1st Day of School

First day of school has come and gone. Megan started Fifth grade and is the top dog at the school. It only goes to grade 5 so she feels special this year. She can't wait for all the fun things that 5th graders get to do. Andrew started main stream 2nd grade and was super hyper for the first day.

So far Megan loves this year. She loves her teacher and classmates. We haven't had any drama and she is doing great. She is even a helper after school with getting the little kids to their parents or bus. Andrew started off a little rough. He had a laid back teacher last year and this one is a bit more strict. She was having a difficult time with him. We started a behavior sheet again this year. Each day they give him stars for how he acts and it has to be reported to me for signing. We reward him as he gets mostly all stars. Since we started this he has done great and we are back on track. I was a bit concerned but we seem to be doing well. I'll learn more at parent teacher conference in October.

The kids are settling in very nicely so far this year. We've made a few adjustments and things are beginning to look great. I'm excited for the progress we'll make and to see how the kids grow. It always amazes me how much they change from year to year. I hope this year will be awesome.

Our last summer hike @ Denny Creek

We had our final hike to the slippery slab @ Denny creek. This one was over an hours drive one way but the kids were so pumped they didn't even care. It also helped that we carpooled so I had a full car of kids who played with each other. It made the time fly on the way up.

Once we pulled in and the car parked it was a mad rush out of the vehicle. They all couldn't wait for the adults to get loaded with stuff to get going. They immediately started to explore the surrounding area while they waited. We did find we had to relocate the car but once we were settle the fun got going.

This time I decide to have each of my kids carry a cinch bag with a towel and their water shoes. Nothing heavy but I had lunches and other stuff and I couldn't get it all to fit so I had to have a little help. In hind sight I probably would have done that a little differently. My kids seem to get tired out quickly and with that extra bag it gave them one more thing to make it difficult.

Andrew had the hardest time. I'd say about half way up he was in the back and dragging. It was a tough little hike even for us adults. I think we were all sweating and had to take breaks along the way. I loved every minute of the hike it was great exercise. My kids just seem to hate walking lately and thus began a bit of the whining.

Megan was a trooper and did really well. She got stuck carrying more than just her bag at one point. Another boy handed off his huge backpack to her. She was loaded down and we had to make a change. Everyone had to carry their own and that was the way it had to be. After that she seemed to enjoy herself.

Once we reached the slippery slab it was like a pot of gold for those kids. All that hard work and life was wonderful. They loved being in the water and just soaking it all in. They did stop every once in a while to nibble on their lunch but for the most part all they wanted to do was play.

We finally made it to a waterfall and my kids were in heaven. It was the one thing they really wanted to see of all things from any of the hikes. We all got nice and dirty and just had a great time exploring. We did have a few falls and scrapes but after a few tears and resting the kids all bounced right back up. We did have three boys which when you have a set of three someone always gets left out. All in all though I think everyone had a great time. We could have stayed for a long while but we were with a group and did have to pack it in eventually.

Our exit was a bit scattered and rushed for my taste. My kids were still playing when I got the call we're leaving. I had stuff every where and had to make a mad scramble to get us packed. My kids were still in water shoes as we began our hike back. I eventually had to just stop and separate so I could get myself and the kids put back together. That little break helped a ton and my kids felt much better after we were organized. We had a great time and really want to take Jeff back sometime. We'd have a blast exploring with him. It was an awesome hike and a great way to end our summer hiking expeditions.

Eight is Great, again

Andrew finally turned 8 and he couldn't be more excited. He had his special day all planned out and knew exactly what he wanted. We did help add a few suggestions and of course we celebrated over several days as is the norm for us.

First on his birthday list was golfing with Dad. Jeff and Ken go golfing around 6am during the summer while the weather is nice so taking Andrew was simple enough. Andrew was so excited to get to go he was up at 3am and ready to go. We had to tell him to get back to bed for 3 more hours. He went to his room but I don't think he slept. Jeff said he had some good shots and had a lot of fun with the big boys.

Next up was roller skating. This is his new favorite thing to do. He hated it at first but has grown to LOVE to skate. Every chance he gets he asks to go out skating. We invited Grandma and Papa along. Grandma thought she'd skate with us but found that her balance has changed. She only made it one lap around with Jeff's help and turned in the skates. We still enjoyed having her and Papa there to keep us company.

Andrew took frequent trips to get water and decided to let other people around know that it was his birthday. He was pretty cute but he even interrupted a paid birthday party for someone else to let them know it was his special day too. Andrew got nice and sweaty and enjoyed skating it up.

We let him open his presents later after dinner out. My Dad sent a birthday box that included a fishing vest from 4 generations. I loved the sentimental part of it and Andrew thought it was cool too. He got stocked with toys and got everything he ever wanted.

We ended his actual birth day with cake of course. We thought about making one but all he really wanted was to go pick one out at the store. We showed him several options and he settle on a chocolate chocolate cake from costco. They had regular sheet cakes but he said those were too kiddie looking. He picked the more adult looking cake and loved it.

As an actual birthday party we really don't usually do these for him as he has a summer birthday. It's tough because we can't invite school friends and he only has 2 church friends from his class. We decided to invite those 2 church friends and make it a party at Wild Waves. Andrew was over the moon with this and couldn't wait to have his friends come just for him.

