The first part of June was the winding down of school (if though these activities do not feel like winding down but never ending!!!!)

Henry did Moolahland (were he built a store and sold items).  His store was called. . . Tackle your Bait.  He sold fishing gear.  How they figure out the price of each item, I am not sure other then they had to use long multiplication.  He won 2nd place (how he won second place, you would have to ask him.  He has explained it to me a couple of times and I still haven't figured it out.  4th Grade assignments are to hard for me.)  Way to go!!!!  I was able to go buy things at Moolahland and was able to buy running shoes, canoe, blown glass, candy, fancy car and many other things.  It was fun to see all the different stores.

 Henry buying items. 

 Henry's Store 

 All the kids were able to do the kid's marathon.  They tracked their miles and the food they ate for two months.  I am very, very glad they are done with tracking everything.  Thomas was in the top 10 and Henry came in about top 30.  Lizzy had a great time running with her Dad. 

Lizzy was so excited to graduate from preschool and finally be able to go to Elementary school.  She sang a couple of songs, walk over the bridge, and had pizza and ice cream for lunch.  Lizzy had a wonderful year with teacher Lezzlee.  Lizzy has really, really missed teacher Lezzlee for the pass couple of months but teacher Ruth stepped in and worked with the kids.   

 This year we had the end-of-the-school-year-party a week earlier.  The boys had a wonderful time hanging with their friends.  They didn't invite as many friends this year (and only boys!!!!!)

 They shot of pop bottle rockets over and over and over and over and over.  They also went out on the street and did pop-its.  They thought they pop them all and then a truck went down the street.  Oops!!!

 The only girls at the party. 

 Here are some of the boys at the party.  They are excited to show me Thomas is covered with Caterpillar guts all over him.  I guess they put a bunch in the bottle and let it launch.  The caterpillars didn't survive. 

 Oh-yeah!!!!

 The next day I took my Webelo's on their last den meeting of the year.  We hiked up to Marymere Falls.  We learned how to hug trees from Malachi.  He would run up to the trees and jump on.  It was pretty cool to see, so we have monkey see, monkey do.  All the Webelos were jumping on trees and trying to hug them. 

Finally, the last day of school.  Maggie is so excited to know her pack is going to be home all summer long. 

 Love this picture how they are all a head taller then their younger sibling. 

 Henry got super-citizen for June.  Way to go Henry.  He really is one of the most thoughtful, nice people around.  He gets it almost every year and rightly deserves it. 

Henry with one of his good friends---Israel. 
Thomas also got mention during the assembly that he was the third place in the school for AR points.  He worked really hard to get it.  He had something like 285 points.

Summer has started now.  There has been no schedule activities all week (expect for doctor, ortho, hair cuts etc.)  It has been really nice to hang out at home and sleep in (kids didn't get up until 9am this morning!!!!!)  Henry and I have played tennis two times, we have gone to the kid park, played with friends, dog park, have mole traps in our yard again, finish my scrapbooks for the school year---last year not this year.

The Month of May

Well, we have had a busy month doing this and that. 

Here are a few highlights 

 Thomas got super citizen this past month. 

(Funny--Look at how short our principle is!!!!)

 Way to be a super citizen at school. 

It is nice to know that Thomas behaves himself at school even if he doesn't at home!!!!

 I swear Maggie keeps on growing.  Hopefully, she stops soon!!!!

 The boys had a piano concert this past month.  They were both so excited about it(not)!!!!  They both did a wonderful job and I sure hope they kept on practicing and becoming better piano players!!!

 A couple of days later the boys had a music concert.  Henry played the recorder and played one of my favorite songs---Amazing Grace.  Thomas played a couple of xylophones.  He really starting rocking out to the music.  It was fun to see all the kids.

 Just Dance every Wednesday Night.  We love it!!!!

 Lizzy has been taking a tumbling class at the Y for the past couple of months and finally remembered to bring my camera.  She loves it and does amazing tricks at home.

