Dan, Roxi, & the crew's visit

So right on the heels of Laurie and her 4 leaving we had Dan & Roxanne's family come for their visit. We were already in the party mode and ready to have fun when they showed up. We could hardly wait to get started and spend time with them. It was kind of weird switching gears from one family to the next. Laurie had such a limited time that we packed in several things in one day. Dan & Roxi had a whole week so we were a bit slower to get started.

My kids were so ready for some family time that the time seemed to crawl by till we had our first event. We went out to a Marnier's baseball game. This was the first time I think Andrew has ever gone and maybe a 2nd time for Megan. The feedback was it was awesome but boring at the same time. I think it was just fun to be out with family but the actual game wasn't so exciting for the little ones.

We had our first spend the night with the girls at our house and the boys over at Grandma & Papa's. They were so tired after the baseball game it was pretty much come home and get in bed. They didn't get to do too much and felt a little short changed on the fun of sleepovers. That next day we hung out in the morning while the Men went golfing and then we all came together to see the movie "Brave" at our cool theater. They loved the electic recliners and enjoyed the movie. For the first time ever the movie stopped right towards the beginning & was out for a few minutes while we sat in the dark. That didn't go over too well but what do you do. It was still fun and a cute movie.

After the movie the girls went with Grandma & Papa back to their place. It was the girls turn to spend the night over there while we took the boys. The girls went swimming and then off to shipwreck beads to get stuff to make jewelry. I think they were in heaven and had a blast. We spent some time with Dan & Roxanne while the boys played with each other at our house. We had a nice relaxing afternoon so we could gear up for the first of two days at Wild Waves.

Our first day at Wild Waves was our water day. We spend the whole time playing in the water features. It turned out to be a very warm day and perfect for our adventures. I think it was very busy compared to what we've had before but still we managed to have fun.

We made sure to stay on top of sunscreen and did our best to keep everyone safe and having fun. Everyone got a bit red on spots but no major sunburns to speak of. Just a little toasted you could say. I think this was the most fun I've had in the water section. I even experimented with my waterproof camera for the first time. I have always been afraid of actually putting it under water but went for this time. It was seriously the most fun I've had taking pictures in a long time. It really made me laugh and I was so happy with how they turned out. It was a learning curve for me and now I just want to take more.

We took a little break before lunch to hit up a sea lion show new to the park this year. We had no idea what to expect and found it was super cute. Andrew would giggle at the funny parts and all the kids were glued to the 30 minute action on stage. It was a very cute show and I was impressed. We even hit it up a second time since we liked it so much and the kids were just as good the second time around.

After lunch we headed back to the park for the last round of water fun. It was nice to rotate around and find yourself with down time. The kids were so good to stay with a parent or let us know where they'd be close by. I was really happy how well it all went.

Our next day was day two at Wild Waves but this time we had a dry day. We spent our time in the regular ride sections going on rides. The weather was still nice but there was a breeze that would come through to cool you off. We were happy not to be wet and getting cold. The temperature was a bit cooler and it wouldn't have been as nice. So we picked the right days for each sections.

Again we had it so well worked out that there was someone available to hang back with kids that didn't want to go on certain things. We split on some stuff and I think made it all work very nicely. This was also Brianne's 7th birthday so she felt special and got to pick a few areas to play in or rides to go on. I think she liked that a lot.

We hit up all the fun stuff that everyone wanted and then hit up the sea lion show. Then it was off for lunch and back to the rides for more fun. I think we kind of got a little more tired out this second day then the day before. After lunch we were still ready to go but didn't seem as excited to keep going. I think all the kids were running on very low energy from spending the night and just exhausting themselves with as much fun as possible.

We fizzled out earlier than the day before and started to count down our last few rides. I think everyone got a chance to go on their favorites and all were ready to call it a day in the end. Next we headed out for dinner. Since it was Brianne's birthday she picked Chevy's because she really wanted their birthday sombrero that they give out. She wasn't disappointed.

My family wasn't too thrilled with the idea of Mexican food. Luckly they had a kids menu and chicken strips were on it. I know Jeff was excited as we haven't had Chevy's in almost 6 years of moving here. I think the food was a bit different and not the same as he remembered but he still enjoyed himself.

We headed home for birthday cupcakes and to say our goodbyes. It was great having them all come and have so much fun. We loved every minute and are sad to see it all come to an end. Meg had a few tears last night and we are all feeling a bit empty today. I know if we all lived near each other these get togethers wouldn't be as special so I'm glad for the time we get. I took plenty of pictures as usual so we won't forget all the fun we had.

Laurie's Fab 4 Visit

Laurie and the kids came for an impromtu visit for the beginning of summer. We made a mad scramble to get ourselves together for their visit. We had the last day of school and the next day they were here to start the fun. My kids couldn't wait to see them and were sooooo excited for all the adventures we wanted to do. Our first outing started with a hike to the beach.

