Folsom Lake

Yesterday we went to the lake and it was tons of fun. It was a beautiful day and the kids are finally old enough to give them a little more leash. The kids played in the sand a lot and Danae practically never left the water. She really is my little fish. I should find a swim team for her.

Genella took the four older ones out to the buoys.

Getting ready to leave. We made them dry out for 20 minutes before dusting them off and putting them in the van.

Happy Father's Day

For Father's Day this year we made a four minute movie all about Jeff. It was lots of fun to make and to hear the answers the kids came up with. I also asked them questions similar to the "notes" that were going around Facebook a few months ago. Enjoy.

I asked the children these questions separately so they couldn't share answers.

1. What is something Dad always says to you?
Andrew: He calls me Kiddo
Danae: I love you.
Adria: Don't hurt somebody.

2. What makes Dad happy?
Andrew: When we hug him, kiss him, love him and are together as a family.
Danae: Kisses from me.
Adria: Hugging

3. What makes Dad sad?
Andrew: When we are away from him.
Danae: When the kids aren't doing what we're supposed to.
Adria: No hugs.

4. How does your Dad make you laugh?
Andrew: He's very good at making jokes.
Danae: He tickles me.
Adria: tickles

5. What was your Dad like as a child?
Andrew: Smart
Danae: A nice boy
Adria: He was small.

6. How old is your Dad?
Andrew: 34 or 35
Danae: 33
Adria: 8

7. How tall is your Dad?
Andrew: about 5'6"
Danae: Like 55 feet or so
Adria: Up

8. What is his favorite thing to do?
Andrew: Family cuddle time
Danae: Family cuddle time
Adria: Work

9. What does your Dad do when you're not around?
Andrew: He watches football.
Danae: Work
Adria: goes to work

10. If your Dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
Andrew: Being a wonderful father and a really good psychologist.
Danae: Being the nicest guy on earth.

11. What is your Dad really good at?
Andrew: Making our family happy.
Danae: Being Nice
Adria: Hugging his kids

12. What is your Dad not very good at?
Andrew: Playing the DS (handheld video games)
Danae: Riding a unicycle
Adria: Not liking kids

13. What does your Dad do for his job?
Andrew: He's a psychologist.
Danae: He's an Army psychologist.
Adria: He does work.

14. What is your Dad's favorite food?
Andrew: Ice Cream
Danae: Ice Cream
Adria: Chicken

15. What makes you proud of your Dad?
Andrew: He's in the Army.
Danae: When he smiles

16. If your Dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?
Andrew: Superman
Danae: A clown, because he's so funny.
Adria: Spongebob or Patrick

17. What do you and your Dad do together?
Andrew: Talk, cuddle, have fun, go to Disneyland
Danae: Play board games
Adria: Talk on the computer

18. How are you and your Dad the same?
Andrew: We are both short for our age and both have blond hair and blue eyes.
Danae: Eye color and when he was little he was blond.

19. How do you know your Dad loves you?
Andrew: He helps us and spends as much time as possible with us.
Danae: He tells me that.
Adria: Kisses

20. Where is your Dad's favorite place to go?
Andrew: Home
Danae: To a restaurant.
Adria: Work

Jeff we all love you so much and are so proud of the work you are doing in Iraq. You are the best Dad anyone could ask for. Like Danae said, you're loving, kind, considerate, hard working, generous, and full of love for us. Thanks for working so hard for our family and know that we appreciate what a good man you are. We hope you like our little movie. :o)

Engineering FUNdamentals

Really, that's the title of the class. Andrew had so much fun this week hanging out with the boys (and one girl) creating lego machines and bridges and pyramids. Apparently, they made the pyramid a mobile one and he said they made a house, but also gave it a motor, making it a motor home. He wants to take another class where they build a robot and then fight them. The classes are pretty pricey, so I don't think he's going to get to do it. But I do think I'm going to buy him a set or two of Legos. I think he finally has an interest in them.


This is the huge bridge they all assembled together and then drove their cars on top.

So You Think You Can Hip Hop

Danae took a Hip Hop class this week from a real dance school. They did a little performance everyday for the parents. She loved it. Danae just thrives in that kind of environment. The kind where she gets to perform, dance and show off. :o)

Twilight Camp

Last week Andrew got to go to Cub Scout Twilight Camp. I went as a parent on Monday. He had a lot of fun and was excited to get away from the abundance of girls at his house to go do boy stuff. They did so many fun things. They learned about flags, played water games, did archery, shot b-b guns, made a stool, shot rockets, made ice cream, made what Andrew called his 'man purse,' and probably learned some things too. I <3 that Andrew's birthday is in May and then shortly after he goes to scout camp. He has an empty book when he starts camp and a half filled book when he finishes. Gotta love it. :o)

The stool the Webelos made is held together by a bungee chord so you can unhook it and store it flat for camping and such. . . Adria doesn't help out with the manliness factor of his project. Poor kid. Too many girls around. Even the cat is a girl.

Spamalot

My mom and I went to see Spamalot at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco last week. That was a funny play and I'm not even the biggest Monty Python fan. It was also nice to get out and do something fun without kids. . . We had great seats, smack dab in the center of the orchestra section. It was a lot of fun. I even brought home an attack rabbit for the kids. . . Now I just need to go back and see Wicked. I'm really looking forward to that one. :o)

Andrew's School Play

The last week of school is always crazy. This year it was no different. All the 4th grade classes put on a little play about the gold rush. It was pretty cute. Andrew didn't have a speaking part, but he was in a group that sang and did hand motions. Well, Andrew did the hand motions. A little energetically. It was really cute. He's more like his sister than he thinks. :o)

Adria's First Day of Preschool

I just dropped Adria off at her new preschool. She has been begging to go ever since we did a tour of the facilities two months ago. So, I decided to put her in two days per week this summer. I felt like it was an easy way to provide an activity that is just for her. So, Andrew and Danae have two days of school left and Adria starts her first day.



COME ON, MOM!

She is just over the moon to be able to go just like the big kids. How could I deny that sweet little face?

K/1 Pot Luck Breakfast

This week is the last week of school for Andrew and Danae. This morning there was a pot luck breakfast for all the K/1 classes. There were hundreds of people there, it was crazy. But it was lots of fun and at the end all the kids got up on stage and sang for us.

This is Adria playing with my camera. Pretty funny. I signed her up for preschool for the summer. She is SOO excited, she can barely contain herself. :o) I'll post 'first day of preschool' pictures tomorrow.

Into the Woods and Home Well After Dark

On Friday we went to see my two younger sisters perform in Into the Woods at a small Yuba City theatre. Esther played the Baker's Wife (the lead female role) and Selina played Red Riding hood. They both did wonderfully. It was so great to go see both of my younger sisters so happy doing something they love. The kids loved it too. Andrew laughed a lot. I love hearing him get some of the subtler jokes and belly laughing at them.

One of the things we didn't really expect from a small theatre was such a well planned and well done stage. Into the woods is kind of difficult because there are 6 locations and the woods that have to be depicted. They did a wonderful job taking a 30 foot stage and comfortably incorporating 6 locations. After the performance we went up on stage to greet them. The director came up and showed the kids how things worked. They loved it.

And yes, my mom did make both their amazing costumes.
Good job, girls. We LOVED it. :o)