Around Here

Around here Jeff has been taking the pictures, which is why we have three... :) 

I need to start grabbing the camera more. 

 Around here Jeff caught fresh Chinook salmon which always makes for a happy cat. 

 Around here, the kids like watching America's Got Talent. Fieldin likes a certain act where a woman rides a unicycle and stacks bowls on her feet, kicks them up and catches them on her head. He tries to do the same tricks but with dixie cups or popcorn bowls. It is pretty funny. 

Around here we are still drying and freezing fruit. The kids were excited to get an ice cream maker to make our own blueberry ice cream. I want to try nectarine. 

Around here, I have begun working. Since I will be working at a preschool I have been able to take the kids with me while I do work in the classroom. It is nice and exciting after about 8 years of staying home. The kids are happy for me so that is how I knew I could go back to work.  

Around here, we are gearing up for school. Greta starts next week. She gets her OWN desk this year and it is all stacked with her supplies. She is in the second row, front and center, by the pencil sharpener and by the windows and outside door(for the breeze on warm days) I told her she did a good job picking the prime real estate desk. I think her teacher will be a good match for her as well. She is all smiles and can't wait to get back to school. 

Fieldin also starts Pre-K next week. I'm not sure if he really cares. He likes school, he likes home. He's pretty happy anywhere. I think he is happy to wear his backpack again and play with new toys. 

It has been a different summer with alot happening. Some good, some bad, some in between. 

The leaves are changing outside and we have already changed into Fall around here. 

Good bye Summer. 

Yay! Fall! 

Early Morning Balloons

 Jeff took the kids to the Air show this year. It was a very early morning which is always made right by a stop to the donut shop. The kids really enjoy this every year. 

 Their favorite balloon is always the panda. 

Harry Potter Fun

 The local library had an afternoon of wizardry fun and since Greta has been absorbed in all the Harry Potter books this summer she was very excited to go... so was Fieldin! 

 There were lots of fun Harry Potter themed science projects and art projects. 

  The kids love the monstrous book of monsters they made. They also made paper wands but they like using their sticks from outside better. 

Tonight we introduced the kids to the E.T. movie. I remember being a little scared when I first watched it when I was 6. The kids enjoyed it. When the movie came out I had an E.T.  t-shirt  that I wore in the 80's. I found the t-shirt years ago and now Greta wears it. It is nice to introduce her to the movie finally. 

Goodbye Grandpa

"For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity"
-William Penn 

Around Here

Around here we are recovering. Greta is getting used to life with contacts and the responsibility that comes along with it. Fieldin's poison oak blotches are going away. Summer is winding up and we are preparing for Fall, school and activities. I am trying to get things cleaned organized around here since I will be going back to work after 8 years of being at home. It is only part time so the change won't be that noticeable. Yes, I am excited. Yes, I am a bit nervous. Wish me luck. :) 

 We have been keeping busy and Saturday we woke up early and did a 5k walk for water. It is a cause Greta is very interested in. It was a good experience for the kids. The walk/run was 3.1 miles which was what the average distance some people around the world will walk for water each day. Add 40 lbs(in water) which is pretty much Fieldin and it really gets you thinking. Greta really enjoyed it. Fieldin ran and was happy so a good morning all around. 

 The kids finally got to see some baseball. We've been trying to make it all summer and finally did. Corvallis won, the kids got hotdogs and got to stay out late so it was a good night. Tonight they were playing my home team, Wenatchee, but we were all too tired to go. 

School shopping is done. Now we just wait. Only a couple more weeks! 

3 Years

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden.  ~Claudia Ghandi

Making a visit to spruce up my mom's and my grandparents grave sites. 

Miss you mom. 

Reason To Go To The Beach #753: Itch Relief

 On Day three, Fieldin was having a bit of an itchy morning courtesy of the poison oak so we spent the day  at the beach. It was good for him, and us of course. We explored some new beach we hadn't visited before. 

 It was that cool beach weather where it is warm, no wind but yet has a foggy haze that kind of makes you feel like you are in a dream. 

 Fieldin dancing on the beach with a tootsie pop in his mouth. 

 This girl is always looking for treasures. Especially ones shaped like hearts(a gift from grandma)

We saw a coyote on the beach. It looked like a shadow running. It was very cool and we joked that we had to protect Fieldin, he would make good coyote food:) 

We also spent the day checking out places to kayak and new areas to hike. 

Everywhere we looked was just so beautiful. Can't wait to get back out there. 

 A good day away from the heat for all of us. 

Around Here

 Around here, this little rascal got into some poison oak. Poison Oak is a pretty nasty thing. A small bit of it happened to be growing in our backyard. It is also by the blackberries and other areas around where we live. It is amazing an outbreak in our house didn't happen sooner especially since he has to pet every dog he ever sees while hiking. I have learned alot about poison oak this week and now have a paranoid mom watch happening where ever we go. I just want the little man to feel better. 