We collected seashells and played in the surf full of tiny crabs and seaweed. Nothing slowed this crew down as they explored and got dirty. We found several catapillars that facinated the kids and I even had one drop down from a tree to land on my shoulder. It totally freaked me out but what do you expect from the great outdoors?


On the way back from the hike we stopped at some picnic tables to refuel for lunch. The kids were somewhat quiet while we ate and were really just enjoying that we were all together and the being outdoors.


We took a few hours and decided to hit up one of the many play parks that Grandma's house has to offer. The kids were all getting along really well and just playing their little hearts out. I loved seeing them all together and having fun. Us women got to sit back and chat about current topics which never gets old.

If that wasn't enough of a day we thought we needed to add swimming to the mix. Grandma and Papa's pool does kids swim time and we couldn't pass it up. I think my kids are fish sometimes, they can spend forever in the water without getting bored.


We spent as much time as it took to wait for Jeff to get off work and join us. We had yummy sliders for dinner and then had to cap off the day with a little mini golf action. It isn't a trip without golf in the mix somehow with this crew.

Everyone had a great time for the first 9 holes and then we hung in there for the next couple and it wasn't till around hole 15 that some kids were done with the golfing. It was interesting to see the techniques that were used. I especially loved all the scoop shots that were counted as 1 stroke but really just scooted the ball along to the hole. It was all still great fun for us.

Our next day took us out the Hands on children's museum. This is where Meg has had her fieldtrips so we were very familiar with the activities. It decided to rain on us this day so this indoor activity was a smart choice.

I do believe that all the kids explored until they had seen it all and then ended up back in their favorite spots. Meg was excited to be the tour guide and know what she wanted to do. Andrew was excited to just touch and see it all like all the rest of the group. We killed several more hours here just watching the kids have a blast.

We stopped for a quick refuel at McDonald's and then it was off to the next event. The girls got to go to shipwreck beads for jewlery making stuff while the boys stayed behind to just play and have fun. Then we headed out to the bouncy house fun. All 6 kids had red cheeks but you could hear giggles and see smiles. Andrew had a few face plants with exiting the structures. He never master the fine art of the exit I guess. No injuries so that's all that really mattered. We ended our night getting to see Dan & Roxanne arrive and pack up to have Laurie and her 4 spend the night at our place.

Our last day ended up with awful weather so we had to change plans. We wanted to take them to the theme park Wild Waves but it's all outdoors so we had to skip it. We ended up picked the movies and saw Madagascar 3 in the cool electric recliner seat theater. The kids loved it and I think Laurie's family will never be the same when they go to the movies. Our last hooray took us to Red Robin for a yummy meal. We ate till we were stuffed and said our goodbyes. Laurie headed out to make half her trip home. We had a blast with them and crammed as much into 3 days as possible. It was tough to say goodbye and sad to see them leave. I'm still on "go" mode and wanting to keep the fun going. We now switch over to Dan & Roxanne's visit and we can't wait to have more adventures.

Field Day 2012

 We had Field day yesterday despite the weather.  We had showers and sun breaks pretty much the whole time and a down pour towards the end.  The bad weather kind of cast a shadow on our event just a bit but the kids didn't seem to mind much. 

 I drove the kids into school so that I could help with anything they needed but all was really quiet.  We passed out our end of the year teacher gifts and then I headed to the gym.   After signing in I was told I was a co-helper for the bubble table.  I got our station set up and my partner arrived to chat.  As we were getting to know each other and talking about how to run the bubbles someone came up and asked to split us up.  They needed help with the pogo stick station.  As my kids just did that in the talent show this was a perfect job for me.  I quickly moved over to the blacktop just as the kinders came flooding out to play.  I heard that several helpers did a no show.  The coordinator was saying this was the first year she had so many no parents not come.  Maybe the weather scared them off.

 Within no time at all the pogo station was hopping.  There were 5 pogo stick that were an older model.  The springs were super tight but the kids made them work the best they could.  It amazed me how difficult this was for about 90% of the school.  All the little guys couldn't get it even started and needed help while the middle group could do about 2-3 jumps before loosing their balance.  I did have a handful of pros, my kids being 2 of them.  It was great fun to watch them all try.  I think they gained a new respect for Meg and Andrew's talent show act.

 I had a few try the no hands and one foot like they saw.  I'd say about 2-3 could do each trick but usually not both.  I of course had a few spills to the cement from several kids.  Those kids just popped right back up saying they were fine.  No one wanted to stop trying to master the pogo.  I did have a few tears as well when the line got crazy.  They were so eager to try that the line sometimes got wide instead of a straight line.  I had a timer and did my best to keep order but there is always a few that get a bit wild.

