School performance

Every Thursday Liam goes to Music class. They put on a concert for their parents to show us a little about what they've learned. I have to say I was so impressed with the program and it made me really happy to see a good music teacher in his curriculum. Liam always cracks me up because he gets very serious on stage and tries so hard to get everything right that he starts to forget to sing and just concentrates. Funny Boy. I was really proud of him.

swimming lessons

Anna had her first lesson the other day. She is so comfortable in the water and was chatting away with the teacher and wanted to try everything. She was so excited that she had her swimsuit on 1 hour before lessons and kept trying to go out the door.

Published

Liam gets a children's magazine called Humpty Dumpty each month. It's full of stories, games, and activities to do. One day he asked me how the kids in the Magazine got their art in it and I told him they entered an art contest. HE was all over it and had to draw his favorite animal. We sent it in and a few months went by in which I completely forgot we even did it. We got the new mag in the mail and Eric was browsing through it when LIam says" Mom, remember when we sent my picture to the magazine?" I didn't remember and actually thought I might not have sent it except that Eric suddenly opened to a page with a picture of his son and his Dinosaur picture. It really took me by surprise. None of us had a clue. I'm mostly proud of Liam for just going for it, I would have been so intimidated as a child.

Jump for Joy

Well, someone has to. Eric is the Scoutmaster and as much as I am excited for him to have his dream calling, we sure don't see much of him round these parts anymore. Ah well, at least I get to see the fun things he is doing with the boys. This place is in Bellevue and it's awesome. They have small sections for kids and other jump areas as well.

Doodle bug

This is how Liam signs his name on his homework. He can't even write his name with out decorating it. HE had to draw a picture from the book we read together. Green Eggs and Ham in this case. He drew the car and the hill and asked me to draw the characters. I just drew them in lightly but his style was spot on. I couldn't believe he could just read a book and then draw that at age 6! I swear I couldn't even draw my name in bubble letters until I was 11 years old.

I've been teaching Liam Piano because he is constantly singing or making music with whatever he can get his hands on. Lately he likes to serenade Anna.

Conversations

Anna is hanging out at the park with Grandma while curiousity gets the best of her and she eats some grass. Consequently she gets sick and throws it up.
Grandma- Little girls don't eat grass, animals eat grass. Like cows, cows eat grass.
Anna- Dragons eat cows.


While watching "Under the Sea" I'max movie a pair of Cuddle fish begin their mating ritual.
Liam- I know why they call them hug fish! Because they like to hug for a long time!
Dad- Hug fish? What are hug fish?
Liam - look of frusteration on his face that screams "why don't you ever know what I'm talking about?!"
Dad- (Light bulk clicks on) Oh, you mean the cuddle fish.

kids

We hit the roller rink for the kids first attempt at skating the other weekend. I hafn't planned on Anna skating, but fumping on the blow up stuff instead. She was insistent that she was going to skate and was extremely confident as we were handed the tiniest little skates I've ever seen. I asked her if she knew how to skate and she put her arms out like an airplane and said "Like this".

Liam was also uber confident until he got out onto the floor and had to cling to the wall all the way around. He crawled by me and shouted in frusteration, "How...do...you...rollerskate?! I could see him watching the older boys glide majestically around the rink. Then I saw this determination fix on his face and he got up and studiously worked on skating with no hands. He fell soooooo many times and he didn't hestitate and just got back up. He was so intense and finally got a little system going. I was so proud of him! A mommy moment for sure.

Aunt Heather has this song on her blog and everytime it comes on Liam makes me turn it up. He dances to it everyday now for a few weeks. I love seeing his brain working while he's dancing to find a move that best fits the music. Then he tries the move out and if it works he really gets into it. He is so much fun and continues to show maturity and sensetivity in his life. I love my Liam boy.

Surpise!

yes, Iwas the only one who didn't know that Peter and Brooke had caught a last minute military flight to Washington. I recognized the kids but I kept holding my tongue lest I was wrong and would be shamed out. Shaun and Liz were coming home for the weekend as well on their way to Hawaii so it was a whole family reunion. ( by the way, Anna is fine)

We all stayed at the Grandparent's house and made lot's of noise.

Orion, Benson, Anna and Ian were all born about 1 month apart.

The first borns.

Liam was born driving.. He had the whole hand over hand technique figured out pretty early. I pretty sure I'll be hiding the car keys when he's a teenager.

Playing secret agents...

Isobelle was a sweet heart to Anna. Anna ran around calling her name.

Anna and Orion have began teaming up together because they have finally discovered the knowledge that they don't need Liam and Connor to play with anymore.

The grown-ups played together

So when the Elton boys were young, Peter dared Shaun to stick his hand in an ant pile for 25 seconds and he kept his hand there until 19 seconds' time. Peter did not pay up because the task was not completed. Fast forward, Peter remembers said childhood memory and again challenges Shaun to stick his face with his mouth open in a giant ant pile for 25 seconds. Eric got his phone out for the last 5 seconds of the event. Shaun said the acid from the ant hill was the most painful part, rather than the may bites he recieved.

Red bite marks appeared all over his face later that day.

The cash is being handed over.

Out for a walk

Benson ans Peter get ready for a little hike.
Eric is trying to look hardcore because he only has a shovel and Shaun has....
a machete. Cause it was pretty thick out there, ya know.
Grandma made sure that none of the children fell off the bridges.
We found a cute salamander and all the kids came to see.

The beach was a mess, but the kids loved sloshing around.
They all threw rocks of course as Ian is preparing to do.
Connor, contemplating how to get the best scare out of his Mom.
As girly as Anna is, she likes to get dirty and messy too.

The girls. And heather with the Machette.
Cute Benson.


What the above picture looks like when you zoom in.
This is the last time Shaun and Liz will dress like this for a while. Hawaii must be lovely.

resting for a moment, Orion pulls a face.
Anna follows dutifully.
Julie with the machette
Ahhhh... Uncle Eric and Isobelle.
We took some family pictures to mark the occasion. It was crazy and wonderful and much much too short. Miss you guys.