The Longest Day

I only call this post the longest day for two reasons; first, I let my kiddo's stay up until 10pm and second, the number of images accompanying this post may be my longest (from a single day outing).

On Friday morning AH took off to climb another summit with some friends in preparation for the big climb up Rainier later this summer. I took this opportunity to join AH's mother, sister and brother (along with all their kiddo's) on a boat adventure to Blake Island for the day (or so I thought). Unfortunately when we arrived at the boat launch we were very surprised to find that the tide was way way out (unseasonably) and we would not be able to get the boat in until the tide came back up. We decided to wait it out at the park next to the launch.

The kids loved the wait. Tip (AH's brother) waded into the shallow water and would gently capture some rock crabs and put them into a bucket of water on the dock for the kids to see. He also got a few smaller jelly fish and some of the kids had a great time holding them.

Tip doing his "marine biology" thing and rounding up crabs with his bare hands.




My fearless neice! She got into the water with her dad helping him and fetching her own crabs.










Tips favorite: Two crabs procreating.


The jelly fish were so small they didn't sting.


The boys hunting :-)


I'm teaching the girls the "YMCA" song.


Queen and her precious LiLi - she is such a doll!


And he fell in right after!










The boys on guard duty.


Here is the funniest all time kid moment I've ever witnessed. These are a sequence of images showing how my youngest nephew fell asleep playing in the water at low tide. I ventured upon him just as the tide was coming back in. Occasionally the waves would come up and get his face wet and all he would do is lift his head and then put it back down once the water had retreated. I wish my kiddo's were such sound sleepers!







Dad coming to move him to higher ground.












A surf safe spot. . . for now.


And . . . he's out again.


Right after this Tip did move him to a shaded grass area and wrapped him up all cozy in a towel. He was out for a good hour. How come Tip got all the easy kids!?

At the end of the day we took the ferry back home. The kiddo's were confined to the car due to their already being in the jammies and their shoes being all wet and sandy. Luckily there was another boy a few cars over who helped entertain us. Mr. B had to document the moment with his "new" camera.

Mr. B taking a picture of his new friend.


My picture of Mr. B . . .


Mr. B's picture of me.


Do ya think she's having a good time?


Mr. B's image of our safe arrival at the ferry terminal.


It was a good good day.

Graduation Day

Yesterday Beeb and I went to Mr. B's school for his graduation ceremony. When we got to his classroom I was mildly surprised to see him wearing a shirt that he wasn't wearing when he left the house two hours earlier. My first thought was that he had had an accident and the school loaned him a shirt but when I asked him about it he told me that a classmate asked to trade him shirts (I was highly suspect of his "story").





As part of the celebration Mr. B read to me from a book, wrote what he was proud of and then read it in front of the class. I was so proud of him and all his accomplishments!





At the end of it all I was talking to one of the aids and asked her what happened to Mr. B's shirt. She said he brought a sack of clothes to school and wanted to change his shirt. We went to his cubby and investigated his backpack. Sure enough there was a bag of misc clothes in it that I didn't provide. Sometime between exiting the bus and walking to his room he found this bag, decided his new soccer shirt wasn't nearly as cool as a cotton, long sleeve, two sizes too small shirt and so he switched.

When I asked him why he wanted to wear the other shirt he said he liked it. I pointed out that it was way too small but he assured me that his belly wasn't showing and so it fit him (never mind the shoulder seams that were really on his collar bone, nearly to his neck).

Congratulations Mr. B! Next year, 1st grade :-)

Going To The Birds

Yesterday Beeb and I had a quiet afternoon together while Mr. B was at school. I baked a raspberry buttermilk cake and Beeb worked diligently at the kitchen table painting the birdhouse she got from Grandma G on her birthday.

Beeb was incredibly focused on her task and did a beautiful job providing a fair feathered friend with a very colorful home. The real estate listing will be up today if you know of any birds looking for a new residence.

The Beeb is . . .

Can you tell that she is excited?








She even had a birthday party with lots of friends!










And her favorite, chocolate!


It doesn't get much better than this for a big 5 year old!

Gorilla, Baby Deer and Bears, Oh My!

Our neighborhood has been THE place to be this week. Lots of water fun and pure enjoyment of this wonderful weather so early in the season.

A few days ago our neighbor had a birthday and to help celebrate a friend of his had a giant gorilla put up in his front yard. You may recognize the gorilla. During our annual town celebration this same exact gorilla stands atop one of the many taverns we boast within such a small radius.





This morning while all five of my kids were home a deer was spotted in our backyard. The kiddo's ran out to chase the deer off and even went so far as to throw small rocks at it. Unfortunately while this wouldn't really hurt a full grown deer a little fawn was nearby and did get stunned by a rock. The kiddo's brought it to the front of our home and I called all the local agencies I could think of only to be told to "wait and see if Mom comes back" and "call back if it dies and we'll come get the body".

I put the little guy back in the woods and left it. I checked on it a few hours later to see how it was doing and was delighted to see it was gone. I was now down to my two actual children who came out to see for their own eyes that the grass was empty. I went back into our house only to have the kiddo's come running after me to say the deer was still here and had moved to nap by our back door (somehow I walked right past it!).



After Mr. B left for school and Beeb was at the neighbors playing I did take the fawn back deeper into the woods hoping its mom would come find it. As I set it down it abruptly stood up and walked off. I watched it for a bit, said a little prayer for its safety and for it to be reunited with its family. I hope all works out for the little guy and it comes back to eat my plants soon.

Doublemint Summer

I regularly have 5 children at my house during non-school daylight hours since all the neighborhood kids love me so much. (yeah right) Actually they love my kids and because of where our house is situated it makes the most sense to "meet in the middle".

In my efforts to maintain tidiness in my home now that I have 5 kids (after only experiencing one actual labor & delivery - the only way to go in my book) I have recruited them to "clean up" after themselves by using "rewards". Anyone who knows me knows about our reward chart and if their children visit my home then they truly do know how effective this is as a motivator. Just the other day my friend told me how her son informed her that they needed a reward drawer, sticker chart (where he could earn 5 stickers for a reward) and he wanted to go reward shopping - all after visiting our house for just a few minutes. :-)

So this afternoon Beeb and one of our neighbor girls are in her room changing out of their swim suits into shorts when I went to check on them.

Miss N bounces up to me and asks, "If Beeb and I clean her room can we have a stick of gum?"

"Why certainly!" I reply.

"Don't forget to clean out the closet as well." I say cheerfully as I leave them to their task.

It looks like my house be cleaner than ever this summer. Good thing I got a case of gum in my reward drawer.

Mr. B Succumbs

My sweet Mr. B has had quite the week. The sun has been out and so both kiddo's have been playing outside for long stretches of time and even getting to stay up late as well. Last night he and Beeb got to go to Rest Stop and didn't get into bed until 9:30pm. Thankfully they both slept in until 8:45am and weren't grumpy at all today. (I am so so thankful.)

Today you and Beeb spent the morning having adventures with friends, coming with me to get some birthday party supplies (for Beeb's upcoming party) and then playing again with friends in the sprinkler and exploring our gully for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. I expected you and Beeb to both collapse from exhaustion but you desperately wanted to wait up for Daddy and Uncle Tip who've been gone all day climbing Mt. Pugh. Despite your efforts you finally succumbed to the need for rest and so here is how I found you at 9:45pm:



By the way, you're sister is still awake!!! Go to sleep Beeb. :-)