 I don't think anyone really noticed the rain.  The fence would be lined with coats then empty and then loaded again as the sprinkles came and went.  At the end once we were down to just 3-5 grades the sky opened up a bit and we had some hard rain.  I got a bit soaked at this point and we still had a good 45 minutes of play.  My station didn't let up a bit in the rain I had kids going crazy and wanting to get good. 

Stayed for lunch with Megan.  She had 30 minutes but it felt like only 15 minutes before it was time for me to leave for the day.  I know she'd like for me to stick around but there wasn't anything left for me to help with.  I had completed yet another successful field day.  I know the kids had a blast and I was happy to have helped.

1st Grade Field trip to NW Trek

Andrew got to go on his very first field trip ever for Central Ave.  For his 1st grade field trip they went to the Northwest Trek.  We've been here a few times before as a family and it is so beautiful.  I love the chance to go out and experience all the wildlife.  I was super excited to go with  him.  I didn't get the chance to go when Megan was in 1st grade so this was fun for me.

 The weather wasn't all that great we had on and off showers for most of the day and towards the end of our time a full on down pour.  I didn't hear one person complain as no one cared if they got a little wet.  What they had to see made it all worth it and I'm not even sure they noticed the rain.

 I had 4 kids in my group.  It was again 2 boys and 2 girls.  At first when I got my group I only had 2 boys.  Then when it became apparent that 3 helper Mom's were not coming Andrew's teacher had to make a mad scramble to rearrange the groups.  I felt really bad for her as she was really frazzled.  I told her I'd take as many as she needed me to and not to worry.  I was ready for these 1st graders.  This was my 2nd day of field trips and I was prepared.  She only gave me the 2 girls and it ended up that each group had 4 kids so we were all even.

 We got our map and were off.  The kids really wanted to see the bears the most and then snakes.  That was the only thing I heard for the 1st hour.  Then it became the "I'm hungry" whines.  We got about half the park looked over and then we stopped to have some of our lunch.  It was only about 11:15 so it wasn't exactly time for full on lunch but they needed a snack.  It was amazing to see how much food some of these kids brought.  I had to carry it all in my backpack and it was overflowing.  There was plenty for a snack and full lunch and another snack if needed.

 After our snack we set out to look at the "cats" section before heading over to the tram for our tour.  The tram was so awesome.  We saw a ton of animals and a handful were up really close to us.  This was the first time that I saw so much and so close.  It was so amazing and I just took it all in.  The kids were super good and listened to all the rules.  When an animal came around they were glued to the section and just seeing it all.  This was one of the highlights of the day.  It was just so beautiful and I wish we could have gone slower and just soaked it in more.

 After our tram ride we continued to explore.  This time since we saw the bears and hadn't made it to the snakes all I heard for a while was snakes and more snakes.  We still had a portion of the park to explore so I followed the map and gave the kids a game plan.  We still needed to fit in lunch and the gift shop.  They were all happy with the plan and we set out to explore some more and eat.

 One of my girls tripped at one point.  Her knee got a little wet but she popped back up and was good to go.  My group was typical 1st graders and I have to say they were really cute and fun.  I think I've come to realize I have more patience than I thought.  I saw several Mom's with this worn out tired grin.  I even had one say she was going nuts.  The kids were all somewhat hyper and crazy at times but you've got to expect that.  I really had a great group and an awesome time.  I think Andrew's favorite part was at the snake center.  It was more of a learning center with a few glass snake aquariums.  They had coloring, books, puppets, and computers.  Andrew loved the puppets.  He found one of a skunk and liked to go around and pretend to spray people.  This is the area I think the kids got the most hyper and crazy.  It was also towards the end and was pouring outside.  It was nice to have the shelter of indoors but we had about 20 or so 1st graders trapped in a small space.  Of course they're gonna go wild with free time.

 I think Andrew loved having me there.  I know before we left when I was in his class he was so excited and hyper.  Once we got on the bus he mellowed out and was just ready to have some fun.  As this was his first field trip he wasn't really sure what to expect.  I tried to explain to him what was going to happen but I think he just had to experience it for himself.  I loved getting to go and he was really good.

Andrew will be in 2nd grade next year.  I'm hoping that they switch it up and we don't go to the hands on museum but if they do I'm sure I'll be there.  I love the chance I get to spend with my kids and most of the time the events are super fun.  I did hear a teacher asking one of the regular helper Mom's about a new place.  I'm thinking this might mean a switch up.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see.  The whole point for me is just getting to be there for Andrew and spend that time with him.  I'm ready and willing for what this new year will bring.

4th Grade Field trip to the History Museum

 This year for Megan's 4th grade field trip they went to the WA History Museum.  I was excited to actually get to go do something different.  For the last 2 field trips Meg has gone to the hands on museum and I didn't think I could handle another year.  This was something fresh and new for both of us which was exciting.

