Rhinos on Parade!

When I ended up as the Rhinos Board President for this next season, I had serious doubts about my ability to do a good job.  I have so many other things going on. 
But I have an awesome secretary and a good supporting board.  We are going to make it!
My secretary had the idea of marching in parades to recruit more wrestlers.  They did the 4th of July in Edmonds without us since we were out of town.  Then we did the Tour de Terrace parade this weekend. The webmaster found the awesome Rhino mascot costume.  It was a big hit.  We should have a few more wrestlers this season!

Happy Birthday Libby!

Libby turned 11 this week!  I can't believe how fast the time is going! (The days are long but the years are short!)  She was sad to have to go to summer school on her birthday, but I brought Otter Pops at the end of the day (11:15, so it is only a 1/2 day).  They sang to her.  She got all embarrassed.  Super cute.  

She picked McDonalds for her birthday lunch.  

She also had to go to the evening Gators practice (this is one tricky thing, for the 2 weeks of summer school, I have to get kids to practice 2x a day).  But Maren and Ben biked over and picked her up from practice.  Then we ate the phyllo Salmon she requested for her birthday.  (Before practice she helped me butter the phyllo dough and wrap the salmon while we watched episodes of Fixer Upper. ) Turns out that she doesn't really like phyllo salmon.  But we enjoyed it! 
(Also, you can see we are sheltered by the new sunshade I bought to guard our outside table.  Makes eating outside when the sun is out so pleasant!)

She requested creme brulee for her dessert.  Luckily she was willing to go with homemade ice cream with caramel, her 2nd choice.  

She got an amazon gift card from Maren that she spend the next morning on this beautiful crown.  The thing about Libby is that she is 100% driven by comfort and 100% driven by aesthetics.  These two don't always mesh.  So she will probably never wear this crown, even for dress up because it isn't comfortable.  But she is happy to own it.  

I love this birthday queen.  (Even though she needed several talking tos about being happy with whatever gifts she got.  Sigh.)

Bikers!

It has been my goal for a few summers now to be able to bike places (like to the pool).  Finally, dream has become reality!  We can do it!  Ben doesn't have gears on his bike (and he hasn't mastered the stand and pedal yet) so he has to walk up the last bit of the hill on the way to the pool.  But we are doing it.  I put more than 30 miles on my bike this week between biking to morning Gators, biking Libby to summer school, biking to pick up Libby, and then biking with Libby to afternoon Gators.  Some days Ben did almost all the rides with me! It has been super fun.  By the end of the week I was exhausted! (I also had a 30,000 step day on Friday doing yard work and an intense 5K race on Saturday to help put me into exhaustion.)

Another place I biked was to Grammy and Grandpas to water.  These guys came on nights that I drove so they could play on the new trapeze that I bought to replace the 3rd swing that was broken.

Ben on a Libby pick up run.  I was too busy biking on these rides to take may pictures. 

I have been annoyed to see the streets redesigned to fit in bike lanes all over.  But now that we are using them, I'm grateful for them!  There was just one mishap when Ben was riding with Derek on Wed.  On one spot they moved onto the sidewalk to go around a parked car.  But someone had their garbage and recycle on the sidewalk.  Ben tried to go through the gap, but he knocked a recycle bin off the sidewalk into a busy street.  They had to stop and pick it all up. Oops. 
The improvement I have seen has been incredible! I love it! 

SWIMMERS!

When I decided to have the kids participate on a swim team this summer, I didn't know how much they would like it.  I remember in 6th grade going to a swim team practice with a friend and almost dying.  It was hard!  But I figured that my kids LOVE to swim.  And this is a very recreational league.  It wouldn't be like my experience where I just showed up mid-season and tried to hang with the team.  This group would help my kids work up to swimming laps.  And it has been amazing!  The kids have loved it.
They love swimming laps, they love their coaches. They love learning new strokes.  They maybe don't love getting up for an 8 am practice.  But absolutely no regrets.  We are all going to be sad when it is over. 

The meet last weekend was at Yost Pool.  When Libby was born we lived just around the corner from this pool, and we never went there--until now! 

About to start warm ups.  

Ben's classmate Daphne is on his team.  She's a good little swimmer! 

Ben is still working on his butterfly, it is a combo breaststroke/butterfly/freestyle.  

Sarah taking off from the wall. 

Libby making a turn. 