Only one of the boys could come and we decided to go for it. We made it a party day and had a great time. We did both wet water rides and dry regular rides. We packed it all in to our party day. Andrew loved having a friend along. I think it made him feel really special.

Lastly since Andrew turned 8 he was able to get baptised in our church. I'm not sure how he felt about the whole thing. He was soooooo hyper it was hard to tell. Several days before the baptism we met with our Bishop to just interview Andrew and make sure he was ready. The Bishop told us that in the 5 1/2 years of being a Bishop Andrew's was the strangest interview he has ever had. Let's just say we took a wrong turn during our visit when they kids busted out knock knock jokes. It was interesting to say the least. The Bishop gave us the go ahead so it must have been okay.

Andrew had seen Megan get baptised so he knew what to expect. Jeff still tried to prep him and he did great. He was a bit hyper while we waited but once it was over he did just fine. I was really proud and relieved it all went well. Andrew was so cute after giving hugs and just being a whole new boy. Eight is definitely great for him.

Coal Creek Hike

Our second hike took us a bit out of the way. It was about a 40 minute drive which is a little long. Most everything around here will make you drive a bit so you might as well come to terms with it. Once we got going though it was so beautiful that we didn't even mind the drive.

We had a small group this trip. It was my 2 kids and 2 babies in snuggly packs. This was a bit weird for my kids to hike without any other older kids to play with. This meant they had to play with each other which can sometimes go a bit off course. Sometimes those 2 love each other and other times it's more of a strong dislike. We had a mix of both on this hike. They were certainly loud enough during the whole hike to be more like 6 kids instead of 2.

Within about 5 minutes of the hike starting we found our first huckleberry bush. Megan was really excited for this. We learned about these huckleberries the last hike and that they were safe to pick and eat. They are tart little things that Andrew and myself don't find very appealing. Megan loves to pick and eat them. We even had a spare baggie that she stocked full of berries.

As we continued on the trail it got a bit aggressive in it's uphill slope. I think the 3 ladies all broke out in a bit of a sweat as we climbed. My 2 kids even got a bit winded at times and we stopped for a break every once in a while. I was surprised at how much exercise we were all getting as the last hike was super mild.

This trail boasted of waterfalls and old closed coal mines. During our hike we had gone several miles in to the point you turn off for the first waterfall and unfortunately the trail was closed for that sections. This made my kids and I a bit sad as this was one of the highlights of the hike. The sign did say there was another water fall but it was going to be 1.6 miles further in.

This was nothing for my kids. We end up getting goal orientated in this family. We could totally do 1.6 miles no problem if it meant a waterfall at the end. Our little group started out toward this next water fall but we probably only got about .5 or less of a mile in. The 2 ladies with babies strapped to them were starting to get worn out. I forget sometimes what that is like since Andrew's almost 8. I haven't had to carry a child in a long while. I'm sure they were getting nice and heavy. Not to mention babies get hungry and cranky nap tired. The ladies asked that we turn around and find a spot for lunch.

I don't think my kids were very happy but finally agreed to turn around. They wanted that waterfall so bad and being roughly a mile away was so tempting to continue on. When you go with a group sometimes you've got to compromise. It was a good lesson for my kids to give in for the sake of the group.

We hiked back to the little creek and got right down in it. As we were getting down there were rocks that you could sit on or use to get across. Of course my kids decided why use rocks when you could just get your shoes trashed. It didn't take but 1 minutes before one child slipped followed by the next. Since these were their old shoes I was totally fine with them getting ruined. I thought ahead knowing my kids and balance someone was bound to fall and get muddy at some point.

My kids ate standing up in their socks in the middle of the creek. They loved being in the cold water and to actually be standing in the creek. They began collecting rocks to throw and watch splash. This was Andrew's favorite activity and it wasn't long before he actually slipped and fell fully into the creek. Got nice and soaked up to his waist. The creek was really shallow and probably was only as deep as just above the ankle maybe a bit on the calf. Somehow Andrew still managed to get wet all the way to the waist several times. Since I was kind of prepared to get dirty it didn't bother me one bit. We were there to have fun and that is exactly what we did. It was so beautiful and I loved soaking it all in. We may have to try and see if we can get Jeff out to this trail. We'd love to try and make it out to that waterfall. The whole hike was awesome and we can't wait to see what new places are out there to explore for the next one.

Debbie & Ed Visit

Got a surprise call that my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ed were here in WA for a visit. They wanted to get a chance to see us so we made plans to meet at our favorite spot, Wild Waves. They were visiting friends about an hour and a half or so away so this was a little closer for them to drop in.

Megan was so excited to see them. She is so comfortable around them like they have known each other forever. She wastes no time chatting away and getting right down to fun. Andrew is a little slower to remember them but does have fun as well just not as chatty. Maybe this is more of a gender thing :}

We spent the whole afternoon with them. Got to hit the high dive and sea lion shows. We had yummy fair type food at the park and hit up a handful of rides. One of my best memories is getting to go to Disneyland as a kid with my Aunt and Uncle. It was always fun with Uncle Ed. He goes on every ride and lets you call the shots of what ride and when. He did this same method with my kids and they loved it. It brought back a flood of good memories for me and it was great. We had a blast with them and were only sad when it came to and end. It was only for that one afternoon but we packed as much in as possible. We look forward to their next visit.