Ruth the Great is 90!

Since we moved back from Texas, it seems we have made it an annual affair to go up to Sacramento and celebrate my grandmother's birthday with the family.  Well, a 90th birthday seemed to make the trip not only one we wanted to make, but one we HAD to make!  We had a great visit with the family!

My Uncle Bob and Aunt Trudy

Kathy, the ever present teacher, giving all of the kids some summer toys to engage with while the adults had lunch, talked and celebrated Ruth the Great! 

Grandma, her two daughters, and her nieces and nephew!

Grandma and her two girls!

Add in the grand kids, my cousins, Bobby, Susie, and me.

I LOVE this picture of Bobby and Susie!

Me & Mom

Bobby and his oldest, Emma

Sweetest lady I know!  She was a bit overwhelmed by all of the attention.

Make a wish, take a bite, and then....

Let them eat cake!

Susie and Bobby helped me put together some photos of all of us and our families and we presented the book to Grandma for her birthday.  Without a computer, and without all of us printing out our pictures and sending them like we used to, she just doesn't get the visual updates.  It was a special book to put together and I enjoyed seeing the smiles on her face when she flipped pages.

Love these kids!  There's a little Jonathan missing, but he's always missing from the group shots!

Recording silly sounds and listening to them became a fun treat for the kids!

That afternoon, my cousin Susie and her family met us over at my aunt's house and our 4 boys had a blast playing in the pool together!

Jonathan was still a cautious swimmer and hung on the steps while the bigger boys played around.  

Once we got home, the army men from Kathy provided continued entertainment!

End of Kindergarten

The end of year carnival was a great time!  Jonathan was a bit hesitant at first, but really joined in the fun even though he wouldn't be at Vista del Mar for another year.  My mom was visiting the weekend of the Carnival, so she was able to join in the chaotic fun!

HUGE bounce houses and obstacle courses were the priority for activities for Jonathan!

Ahhhh... a huge slide, so relaxing as you fly down!  

Jonathan tried the hammer throw, and somehow managed to connect that heavy thing without falling over!

It was a fun afternoon!

Getting Back on Track

In the spirit of keeping up with things, updating loved ones, and being more organized in general, I will be resuming the blog soon and trying to keep up with posting updates and pictures.  Sorry for the long absence!

Mother's Day Performance

I loved working in Matt's classroom during the school year.  I only stuffed the homework folders, but I got to know the kids in a different way than if I'd been able to work at the tables with them.  Leading up to Mother's Day, the kids were busy working hard on all of the little projects for us.  It was amazing to see things coming together, and see what work they put into it.  They painted the pictures on the back of the letter boards (you'll see at the end of the first video) of their mom.  

The kids did an amazing job and sang several songs for all of their moms.  Not a dry eye in the house by the end of the performance!  Here are three of the songs the kids sang.

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3.

One of the most amazing things is the woman who leads all of their performances.  Mrs. Mason is not a music teacher in the district, but rather a mom at the school who volunteers her time with the kids to make music a part of their education.  It's amazing!

Baseball Season Fast Forward

Here's a few pics rounding out the end of the season.

The Angels have one day devoted to local Little Leagues.  A portion of our ticket sales go back to our local league.  It's a great day, with a lot of chaos and waiting.  But, this time, Nick got to parade around the field with Matt and his team.  I don't know who was more excited!  Jonathan and I stood in the stands and tried to get some shots of the team.

The boys always love the game, but they also love the snacks, and food they get at the games!

Then they turn silly.

They recruited Waylon to join in the silliness!

On the way out, the boys posed for their baseball card.

Tadpoles Swimming

In April, we started swim lessons at the same place we went last year.  Things didn't stick so much last year, plus it took Jonathan a few lessons to get acclimated.  We thought we'd give it a try again, another year older, and more cooperative would serve us well!

I will add in some video as soon as I get it all uploaded!

My boys!

Learning to side breathe!

The lessons are only 30 minutes long, just enough time for the sibling not swimming to get a little goofy!

I guess he held back for his big jump!  Think he cleared the pool noodle?

SC Rookies

While Matt was in school, and Jonathan and I had our mornings together two days a week, we did lots of things together, but I thought it was time for him to have something of his own.  I signed him up for the tee ball version of SC Rookies (like the soccer one he and Matt took a year ago).  Unfortunately, due to weather and scheduling issues, we only attended one session.  It just didn't work out to try again during the summer due to camp schedules, but I enjoyed watching the one session he did attend.

Jumping jacks are hit or miss with 4 year olds!

Following directions was important so she knew where the balls were at all times.   "Put your glove on your head" 

"Put your ball in your glove" - and act like a pirate?  Not sure if he was growling at me here or what, but he was following directions!

Can't wait to see him in his tee ball uniform and on the field with his peers!  He's learned a lot from his big brother!  Watch out little league, this one has got some game!