So at swim meets, you write all their info on their arms so they can keep track of what Event, Heat & Lane they are in.  It's crazy!  Yesterday I was in charge of staging.  Getting all the kids in the right order is a bit of a circus.  But we did it!

Sarah has a amazing butterfly.  (Which is amazing to me, because butterfly seems super hard!) She barely missed 1st place in her butterfly heat.  

Libby absolutely rocked her backstroke yesterday.  She was just a hair behind the girl who took 1st. 

This is Ben with his coach Richard.  Ben won two heats yesterday and got two of these Gator necklaces.  He said he won one of the heats because one of the kids from the other team said, "I'm going to beat you."  So Ben determined to beat that kid no matter what! 

The Backyard Bean

This summer we were hoping to do some major projects.  But, Derek's injury meant that we had to slow our roll.  We started into one that we thought wouldn't be that expensive.  Ha!  I was involved.  Of course it was going to get expensive.
The end result is pretty beautiful though.  I can relax and enjoy my last month of summer, right?

This is a sort of before picture.  You can see one of the rhodies that was in "Bean" (Ben named the old pond Bean because it is shaped like a kidney bean). 
We paid for several hours of amazing workers (two former wrestlers and our gardener) to help pull out the old bushes and grind the stumps. 

 Anne Ducey helped me clear the area of weeds, level it, and shovel in 1.5 yards of bark and build the swing.

 Ben, Libby and Sarah helped too.  I paid them $1.00 an hour + Menchies.  We were trying to finish it before Derek got home from Japan. 

 The finished swing.  And the happy Menchie's eaters. 

 Right before we left for Utah, Anne Ducey helped my pick the plants and potted them for me.  I tried out a different set where the two chairs are.  I didn't like them and returned them.  In the process I managed to leave my credit card at the store.  Of course someone went ahead and tried to use it.  Ugh.
Then after cancelling credit card (and all the work that entails) I bought these two chairs unfinished (because it seemed like no big deal to paint them).  Um, it was a big deal.  Royal pain and don't look closely.  But the project is done.  Now hopefully next summer we can replace the shed behind them. 

The view from the swing.  Nice, huh?

Norton Family Adventure: Lake Talapus Hike

We had an amazing day on Saturday.  I feel like my outdoors loving self has been dormant while my kids were too young to enjoy it.  Now I am in full blown "Let's get outside" mode!  This hike was perfect for us.  Not too long, nice and shady, beautiful views at the end.  We can't wait to do more (and I mean that!  Sarah was looking through the hike books and looking for more hikes).  

After the hike we ate at Scott's Dairy Freeze in North Bend, shopped at the outlets a bit, and then went to the MP Swim Club.  We all swam...even mom!  (Although Dad and Mom did more reading than swimming.)

It was so fun to be together!  Libby hiked down with  me the whole way, wanting to stay ahead of the rest so we could talk, "since you are the oldest child too, so you understand my pain with my siblings." She told me about her crush, about skipping band and going to orchestra, about her worries for next year, etc.  It was really a perfect day! 

 This big burnt out tree was so cool.

 We all bouldered up this little spot (except Dad).  Libby was afraid the first time, but on the way down we stopped again and she went up.

Hopefully we will have time for a few more of these before summer ends!

Ben & Libby Stats

Well Child Check day on Friday. 

Libby:
Weight: 65 lbs. 12.8 oz.   This is the 12th percentile. (We did get up to 70 lbs. this year with the help of some meds, but she slid back down when we went off the meds and she wasn't as hungry.)
Height: 53 inches  This is the 10th percentile.  (Tall enough for the big roller coasters, and that is all that matters :)

We talked about some new ways to assure she eats breakfast and doesn't do the nightly snacking thing that keeps her up late and makes me crazy.  Break the cycle! 

Also, Libby still cries about shots.  Sigh. And she has to have 2 more on Tuesday because they only had one in stock.  She decided to get the one they had so she could still "get a blizzard."  I guess that means she gets another blizzard on Tuesday?

Ben:
Weight: 43 lbs. 12.8 oz .  12th percentile.
Height: 45 in. 7th percentile.  (Not yet tall enough for the big roller coasters, but it seems like he is really growing like a weed!)

Yes, we grow them small around here.
But Sarah's check up is on Tuesday.  So we also grow them in the higher percentiles...😜

A Week of Dancing & Swimming!

