Seahawks Game

Grandpa Bill has Seahawks tickets this season.  He so generously invited us to go to the final pre-season game at the end of August.  David, Ryan and I tagged along and had a great time.  Ryan just takes it all in.

Grandpa, Grandma Karen, Aunt Melanie and Ryan went to the home opener yesterday and saw a big win! Woo Hoo!  Go Seahawks!!  Ryan had lots of stories, and picked up lots of new moves that he's been showing off to us any chance he gets.  We could barely get him to go to school this morning because he was so into playing football.  What a lucky little boy to get to spend the day with his Aunt and his Grandparents at the big game!

He cracks me up.  He has to sit in the seat his ticket says. 

Date night...kind of!  Photo by Ryan.

The moon was spectacular!

Ryan wanted to get a shot of the action.

Me and my boy.

Grandpa Bill and his boy.

Oh, the Places She Goes

The one word David and I would use to describe Natalie is EXHAUSTING.

She climbs like a monkey, and we always find her in crazy places:

On the kitchen table eating markers or crayons or whatever else has been left on it.

On the dresser in Ryan and Kendall's room making mischief.

And her new favorite, by the television talking to all the people on the screen.

But this is her absolute favorite place to be:  In the bathroom sink.  Seriously, if the bathroom door is left open for 5 seconds she is in bathroom and in the sink instantly.  She is going to make us go cuckoo.

The child can not be unattended for a second.   As I said....EXHAUSTING.

Family Bike Rides

We finally got another bike seat so the entire family can hit the trails together.  It's been so much fun watching Ryan pedal along like a champ.  We started out on a really easy trail so we could teach him the proper biking etiquette (aka no swerving all over the trail).  He picked up the rules really quickly and does so well.  On Sunday we found a new trail down by Puget Sound.  It was a perfect day for a bike ride, and we all had so much fun!  Natalie usually hitches a ride with me unless Kendall decides she wants to.  It's a bit easier to ride with Natalie on the back, but so much fun to listen to Kendall's singing behind me.

Preschool for Kendall

Since we don't know if we're moving yet, we decided to enroll Kendall in Preschool.  It's the same school Ryan went to when he was her age, but he had a different teacher.  Kendall will get Teacher Marianne.  She taught Ryan in the 4 year old class, and we loved her.  We are so thrilled Kendall will get to experience Teacher Marianne's magic as well.

Kendall got to meet Teacher Marianne last Thursday.  It was so much fun to watch her in the classroom, and with kids her own age.  I can't wait until we get started for real on Thursday!

The Bus

We put Ryan on the bus for day #2.  I was so not thrilled with the idea, but he was excited about getting to RIDE THE BUS.

We got him on just fine.

Then I stalked the bus to school to make sure he got there safe and sound.  I wasn't impressed with how things were organized after they got off the bus but he made it to his classroom just fine.

I volunteered at lunch that day, then went back again to make sure he got on the right bus for the ride home. Again, I was not impressed with how things were organized but so glad I had gone to see the routine myself so we could chat about what he needed to do when I wasn't there.  He's got his bus number down, so hopefully he will pay attention and get on the right one unassisted!

A couple neighbor boys also ride the same bus so if he does get on the wrong bus, he'll likely have some friends along with him.

The Big Day!

School:  Olympic View Elementary
Teacher:  Mrs. Cieslar (Pronounced: Chess-lar)

There was a lot of excitement to start the morning, and lots of nagging, "when do I get to go to school?".  With a 9:20 start time there is a lot of time to kill in the morning.  He arrived confident, and excited but the tears started right before I was going to leave.  The tears took me by surprise.  I gave him a few more hugs and big thumbs up and left.  I peeked in before I left, and he was doing fine.  I knew once all the other parents had left, and  Mrs. Cieslar started the day he would be just fine, and he was.

He was so happy to see us when we picked him up.  His favorite part of the day was Recess, of course!  He saw some familiar faces from the neighborhood and Co-op that helped the day go a little better, I think.

As we walked out the door for school, the girls were both sobbing in David's arms:

"Ryan not go to school.  I miss him".

Natalie was crying, too, seriously.  But when I pointed the camera at her she broke into a cheesy grin instantly. 

We were so happy to have Ryan home from his big day, and hear all of his stories!

Tomorrow he will take the bus for the first time.  I'm trying not to hold my breath.  The bus scares me to death.

Watermelon Girls

Scratch that post where I said Natalie doesn't like watermelon.  Apparently, if you give it to her on the rind she loves it.

These girls have been gobbling up watermelon like it's going out of style!