Award Winners

The kids won some recognition at the end of the school year:



August was recognized for being a part of the OV orchestra.




Hazel was given an award because she exhibited everything that the Eagles (our mascot) should be: she took care of herself, others and her school.

Low Tide

Took the dogs back to the beach this morning. It happened to be a
super low tide. The dogs could run forever!

Tank and Penny

This is what the dogs do when they go to work with Trey:



It also happens to be the reason that I want to kill the dogs when they get home...they've got all this energy at the end of the day because they've been lounging all day!

First Day

Of summer vacation!!!!!

In My Head

I've been living in my head a lot these last few months. Thoughts about the kids future are always on my mind.
Today was the last day of school. This has been an exciting day for us in the past but today was a sad day for us all. August was not happy when I picked him up on the playground...just another bad day to end a bad year. Friends were not friendly. Things ended on a sour note for him.
Hazel was melancholy as well. Hugging her teacher tightly and hoping to see her again. I took the kids to a park where we were told folks were getting together to celebrate...but it was just us and two other families. The kids had hoped to see more of their classmates.
As we drove home, Hazel started slumping in the back seat while August buried his nose in my iPhone.
August put his book bag away for the last time this school year and Hazel put on some comfy clothes before collapsing on the couch in the living room.
The TV is on right now and they have both turned off their brains. I just read an email from August's teacher that informed me that they will not be able to put him in the classroom that we need him to be in...It's a struggle for me to see the good in this situation.
I keep reminding myself that I had similar feelings of anxiety when I left the JCC. I worked there for 3 years and just couldn't do it any longer. It was a huge change, I went from working full time to...not working full time. And things worked out perfectly.
Change is so scary for me. I like to know what's going to happen at every turn. The way things are right now, we'll have the kids registered at 2 schools. We don't want to pull the kids from their current school until we know 100% that August won't be in the right room but we have to go ahead and enroll them at the new school so that we know they'll have a place to go...
It's going to be a difficult summer full of waiting and worrying for me while I pretend to be excited for the change so that the kids have a positive outlook on the whole event.

Dog Days

We love the Edmonds Off Leash dog beach!!

End of the Year

Well folks,
It's finally the end of this school year. It's been a tough one for August and a fun one for Hazel. We have no idea what the next school year holds as we're still thinking about changing schools. These decisions are not fun for us to make. Every change has a huge effect in all of our lives. If we keep the kids at their current school we may have to go through another difficult year for August because of the limited classroom choices available. Hazel, on the other hand, will have another fine year as the 2nd grade team is wonderful.
But moving them to a new school in a different town would have it's good and bad. The school is supposed to be good according to other parents who've sent their kids. It could be the school that the kids continue through high school...which could be pretty cool. But I'd have to drive them everyday, which is a huge change from being able to walk down the street everyday. We'd miss the community of living so close to school, that's for sure.
Ack! I could go on and on....
But I won't. Instead I'll focus on the fun facts of summer:
We get to go see the LA Reynolds for almost a week in July.
The kids are going to do a week long camp with their PE teacher.
August is going to do a 4 day workout camp at our gym.
Hazel is going to go to New York with Trey for a few days.
August is going to do a School of Rock summer camp that will end in a big concert.
Most of the LA Reynolds are coming to Seattle for a week at the end of the summer.

I've been spending this last week of school doing quiet things. Things just for myself as I know that once school is out I'll be busy taking care of the kids and dogs all day. It's been pretty nice. I've started to attempt to run a bit here and there...doing that walk 5 minutes, jog 2 minutes for a half hour with hopes that eventually I'll be able to jog for the full 30 minutes. This would be a big deal for me as running has never been something I could do.
I also netflixed the first season on True Blood and began watching season 2 currently on HBO. I'm really surprised that more people aren't upset at how similar it is to Twilight. The book series that True Blood is based on is called the Southern Vampire Mysteries and it came out a good 5 years before the Twilight series and I understand that when it comes to vampires there is really little more that can be invented but really, it seems like the Twilight gal pulled way too much from the Southern Vampire Mysteries written by Charlaine Harris. But, let's face it, they are both very addictive and I wouldn't be at all surprised if you'll find me at the Edmonds Beach reading SVM this summer! But first I've got to finish the latest Fablehaven book that August and I are reading together.

Pictures from 4th Grade

I, (I mean, WE) survived 4th Grade camp:






(The Yurt!)
(The beach...by far the best part of the trip)




(The Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment)



(The group we'd spent our days with)
(Fort Vancouver)

We had a great time...I loved seeing August in the great outdoors. We never slept together but were able to spend most of the days with each other.
I stinking love this boy!

4th Grade Camp

Oh brother! August is ending his 4th grade experience which means that it's time for the class trip. My lovely son requested that I go along with him as a chaperon...yes, I am a certified teacher, but I really, really don't like field trips...and this field trip lasts 3 long days. 3 days people! Well be driving down the coast to Longview, then Astoria, OR to Fort Clatsop, OR and on to Illwaco, WA/Cape Disappointment State Park. We'll be staying one night in a hotel and the other joyful night will be in a Yurt. If you're anything like me, you'll have no idea what a Yurt is...here's a description from the Oregon Parks and Rec website: It´s round (16´ in diameter), filled with comfy furniture, and pointy on top. Yurts … a quickly-growing national phenomenon that broke in to the public camping scene right here in Oregon. The good thing is that there will be beds to sleep on...so it should all be OK.
I'm going to bring my camera and hope to catch some good shots of the boy doing some fun outdoorsy type activities...and maybe a shot of the Yurt too.
I'll be out of touch till Saturday! Wish me luck!!