 Megan loves when I get to come and help.  She becomes all smiles and excited to have her Mom there.  It seems to make her feel special and it's such a simple thing.  I'm so glad to be able to go with her and enjoy as well.

 As we've never been to this museum we had no idea what to expect.  It was all about the Northwest region and it's history.  There were a handful of rules like no flash photography and no touching.  We sat through probably 15-20 minutes of orientation before we got to go into the main exhibit.  This is definitely an outing for older kids.  There are alarms on exhibits and special rules that I know younger kids would never handle as these 4th graders had some problems with them.

 My group was 2 boys and 2 girls.  This is the first time I've had boys in my group ever so I wasn't sure what to expect.  Our class had a packet of questions to answer as we went through the exhibits.  There were several schools there and let's just say it was chaos.  The map they gave didn't match the packet of questions very well and the sections weren't labeled to match the map.  I guess you have to smarter than a map to figure it out.  There were several Mom's all wandering about as confuses as I was not sure if we were in the right place or not.  It wasn't till after lunch that I think we were getting the hang of it.

 The questions were not really easy and took some investigating.  One of my boys was really frustrated and couldn't understand what was going on half the time.  We had to slow our pace for him and that kind of frustrated the other 3 kids.  We made it work and I controlled the pace the best I could so everyone was happy.  My kids did a great job of following the rules and I proud to say we set off no alarms.

 I loved getting to go and see all the exhibits.  It was neat to see the different time periods and what they had on them.  I kind of wish I was on my own so I could of read more of what was in each section.  With the 4 kids I did a lot of skimming of the informational boards for each exhibit.  There was no way they wanted to take their time anywhere.

I'm pretty sure their favorite part was the 5th floor. This was the traveling exhibit floor which changes every few months. There were no questions for this section and they just got to explore at their own pace. They had a few more hands on things to touch. The kids all loved getting to be on this floor. Once we had finished our packet the rest of the time was spent on this 5th floor and they hated to leave. I have to agree it was a lot of fun.

I loved to get to do something different.  I loved the one on one with Megan and seeing her smiles.  I think it meant a lot to both of us.  I can't wait till next year.  I believe Meg gets to go to the capital  building and a 3 day science camp.  I'm hoping to get to go to both with her and am excited for her final year at Central Ave.

My Kids have talent

This year Megan and Andrew entered the talent show as a pair.  This was huge as Megan wasn't sure she liked the idea when I suggested it but soon got really excited.  We tried to come up with something different from the norm and when I thought about doing something with their pogo sticks, both kids were immediately sold.  They love to bounce on those things whenever we have down time so why not make an act.

 Megan quickly selected the high school musical song "get your head in the game" and got to work on creating an act of it.  Jeff and I told them to just brainstorm and come up with as many tricks as possible for us to review and help with.  Let's say they got a bit crazy with their ideas.  I think they wanted to jump rope while on the pogo stick and throw balls back in forth.  Their balance isn't that swift so for safety we had to eliminate some of the external props.  I'm sure it would have been exciting but might not have been good for their health.

They had a great audition and were so excited to perform for the big show.  We brought some pool noodles for them to jump as part of the act and it was great fun.  We had a little snag as the music teacher had the wrong version of the song.  We gave her the cd that the kids have been practicing but she already had it so didn't bother to copy ours.  She gave Megan back the cd a few days before and said we were all set.  It wasn't till the performance began that Meg quickly found that the song version that they had wasn't the right one.  This caused some of the parts of the performance to be off a bit for timing because they didn't know where to change to the different tricks.  Meg stopped once she realized it and was lost.  Since I didn't bring the cd with me they had to just make it work, which they did.

I really couldn't have been more proud.  There were about 34 acts or so and more than half were singers.  I try to stay away from singing because so many kids try their hand at singing and it doesn't always turn out great.  As I'm not all that musically inclined it's just easier to stay away from that category.  We had a few piano players and a handful of dancers.  I do believe my kids were the most original and got tons of compliments.  The kindergarten classes all raved about them being their favorite.  Andrew teacher from last year came and told me how much her class LOVED what they did.

The music teacher has asked for an encore performance from Meg and Andrew for their last CARE assembly of the year.  She felt bad about the song mix up.  Since they were one of the schools favorite performances she'd like them to perform again along with one or two other acts.  I think the others were for absent kids that she wants to give the chance to perform.  Megan is thrilled to be asked and totally wants to, while Andrew says it makes him too sweaty and would rather pass.  We are currently undetermined whether we'll give it a go but I'm sure they will if Megan has her say.  She'll work hard to talk him into it.  We had great fun and Megan has already decided she wants to go out with a bang and not perform for next year her final 5th grade year.  She's got tons of stuff on her plate for next year and doesn't want to hassle with practice and such.  We'll see if Andrew's been bitten by the bug or not.  I'm totally out of interesting ideas so who know what we'd even do.  I guess we'll see we have a whole year to decide.