And finally this past week Grandma Damstedt came to visit us. It was so fun to have her out here and hang out with us this weekend.  (Of-course no pictures-- but we did do some fun things with her like the Pinewood Derby)

Henry's pinewood derby car.  He called it unfinished.  (That is because he whittled it, sanded it and then decided he was not going to paint it).  He had fun making his car.  He got 4th place overall and enjoyed watching all the races. 

 This past week Henry brought home crayfish from school.  2 out of the 3 died the first night.  We are hoping the last one will last awhile longer.  She is called flipper.  So much fun!!!

Poor Crayfish, already trying to escape!!!!

Happy Birthday Maggie

This Saturday Maggie turns 1. 

We love our dog even though she is a pain sometimes (but aren't we all).

Lizzy and Maggie watching Chris leave for work. 

I love how Lizzy is comforting Maggie with her hand.

 

 Maggie is pretty nice to let people lay their head on her. 

Maggie's expression is pretty great.  Wish we had Henry's but Lizzy is the photographer.

Full of kisses.

Only 2 more years til I hear she will be a great dog!!!!!

Tumbling

 Lizzy has been taking a tumbling class at the Y for the past couple of months.  She is starting to bring it home and show all her great moves (on the couch).

Crazy Lizzy!!!!!

Spirit Break 2013

This Spring Break we had some of our cousins (Eli and Annika) come and visit us.

They brought the sun with them (and they took it away when they left).

We were able to celebrate Easter with them, play with a dog, hang out and play games, go to Victoria, Canada, and play in the snow at Hurricane Ridge.  It was a busy couple of days and we were all very tired after the cousins left.

 We went to Victoria, Canada for two days.  The ferry ride is always fun for me.  I don't get sea sick and enjoy watching people.

 We decided to go Zip Lining. 

On the course there was 8 zip lines.  The longest one was 1000 ft long.  Some were faster then others but all of them were really fun.  The weirdest part was after finishing the first zip line, we landed on a platform high in the tree.  The platform moved with the wind.  It was very unnerving for the first little bit but then you got use to it.  We even went over a bridge that moved (which is very scary).  They had us try didn't things on each zip line, like zipping upside down, or trying to touch trees, etc.   It was so much fun. 

We rode a up on this really cool car to get to the top of the course.  It was a bumpy, noisy ride.

 Thomas zipping.

 Sarah zipping

 Going a little crazy.

Eli zipping.  Lizzy and Eli had to go tandem.  I think Lizzy and Eli really liked having their own special person to take them on all the course.

 Eli and Lizzy had to be tether to the fence on each platform.  It made me feel much better and Lizzy loved being tethered to the fence.  It reminded Lizzy of being a dog---she was a Laberdoodle the rest of the time. 

 Henry zipping.

 Annika zipping.

 Oh yes, so much fun. 

After zipping we went to the hotel and played in the pool for awhile before going to bed.  The boys picked Coast Hotel because the pool was indoor/outdoor.  It was a pretty fun pool.  We play tag, Marco Polo, etc. 

 The next day we went to the Butchart Garden.  It is always great to go there and get ideas or even wish a little bit that I had a little patch of a garden that looks little bit like some of Butchart Gardens.     

 Lizzy remembered the Carousel last time we were there so of course we had to ride on it again.  It was the best part for her.

 The Japanese Garden is my favorite. 

The ride home on the ferry.  Yes, we are all tired by now. 

 Wednesday we went to Hurricane Ridge and had a snowball fight.  It was so nice up there.  It was sunny and warm. And the snow was perfect for throwing at each other.  The boys also was able to see if there snowball maker worked.  They were making snowballs just as fast as Buddy on The Elf.  It was really fun to see all the kids throw and eat the snow.  There is something about snow (if you are playing in it) that just makes you happy.

 The boys started to wrestle.  (Lizzy and Annika were done by then!!!!)

We had a blast with Annika, Eli and Sarah.