Myann's First Day of Preschool on the "Big Kid" playground

Not to be outdone by her brothers this week, but today was Myann's first day of school in the Preschool room, but in Myann's eyes, her first day in the class that goes to the big kid playground. She has gone to the big kid playground a few times this summer, but this is the real deal. She is excited to be in Shane's old class with Shane's old teachers. In her eyes, she has arrived.

In other Myann news, she has been wonderful lately. Wonderful is not usually a word I would use for Myann. Sweet, lovable, cute - all daily, but challenging usually replaces wonderful. For about a week, she has been wonderful. I did not say perfect, because like any 3 year, she has had her moments, but she has been pretty good. She listens, she is reasonable, she has shared without bribery, she has not done many malicious things to her brothers. Call me crazy, but I am optimistically excited that maybe this is the new Myann who is approaching 4. Maybe 4 will be a good age for her and I.

Good-bye Goldi Locks

I write this with tears in my eyes literally. Tomorrow I am taking Anders for a haircut, his first. I have fought this for at least 9 months, but I can finally admit that the time has come. He was mistaken for a girl numerous times the past few days, mind you he had on a truck t-shirt or dinosaurs, so their judgement was questionable. But his hair has been getting into his eyes and the struggle to brush it every morning is more than I have time for these days.

I love his hair, I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE his hair. It is gorgeous and just compliments his already adorable face, but it is time. I took this last picture today so I can remember the perfect curls. After tomorrow I am pretty sure the curls are gone. On a side note, how is it possible that not a single child of mine has inherited my curly hair, seriously, one of them should have. Anders' curls are just the baby curls that will disappear with his babyhood tomorrow when they are chopped off.

No clue how short I will go tomorrow. I may even chicken out and only let them trim it up so he can see and even it out around back so he is clear of the mullet.

Pray for us, I may not get through this momentous week - Shane's first day of school and Anders' first haircut.

Other Anders updates: This boy can talk, like A LOT! He will repeat ANY word I ask him to, even pretty tough words. Saying Myann made her week 2 weeks ago, but this week he has been saying his name. Then today we were taking Brian lunch and as we crossed the downtown intersection near his work I hear Anders say, "We are at Daddy's work." It is downtown, I hardly recognize the intersections, they all look alike to me. He recognized it and he verbalized where we were. Call me biased, but we have some amazing talkers in this family.

Shane's Meet the Teacher

He obviously became very comfortable at his desk.


Sorry, no actual picture of the teacher, totally forgot about that part. So rather, meet the school, meet the desk, might be more appropriate titles for this post. However, the occasion was meet the teacher. Brian met us and we all ventured into Shane's school. I was pretty excited, until I saw that the school supply list I had shopped for no way resembled the list at the school, so I ran out that day to buy another 20 school items. This is not about me but Shane, and he in no way noticed my incomplete supplies. He quickly found his assigned desk and sat down filling his desk. He was a little disappointed that his supplies were not all "his" and would go into the classroom pot. I let him keep his spiderman pencils though. He met his desk neighbors, 4 to a group, 2 boys and 2 girls. My disinterested kid suddenly became very excited about school. He politely introduced himself to his teacher, Mrs. Day, and she was thrilled that he had already learned her name. We then met the principal and several other parents. Thursday we start the drop off/pick up craziness and I officially become a car pool mom. Shane is a bit disappointed that he will not get to ride a bus, in truth, I am disappointed, but his school is not our home school, so we have to drive him.

After we left school, I took him for ice cream, his current fave - mint with chocolate chips, and I had to take a picture of his cone. This is how I used to eat my cone.

"Camping"

After our return from San Diego, we were supposed to pack up Friday and head camping to Republic, WA with the Kipps and Prizemans. Thursday night we got word that fires had broken out in Republic, not surprising since our plane landed in the midst of some crazy wind. We left the airport to smoke all around from local fires. We were very sad to hear about the area in flames, beautiful area at that, plus the weekends flying festivities would be very limited or canceled all together. So as a group we decided not to go, but knew we would have some very unhappy campers, literally. Us moms put our heads together and decided to plan our own "camping" weekend. We voted to eat breakfast at Chaps, good ol' skillet cooking. Ok, so not rustic at all going to a restaurant, but it was Sandra's birthday so we had to start the day out right.


