to teach them later. Why did I think I had to do it all?  Having a clean house helps me think and I don't feel overwhelmed with work, if the house is clean.  However, I have no idea why I thought I needed to do it.  There are plenty of tasks that are hired out.  My advice to myself if I could do it again would be to hire a house cleaner if I was homeschooling and just plan a day at the library or field trip once a week.  Make memories not an overwhelming tower of expectation.  Fast forward to this year, I can finally have the kids help out and we can clean the whole house in about an hour!  I could have taught this summer time or as they were older and we would still be able to clean house in an hour today.

A missions trip came up this year. We really weren't sure about it but took the plunge and sent both Job and Lona.  Lona was originally the one invited but they were short kids and we volunteered Job to go as well.  It was with Emmanuel Bible Church's high school youth group:  IBC Recall.  I went to the meeting, gathered information, signed all the papers and went home to inform the kids what their mission's trip was going to be like.  The schedule was grueling: up and going by 6 am, activities such as painting and evangelizing all day, return for dinner, group gathering and bed by 11 pm. This was the pattern Tuesday through Friday.  It was daunting and there was a list of items to be had before they left.  They needed work pants and shirts and gloves.  We gathered supplies, clothes and money; packed them up and sent them off on a Sunday morning in a van full of kids and leaders. No phones, no internet, no connection to us until the following weekend.  I did text one of the leaders just to make sure all was OK.  We knew a little bit, they were staying in Oakland, California and that was about it.  It was all trust on our part, and adventure on theirs.  They were introduced to Inn and Out Burger.  Lona came home with a hat.  They stayed at a church with other kids from all over.  80 girls and 4 shower stalls without curtains.  That was remedied quickly. Kids were split into groups depending upon grades I think and sent off on work groups.  Job went with a leader, Gary and developed quite the relationship with him.  At one point, Job forgot his wallet when they went to dinner and Gary loaned him money.  He paid him back but paid too much.  When Gary returned home, he realized what Job did and sent him a letter.  Job read it and told me that the letter was "really neat and I'm going to save it in my room." To me that was impactful.   Lona had stories, stories about pink and blue mixing to purple.  The boys are blue, the girls are pink and there is no purple, but girls and boys still looked and flirted.  She is not into that.  Some days they arrived too late for dinner or they didn't get breakfast because they ran out of food but they loved it.  She said it was like being on an overseas mission trip.  There were bars on the windows, sirens and gunshots each night, drug deals across the street but they both loved it and want kids from our youth group to experience the same thing. The way home was an adventure as well.  They ran across the Golden Gate Bridge and hung out in Walgreens trying on little shirts for 2 hours while the flat tire was being fixed.  There were negatives but they all sounded like it was positive for them.  It was part of the adventure.