Farm Outing

New Fish pretty much insists on always wearing a dress.  She is going to be mad that I"m not packing dresses for our upcoming trip.

 I was in a complete panic trying to prepare for a massive family road trip and trying to get ready to take two weeks off of work but the girls said that I NEVER take them to ride horses anymore and they were desperate to get out and see their friends.  I completely caved and took them to the farm for a very hot morning full of animals, fun and ice cream.

 Red Fish has added horse riding lessons to the ever growing list of classes she needs to take.  It is right up there with learning to speak Navajo.  Luckily for me, she isn't old enough yet so we can concentrate on juggling a few of the many activities she would like to be involved in.  One of the great things about Red Fish is that it isn't difficult to find things that make her happy.  She is interested in everything.  She wants to know and learn about every subject under the sun.  She is easily encouraged to try new things.  I love that trait.  I'm trying to find more of it in myself.

On the wagon ride

Art Group- wood sculptures

Sunday Morning Hike

 I've been a bag blogger lately- I don't seem to have much to say lately.  So I will just keep posting pictures of our adventures and wait for the craziness of summer to pass.

Midsummer Celebration

Our Swedish friends invited us to a midsummer celebration.  We had a fabulous time.  The girls loved dancing and running around the park and playing games.

Party Hats

Art Group- Kandinsky Inspired Watercolor Resists

Another track

Check out some of our music in the brand new CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 2 "Vengeance" trailer starting at 1:36

Dance Moves

Happy Father's Day

This morning the girls made their Daddy breakfast in bed.  Then they immediately went back upstairs and asked him to bring his breakfast down to the table to eat with them because they "love him too much and don't want him to be lonely."

They filled out some really cute little papers in church today about their Dad.

New Fish-
My Dad is 9 years old.
My Dad weighs 60 pounds.
My Daddy's job is baking pancakes.
My Daddy laughs when he sees bums.  (Apparently this is in reference to when he laughed at the bums in the movie Brave.)
My Dad likes to make lunch in his free time.
My Daddy is really good at office things.
My favorite meal my Dad makes is pizza.
My Dad always says thank you.
My favorite thing to do with Dad is play cat in the hat. (A game we have.)
I love my Dad because I like to.
My Dad loves me because he likes to.

Red Fish-
My Dad is 21 years old.
My Dad weighs 31 pounds.
My Daddy's job is looking at his computer and making money.
My Daddy laughs when - he doesn't know how to laugh.
My Dad likes to do anything he wants in his free time.
My Daddy is really good at working.
My favorite meal my Dad makes is mac and cheese
My Dad always says I love you.
My favorite thing to do with Dad is go swimming
I love my Dad because we go swimming.
My Dad loves me because I am so nice.

Red Fish's First Piano Recital

 Red Fish has been taking piano lessons since February.  She has fallen in love with playing the piano and performs for friends and family every chance she gets.  This was her first recital and there was a pretty big audience (around 50 people) so I was really proud of her for getting up there an performing all by herself.  I could tell she was nervous because she sang the notes in solfège but at home she has been singing the words to the songs. It didn't matter but I could tell she was just a little bit scared.  Red Fish played two solos and an ensemble piece.  She has really enjoyed taking piano this semester and I hope she will continue to enjoy it so I won't have to bug her to practice. Red Fish also had to sing a little song with her class.

 Mimi brought her flowers because it was her first recital.  Red Fish was BEYOND THRILLED.  She was so excited to receive flowers for the first time and she talked about them the whole way home.

Her cute friend S who also played in the recital.

Custom Piece for MLB Network

Afternoon In The Pool With My Little Snorklers

Art Group Day 5- Watercolors

All Done

Red Fish and her teacher "Miss Erin"

 Red Fish is all done with preschool now.  I think I get more sad about first days at school than last days.  She is a sweet girl who really loves school. 

Our Neighbors Know How To Party

 Today has been a day of parties.  Everyone has been out in the sun celebrating the end of the school year. We started the day at a splash pad with friends and a picnic.

 Then we came home for a neighborhood party.  Our neighbor knows how to really party.  There was a giant waterslide, a dunk tank, popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, treats, snowcones and crazy kids running around.  It was a blast.

Red Fish on the waterslide

New Fish followed this little neighbor girl like her shadow.  She even tried to walk like her.  It was adorable.

Red Fish loved the dunk tank.

Last Day Of School

 Today was Red Fish's last real day of preschool.  Ever.  I'm a little sad it's over.  She just has her school program next week.  The kids were asked to dress "Hawaiian" and had a party at school.  Red Fish has been telling me all about how she has been learning to Hula dance and she insisted she had to wear a grass skirt.  Luckily our dollar store had some.  New Fish needed an outfit as well and she wore hers to Costco and on several other errands.  She loved all of the attention she got from people.

Soccer Season Is Over

We ended soccer with a pizza party and trophies.

Art Group Day 4- Jackson Pollock Day

 Jackson Pollock day is always a favorite with the kids.  I always show them a painting and we talk about abstract vs. realistic.  I show them how to flick the paint.  One of these years I need to get a video of their faces when I first splatter the paint down.  It gets all over my arms and the kids always look so shocked.  They start out flicking the paint onto the murals and then they get less inhibited and start going crazy with the paint.  It is always so fun to watch them go a little crazy.

 Getting good and messy at least once a summer if not twice has become a bit of a tradition in our family.  Every kids should get a chance to get nice and covered in paint every once in awhile.

 The park by our house cooperated nicely by putting on the sprinklers for the kids to romp through.