The Graduates

Gretchen and her BFF got glammed up for their playdate.  She looked so awesome in the earrings that we had to send them home with her.  Luckily Adrianne will restock our glam-box with a new stash of AWESOME at next sample sale.  Are you jealous of how fun their playdates are?  I know, I am too.  I want a weekly playdate filled with this much entertainment!  (Though to be honest, just watching them play is entertainment enough.  Their drama could put the telenovelas to shame.  For reals.)

We've found a lot of treasures as we clean out piles of stuff from storage.  Like this swing, now hanging from a beam over our covered patio.  This swing has provided hours of entertainment. 

It's also provided some pain too.  It came untied and dropped Ella's BFF onto the patio mid-swing.  We now have a No Friends On The Dangerous Swing rule.  My kids are ok, of course.  Because Danger is a middle name.  In our family.  For certain babies.

I found some big 'ol canvas in storage (see?  Storage is the gift that keeps on giving.  All you have to do is put stuff away for 5 years and you'll be amazed at what comes out.)  Gretchen & I made a Jackson Pollock painting for the living room.  She was ridiculously good at it.  Far better than me.

Speaking of art, if you're in the Seattle Area, you might accidentally bump into some graffitti art that looks strikingly similar to Ella and Gretchen's dad...

Apparently Uncle Tyler & Auntie Meghan saw a poster very similar to this one on their way to the store the other day.  "Hey, is that COLBY?"  Yes, yes it is.  Obey Colby.  Obey him.  We got our own copy in the mail this week from the artist's wife. It's going on our picture wall tomorrow.  And then maybe the 2nd copy will end up downtown near the river.  If I can bear to part with it.  (I don't think I can.  I love it too much.)

Who knew that 3 miles from our house there was a super cool nature center?  Not me!  But luckily someone at Ella's school did!  I helped drive for the field trip.  Here they are looking at pond water.

This may or may not be the boy who held her hand secretly under the table... Also, I'm not sure who's backpack that is.  It's not ours. 

Ours is pink with hearts.  See?  Yeah, the one with random stuffed animals hanging off it.  That I am carrying.  Not my kids.  Uh huh. 

Second grade ended on Tuesday.  Can you believe it?  Neither can I.  The kids were really upset about it, as you can see.  Ella had a speaking part in the school play.  She was a Gardener in the Garden Show.  I think we could all pretty much recite the whole play by the time her performance came around.  We'll be singing songs about compost for years to come.  It'll be like when Aunt Adrianne was the Shoemaker's wife in her school play.  I STILL REMEMBER HER LINES!!!  "Oh Hans, we are so hungry and there are still so many shoes to finish.  Whatever will we do..."  (Shoot, maybe I don't remember.  I bet she does though...  Adrianne, type your line into the comments section, will ya?)

 Speaking of Adrianne, look at that adorable baby bump.  Don't you just want to walk up to her in public and invade her personal space by rubbing your hands all over it?  I know, right?

Gretchen had her Preschool Graduation this week too.  Wait, doesn't she have one more year of Preschool?  Yes.  She does.  Maybe that's why she decided she didn't want to wear her Graduation Cap.

Or, you know, pay attention during the song performance.  (She really did very well.  She sang the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of that teapot song.  And the baby bumble bee song.  And the months of the year song.)  But you know Gretchen, always has to do her own thing. 


And so our summer begins.  Ella just got out of bed to ask me what we're doing tomorrow.  I told her she'd be cleaning the bathroom. That'll teach her to get out of bed (insert mad scientist laugh here).  What will we ACTUALLY DO?  Stay tuned, when I figure it out, I'll let you know...


xo