We came home early from Utah so the girls could go to Dance Camp at our dance studio.  I had offered to help in exchange for a tuition break, but didn't hear back until I was already in Utah.  I agreed to teach a zumba class on Thursday at camp and we made plans to come back on Sunday so the girls could start on time.
Glad we did, since then we were sick and couldn't dance on Tuesday.  Even missing one day, the girls did a great job and had lots of fun.

I was proud of their work at the showcase on Thursday.  They learned a lot of choreography in just a couple of days.  So good for their brains!

They also did the SWIM-A-THON on Thursday for Gators.
Sarah & Libby both swam 28 laps in 45 minutes and Ben swam 26.  Wow.  So proud of that. 

The first swim meet was on Friday.  The girls were with Aunt Alayne for a birthday outing at the Paramount Theater.  They got to watch Dance This which is a collection of dance performances.  So just Ben, Dad and I went to the swim meet.  It was really fun to see Ben love the swimming process. 

 We are so blessed to be a part of the Gator and the Alderwood Dance Spectrum families!  And, since I am reading Mindset by Carol Dweck and Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler, I am obsessed with helping my kids (and myself) develop growth mindset.  These opportunities to learn new skills and improve is such a great way to practice growth mindset.  We aren't all totally on board...YET.  :)

Centerville 4th of July 2018

The 4th of July gets its own post because it was so full.  My kids refuse to stay in Seattle for the 4th because Centerville is so much more fun.

I bought Luke the perfect gift for the 4th of July!  Sweet outfit dude! 

Ruger wasn't so sure about this new scooter thing.  Devin enjoyed it though! 

Getting ready to roll for the Children's Parade. 

I was proud I remembered their scooters this year.  Last year we had to buy new ones. 

All the kids basically looking at the camera.  For at least a second. 

Kids done looking at the camera.  Uncle Davey pulled the wagon.  Thank goodness for shade on the route.  It was so hot! 

Devin wanted some red lipstick like the rest of the ladies.  Libby suggested we tell him we were giving him red and just put on clear chapstick.  Pure genius.  He didn't even question it.  

We looked amazing!  

Adoring fans along the parade route. 

The concert was one of my favorite bands from my Utah days, Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband.  I hung out with the band a few times back in the day, and went to many many shows.  It was fun to see how they have changed, and how they haven't.  I bought 2 shirts and a CD.  

 Uncle Davey asked who was in for running the 5K the morning of the 4th.  Notice who is NOT pictured in this early morning shot?  Yep.  Uncle Davey.  This brave crew walked the route, except for our exceptional bursts of running on the downhill.  Lots of laughter.  Between Rachel with her security tag still on her shorts, and Drea with her fashionable but inappropriate shoes, we got a laughter workout in addition to the walking/running.  And, we were not last!  It was so fun. 

 We literally got to the run right as it was starting.  So I didn't get a chance to go to the bathroom before hand.  Luckily, my parents' house is just a couple of houses down at the 1/2 way point.  So I sprinted down and used the bathroom so I could finish the race.  I had to run to catch up with this bunch. 

 After the run is the awesome parade.  So much candy.  And otter pops.  My favorite was the dance and drill teams.  Not as many as there used to be, but there are some.  Good times.

 The Viewmont Wrestlers had  fun idea.  They had a giant dumbell for kids to lift.  Loved this! 

 My dad rigged up a great umbrella for shade.

 Super Parade Spectators!

 After the parade, we hung with the Thorne family, like we have every year forever.  But the best part is they were all there too!  So we got to reunite the whole clan.  Friends since I was about 5 probably?  The funny part is that their son that is my age, lives about 45 minutes south of us here in WA.  But we have to go all the way to UT to see them.  Busy lives!

My mom had the idea of a 4th of July program before the fireworks.  It was fun, some singing, some fiddling, some dancing, and some storytelling.  My mom told stories about her dad and his military service that were very sweet.  I'd never heard before about he was the oldest guy in his regiment.  They all called him Pop and loved him.  When he was injured they were all devastated because they loved him so much.  I learned a lot about my family this trip.   

 Dave is playing the Guitele that he gave to Libby.  I am teaching her to play it.  So fun.
Then we began the fireworks.  Utah has made a whole bunch of crazy aerial fireworks legal.  To say we had some misfires is an understatement.  It was crazy fun/scary fun.  I was glad when it was over.  Hopefully we learned a few lessons about how to stabilize the fireworks so they don't tip and shoot at ground level. 

 Sparklers and the sword fireworks were a big hit.

 The show ended with my dad putting out a fire in the bushes.  Yikes.

Seriously, this is legal!