Mid-year 2023 - this picks up when we got back from Portugal. It was a great trip and then back to the real world. The kids adapted well to coming back to school and the dogs were very happy to see us back! Elliot is diving right back into school work and absolutely LOVING all the reading and math challenges that they can send her way. Wes is curious, engaged and thoughtful. While he still has highs and lows in his emotions, he is working on controlling them and really getting good about feeling his feelings, expressing them and then calming down. Fiona is just a bundle of fun! She is earning the name fireball as she never does anything half speed. She will go flat out to keep up with the big kids then get into the car, ask if it is ok to fall asleep and, if you say yes, will be out in 30 seconds!
Do you think the dogs missed Mac when he was in Portugal?
Then there is this one...Fiona is turning into a character! She is curious, funny and engaging with a quick wit! The LOVES snacks and will plow through cucumbers and fruits / vegetables of all types if you give her a chance.
Out to the Oregon coast to visit the Hawley's after this and get a chance to run in the ocean and enjoy the sun! It is always a little cold out on the coast and the water is freezing!! The kids love running and jumping into the waves and exploring the windy sands. Also makes for great pictures.
Finding time to explore Oregon and trail run through the days off!
Elliot, for her birthday, wanted a parents only fancy dinner night. We took her out to a fancy Italian inspired restaurant and she loved it! We got mocktails, dressed up, had multiple course! One of the fun things about seeing her grow up is the ability to do more and more "real" things that aren't just kid events. She is such a thoughtful, intelligent and curious girl!
Here comes memorial day! We had the opportunity to go camping at Schwartz park at Dorena lake in Cottage Grove OR. It was a big group campsite with several other families (other Cooks, Bournes, Savickases, Urangas, Weinmans, Osters) and a whole bunch of kids! The kids ranged from 1 to 10 and there were just bunches of them biking around the campsite, exploring on paddleboards, playing at the playground and soaking their feed and reading books. The weather was fantastic. Madison had a touch of liver failure this weekend, a side effect of an arthritis medication, and so we brought her with us and were administering fluids subcutaneously through the weekend.
Even though she wasn't feeling great, Madison got out on the paddleboard with Crystal.
The whole group!
Best siblings! (look at that long hair on Fiona....spoiler alert!)
Best friends!
Kindergarten open house - the kids all did tracings of themselves and then placed them at their chair for their parent to find. Wes has really done much better in school than we anticipated. He is curious, thoughtful and engaging. He loves learning and is really taking to the structure of the class. He has really found his stride this spring in teacher Vicki's class!
Alameda Field day!! It was hot but highlighted the community we really love at Alameda.
The end of school also brought an end of gymnastics! The Children's Gym has really been great for the kids - a supportive environment for them to grow and learn. All three of them are enjoying it and advancing in their skills. While it isn't a gym that really ends up in competitive gymnastics at an early age - they get a lot of work on balance, body control and confidence.
Another birthday! Wes was turning 6 and we had a reptile themed party! He got to invite a bunch of his friends from kindergarten (and siblings) and then the reptile guy came.
Watch out for that snake! He isn't so sure about this...
Dad got in on the fun too - it was just too big of a snake to not. The reptile guy was super friendly and was great with the animals.
All kinds of end of year stuff! Elliot played at the spring concert of her violin studio with teacher Sophie. She has made a lot of forward progress on the violin and we were treated to a wonderful rendition of "allegro". Elliot enjoys the performance aspect of the violin (she performed at the Alameda story hour as well) and seems to be getting a handle on musical principles such as rythm and tone. She is also starting to read music!
Berry picking with mom's little strawberry!
Thank you teacher Vicki for a great kindergarten year!!!
Big kids! Rising third graders and rising first grader!
Happy birthday Wes (he gets a crown at school for his birthday) - look how happy he is!!
While we had a friend birthday with the snake guy - family birthday happened on his actual birthday. Crystal made a fantastic cake and we all celebrated 6 years with Wes!
Well - what a great school year. As we moved into the summer, there were a few days before camps and camping really started up where we were able to sneak in a backpacking trip. We snuck away to Twin Lakes for a fun few days in the woods. This was actually one of Mac's last backpacking trips with his gigantically huge Osprey (more to come on that) and you can see all three of the kids carrying backpacks to the campsite! Put them to work!
Come on Fiona! If we get to the next tree we get hiking snacks. There are, essentially, unlimited skittles, gummies and ring pops when hiking. Keeps them fueled and provides motivation to get around the next corner.
Even with all that motivation, sometimes little legs need a ride and the gigantic Osprey makes a convenient back rest for tired little people.
It was early in the year and so fire bans were not yet in effect. Wes started to learn some of the skills of fire building. The wood was pretty wet, which was a bummer, but there was a lot dead and down and so we got a pretty good fire going.
Even with all that - poor little Fiona got sick and had a rough day. She had to take a snooze in Mom's arms to feel back to her normal self.
Still not feeling great but a fire and a loving family helps!
Next day on the way out we stopped at the lower lake where we have a picture of them from years ago. The sun was out, the weather was warm and it was a blast to go wading.
Recreation of a photo from 3 or 4 years ago - they just keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger!!
Happy, but tired, kids.
The next big event of the summer was the (becoming) annual trip our to Cape Lookout state park with the Alahood group! A park right on the coast, there were about 50 people in our group - spread out over a number of campsites. As the kids get older, they get more and more trust to start to explore with their friends (here is Elliot with Sylvia and Albi).
With such a big group we had an EPIC beach bonfire and some really fantastic marshmallow roasting.
and Madison was feeling better!! Even though she was recovered from her episode of liver failure, she was starting to show her age and we brought her with to help her have fun as she gets older. What a really good dog.
Hey Wes...do good dogs get S'Mores? I am a good dog...
They do...
Madison in repose...a still life.
Exploring tidepools at the beach with anemones and mussels.
Madison...isn't that a people chair? It is...I am just a fuzzier person Dad.
We love her so much
Most of the camping group out tidepooling
and out on the beach. Even though it is July you can see how cold the Oregon coast is. Hats and jackets for sure!
HUGE bonfire to end the weekend with and EPIC game of telephone, some really fun songs and great stories. The Alahood group is turning into a really solid community of friends for our and the kids.
Big Fiona at the dentist. She is a brave, curious and capable little girl!
The fun never ends in the summer!
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