A Magical Seattle Evening

I am kind of a unique type.  I love work.  I have to make myself play.  I am pretty proud of myself because this weekend Derek had an actual weekend (no Mariners or festivals) and I helped us carve out some play time.  On Friday we went to the temple during the day and in the evening we watched a movie.  I actually sat and watched an entire movie.  Shocking.
Then on Saturday, after the Rhinos event (which ended about 5:30 pm) I looked at the weather (beautiful) and the family--all in the car and ready and suggested a trip to the Ballard Locks.
It was AMAZING!  This is a special place for us because Derek took me there when we first started dating.  I would say it was the night that I knew there was really some magic between us (and I am amazed that I felt anything because it was winter and freezing).
It was another magical night.  I should really play more often!

Fish and chips from the Redmill Totem across the street.  Delicious.  We ate every bite of everything (another magical moment!)

Libby posing with the sculpture

The girls watching a train cross the drawbridge.  It was about to go up after the train to let through a big fishing boat. 

Sarah took this awesome pic.  

Ben is 2--for 2 more days!

On the way home we got Dick's shakes.  

Have I mentioned how much the girls love sitting on top of the van?

Posing at the gate of the locks.

There was a sweet couple that let the kids feed their fries to the seagulls.  

My favorite pic of the night.  There was a heron down near the fish ladder.  Derek and Ben checking it out with the drawbridge up in the background.  

End of an Era

For 3 years I have been on the board of the Wrestling Rhinos, the local wrestling club.  I decided to help out the board because youth wrestling is really important to the success of middle and high school teams, and because we wanted the club to be very vibrant when Ben was ready to wrestle.  Also because they were desperate for help.  My time on the board could have been up last June--but I said I would help again for one more year.  Big mistake, since I had no idea at the time what was in store for our family this year, moving, etc.  So this year was a struggle to keep on top of it all.  So, I am VERY VERY glad to have something off of my very full plate.  But, I said a tearful goodbye at the end of year party yesterday.  We had some very capable parents step in to help take over my jobs on the board, so I leave things in very great hands.
When I started on the board there were a handful of Rhinos with a very loose organization.  I am leaving a club that has about 150 wrestlers and we run a pretty tight ship (the criteria being that wrestlers actually register, have their USA card, and pay their club dues).  I am leaving a couple of other things as a part of my legacy.  

I got to be on the board during the 40th anniversary season.  I created this logo for the back of the sweatshirts.  

I also found a vendor and had them create this awesome design for our club singlets.  Hopefully Rhinos will be wearing these for many seasons to come!

Favorite quotes

This week had some great quotes.  Of course I didn't write enough of them down.  But here are the favorites that I remember.

Ben found a tiara and put it on.  He said, "Queen Benjamin at your service!"  Then he made me put it on and say, "Queen Tricia at your service."

Libby learned a new joke at school.  It is why is 6 afraid of 7?  Because 7, 8, 9...(ate 9, get it?)  Anyway she has told it to several people--getting it wrong in various ways most of the time.  But the best are the Sarah spin offs of the joke.

At the dance studio yesterday (I should have taken pics in our costumes, but I was too frantic and rushed.  I even wore my costume and got a pic with the girls) Sarah told everyone how much she loved their costumes.  It was so sweet.

This guy is so adorable.  He is excited to be wearing undies and going potty.  Hasn't figured out #2.  Kinda scared to see if he stayed "clean and dry" all night.  Doubting it.  It is a work in progress!

Happy Birthday Derek!

 Derek has been working an insane amount.  We love him and how hard he works, but we miss him.  He even worked two shifts on his birthday.  But we were lucky enough to have him home for dinner.

He doesn't like cake...so here are his favorite cookies with some candles.  I couldn't fit 35, so I went for one for each decade.  

Love this pic.  He managed to blow out all 3.  Didn't even need the help that the wind offered by blowing out the candles after I lit them the first time.

 He bought himself a new shotgun and we got a new computer this week, so from us he got 2 giant Charleston Chew bars.  What a fun birthday (not)...but, since he doesn't like to celebrate his birthday, it worked out.

Skating for Grandpa Kay

We had an insane day yesterday.  Bodystep, Dance Pictures, quick lunch, Dance class, and then on to a roller skating birthday party for one of Libby's friends.  I didn't know if I could do it all.  (That may not sound crazy, but consider the 4 wardrobe changes required there...)  (Plus, I am potty training Ben...yikes.)
But I have been wanting to skate so badly!  So we went.  Just smelling the skates and the atmosphere reminded me so much of Logan and my amazing grandparents.  Turns out my kids are more Norton than Randall when it comes to skating.  I have made a resolve to go at least once a week this summer.  I did skate on the "adult fast skate"  I was the only non-employee and the only female.  I didn't go as fast as they did.
Anyway, taking 3 who can't skate skating was a circus that seemed to have more than 3 rings.  But we made it home in one piece.

Sarah did the most independent skating.  She got out there on the floor and made a couple of small circles--somewhat against the flow of traffic, but she did it!  Then she started freaking out about wanting some jewelry from one of the change machines.

I put Ben's skates on first, figuring he wouldn't go anywhere.  I then stood him against a wall and told him he could walk along the wall.  When I looked up from putting my skates on, he was already all the way along the wall and heading out onto the skating floor.  Yikes!  I caught him just before he fell.  After that he wanted to hold my hand the whole time.  And pretty much started freaking out.  He was a tired young man.  

Pretty fabulous outfit, right?  He wet his pants at the gym and I didn't have a spare pair of shorts.  These are loaners from the gym.  He managed to wet his pants at the skating rink too...right onto the seat of one of the car video games.  Ugh.  Not doing a very good job of watching him.  

Libby with Mia and Isabelle.  Mia (the tall blonde) is Libby's best school friend.  This picture gives you a sense of how big most of her classmates are...All of Libby's friends were pretty good skaters.  This did not help Libby's attitude or willingness to try.  She made me take her skates off.  Then What did the Fox Say came on and she wanted to get out there again so I put them back on.  She made it all the way around a couple of times with hands on the wall.  Trying new things is not something she enjoys right now.    

Paige...

One of my loyal blog readers read last week's post and texted me...Who is Paige?  and I realized, I dropped her into the last post without proper introduction.  Paige is my oldest niece, the oldest daughter of Derek's oldest sister Alayne.  She grew up in Everett.  My introduction to Derek's family actually happened at Paige's baptism.  So I have known her for a long time.  She went off to BYU-I in January.  During the semester, she started thinking about serving a mission (again--she had thought about it before).  As she was thinking about going on a mission, I spent a lot of time on the phone helping her weigh her options.  One thing I suggested was that if she came home to work before her mission, she could live with us.
So, she got her mission call in April and came home to our house instead of Everett with her parents.  This way she could work in Seattle (Everett to Seattle is a terrible commute, but our house to Seattle isn't so bad) to make more money for her mission.
Can I just say I LOVE having her here?  She is an excellent babysitter, but I just love having a friend around!  We do crazy things like the squat challenge and making cake batter ice cream at night after the kids go to bed.  We go on frozen yogurt runs.  It is making me feel young again!
I adore her, and it is going to be hard to see her go.  Chicago Spanish speakers don't know how lucky they are to get our Paige!

Derek and Paige both love Parks and Recreation...so Paige got him this special shirt for his birthday.  

 

Can A Chick Speak?

Libby's school does an art festival every year.  She and one of her classmates recited a poem called Chicks. I made her memorize it and she did a fabulous job.  Can I just say I am so glad that school is winding down here.  I feel pretty done.  Too bad the last day of school is JUNE 20!