Then we hiked up at Mt. Spokane. I have skied there, but this was our first time hiking there for the whole group. Just gorgeous. Half the group hiked to the Vista House - amazing view. The rest of us hiked back down to get the car to drive and pick up the summiters. I guided us down an "alternate" trail back, to avoid the very dusty trail and before we realized it, we were no longer on a trail taking us anywhere near our car. So we decided to head down the hill, our down hill part was actually the black diamond ski slopes of Mt. Spokane. Awesome on the knees. I lost all credibility guiding our group, but our score was Jen and Jordan finding the untouched blueberry field. The rest of the place had been picked over, but this was obviously unchartered territory. Lots of walking later and a crazy drive up to get the other half of the group and we were worn out. Oh yeah, we still had camping.

Jen being superwoman


Shane and James playing some type of war hunting game.



Our personal bear protectors - Yeah right!


Group photos at Bald Knob - really no jokes were made by this group regarding the location name. And this will forever be the site of my very blond moment. Thank you to Sandra for having a complete brain to make up for my half brain.




Sandra, Jen and Jordan on the ski slope with Spirit Lake in the background. Amazing view. WEll worth going off trail.

Chris looked like he was meditating in the field. He was probably asking God how he got stuck with us women and why he followed my lead.

Family photo at the top of Mt. Spokane.


Anders running back to the car. I told the other kids I would pay them a quarter to run to the car. Anders just followed them because he thought there must be a good reason they were running.


We reconvened in town at the Johansen campsite, nice accomodations I might add, as far as camping goes. Running water, flushing toilets, electricity, and a house for the moms to sleep in with the youngest children. Now this is camping I could do on a
regular basis.
Dinner at the campsite


Hanging out by the campfire


Brian in his attempt at Jiffy Pop wars - I think this will be an annual camping game. The men competed for who could do the jiffy pop without exploding the bag. Chris won, but his was also the most inedible. I have a feeling Brian will be practicing this fall.


Sandra with her "cake" Strawberry Rhubarb Pie


Backyard capmsite (everyone still sleeping)


Up the next morning, enjoying breakfast and coffee and then home by noon. Great weekend to be outdoors and celebrate Sandra's birthday.

San Diego

Brian had a work trip and I had been wanted to go back to San Diego to visit friends and family. We thought it was a great opportunity to take Shane on an "alone trip". This was a big deal that we had to approach delicately. I struggled and felt guilty for leaving Myann and Anders, but had wonderful support from the people who told me that this was wonderful for Shane. In the end, it was wonderful for Shane and we enjoyed our alone time with him as well. Brian and I thought that at home he seems like such a big kid, but then when we were alone with him, that he was such a little boy. Perspective is an amazing thing. Also, the kid slept like a teenager. Most mornings I had to wake him up.

Our first night we met up with Aunt Sandy and Cheryl for dinner.





Monday we visited with friends and then Brian took Shane on a private tour of the San Diego Zoo. I had dinner and drinks with my girlfriends and I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of us.
Shane's buffet breakfast

Brian said the zoo tour was one of the best experiences







There is a coda mudi picture that I will have to upload when I can find the disk.

Tuesday we spent more time with friends and had dinner with Brian's boss. I have no pictures from Beth's house, but I wish I did. Shane was hysterical with the dogs. He spent all night rounding up bones and playing with all the dogs. In the end, he sucked up good when he said Beth's dog Cooper was his favorite.
Once upon a time, these were Shane's best friends. Even though he has only seen them a couple of times in the 3 years since we moved, they were fast friends again. Britta even proposed.





After swimming we met up with Shane's old babysitter, Mahro. Shane went to Mahro almost everyday for 2 years when I worked. She loved him like her own grandchild and took wonderful care of him. I think she has a hard time believing he is growing up.



Wednesday we spent all day at Sea World with Aunt Sandy and Cheryl.


Before Picture

After








Thursday we visited some friends who had just had a baby. Then we flew home.
I was really hoping to get to snuggle a newborn, but right before we arrived the nurses took the baby to be circumsized. We could not stay long, so we missed seeing him.
Shane and Brian, Brian's namesake
Didier, Nathalie, and Brian