 Since he keeps telling me and everyone he meets that he has a "bad arm from the poison oak" it gives him even more time to build things. He loves to build. He works with any objects he can find and lately this takes up a large part of his day. 

 I just found the car garage below. Buildings are scattered all over the house. He even got into a board game in Jeff and my room and built with game pieces to make skyscrapers. I love finding his buildings but when they get knocked over it is a lego, game piece, block and misc junk mine field to walk on. 

 It was crazy hair and sock day at camp for Gret. Her volleyball camp is over and she is looking forward to doing some skills training this Fall. She is also doing great with her contacts. I give it a little more time and it will become a habit.. now I just hope for a break in vision changes for her sake. 

Another crazy week around here but next week has to be back to normal...right? 

A New Sport For Greta

Greta has been waiting a year to play volleyball. Now that she is going into third grade she can finally attend volleyball camp. 

Today was her first day of camp and she was Camper of the Day. She was excited and she says she loves it. The head coach said she got camper of the day because she was loud and moved/positioned herself well. 

Volleyball is a sport where you are supposed to be LOUD, so it's right up her alley. She said another reason she likes volleyball is that she likes to bump the ball so hard it hits the ceiling..... rather in a gym than in the garage, I say :) Good Job Gret! 

She Likes To Be Onstage

 Miss Greta likes to act. She likes to be onstage in front of people. Her face lights up. As it turns out, she also likes to sing in front of people. We were proud and I will admit a little surprised. She remembered all her lines and her solo part of the group song. Her voice projected and she wasn't nervous.She looked at home up on the stage. I forgot that she is only 8 years old and not in middle school like her fellow socks. 

The play was about the world under the bed of a teenager. She was Dot the mismatched sock looking for her mate Spot. It was very cute, lots of socks, dust bunnies and monsters, all under the bed. 

Its been 2 years since she got to act and she has changed so much. She was very happy to do it again. 

 While we waited for the theatre to open at the HS, Fieldin was bored so spent his time standing in a locker. I told him when he is in HS, the last place he will want to be is put in a locker.. or a toilet for that matter. 

Here is a bit of Greta. The lighting in the theatre wasn't good and we were sitting half way up so the sound and quality to say it bluntly, sucks. I tried to clip part of another video so you could here her sing but my software hates me. She sang "match me maybe" to the tune of "call me maybe" with the other socks. If you live around here she will be more than happy to sing you her solo...and so will Fieldin since he has it memorized too.  

Around Here

This was one crazy week. Alot happening. Some blog worthy and some not. 

Somethings have been normal. Fieldin going to soccer once a week. 

 The kids noses in books

 drawing and playing "school" 

 lots of building especially with legos and blocks. 

 Greta's been in drama camp this week. We have barely seen her. She is home at dinner time and then practices her lines and songs(below). You may notice she doesn't have glasses. Her eyesight drastically changed again since March :( So new glasses and trying contacts. She is doing awesome with the contacts but it was very stressful for me and Jeff at first. They are working well for her and on day two she could take them out on her own which is good for her age. We have daily practice on getting them in now. We are very proud of her and she is happy to be seeing 20/20 instead of the fuzzy world that crept up on her quickly again. She also had a touch of the flu yesterday and lost her breakfast in the car.. it was quite an adventure. Today she is back to normal but the car may never be the same again..:) 

 No words for this.. He lets them put hats over his ears so I don't feel sorry for him. 

It's been one of those weeks and  some major changes but staying positive and doing well. Jeff, Dad and Hillary.. many thanks for listening and picking up the phone when I needed you this week :) I owe you, put it on my tab. 

Running Under Waterfalls

We've been taking advantage of the cooler temperatures lately. Jeff and I have been dragging the kids out hiking, trail running, mini golf and biking in a matter of days. It is good we did because today is back to being warmer and the kids already asked to stay in the house today. My kids HATE the heat. 

 Trail running at the falls..they almost did two miles and it wasn't easy. It's amazing how much energy they get with just a few drops in temperature.I'm pretty sure Greta will live in Antarctica when she grows up. It's cold, she likes penguins and there is nothing to do so she could read all day. 

 I like when Jeff comes along on adventures because it is easier to try to take pictures. 

 I love the rim trail and the canyon trail that we took, running under a waterfall

 me & them

 snack/rest time..Fieldy is looking so much more grown up. 

 picnic and play at the park

 and then a reward of the children's museum and a couple carousel rides

This is Fieldin at the children's museum dancing on a screen. He was using a hula hoop and it was pretty cool.