4th of July 2008

Not your typical fourth of JulIVARS. We were at Gig Harbor for the 4th Weekend. Our first holiday event was the forest beach 4th of July parade. We got on our bikes and away we went....

Leo can't ride more than 10 feet yet so I put him in the stroller and ran off to find the parade. Sylvie and Joey were having technical difficulties on the bikes (the incline was too much for Sylvie) so we ditched them and went to take pictures....

So far so good, fun whooping and patriotic cars, as to be expected.

Bozos in boxers and hats blazting "proud to be an american" , yes expected and welcomed...

Three quasi-firecrackers and a WHAT!?!

Did wonderwoman sign off on this one?

Shortest Skirt ever seen on a 60 year old.

Parade over

Then our friends showed up and we lit some safe stuff like smoke bombs,

Leo was determined on the big wheel and hated the smoke and booms
It was a windy day and hard as heck to light those suckers

FINALLY!

The next day we had a more relaxing day

Molly and Cambria

Clams at sunset - YUM!
Haney and Sylvie with Sparklers

A great and exhausting weekend!

Maxwelton Morning

These are some of the reasons why we complain when the weather isn't nice. It is so unbelievably beautiful when the sunshines. Faces look up to the sky and the light shines so brightly that you have to smile and have fun.

Maxwelton Beach up on Whidby in the morning.

The Ferry crew: Hazel, Van, Sylvie and Leo - TNG

Jane got married

Janie got married this weekend. It was a perfectly sunny weekend. Rehearsal Dinner Sunset at Ray's where Sylvie discovered that she loves Shrimp and I discovered that she only eats the fried crusty part. The next day she braved about 3 hours of intermittent photo sessions taking off and putting on her dress to keep it pristine for the ceremony. Instead of spreading flowers she held her own mini bouquet and she walked down the aisle like a pro (with Sarah prodding her) The Edgewater was the perfect venue for a June wedding with cruise ships and sail boats floating by while the party raged on. We are thrilled for Jane and her entire family and were honored to have been a part of her special day!

The Edgewater was lovely

The fire alarm at Ray's Boathouse went off and we were all sent to the parking lot!

Sarah and Sylvie at the rehearsal dinner

Tykes on Bikes

My neighbor Kate and I planned a blockpart/bikeparade which we named Beacon Hill Tykes on Bikes. We got a grant and permit from the city becuase they are really promoting these car-free neighborhood parties this summer. So, we had face painting, bike decorating, megaphone toting, potluck dinner, a secret beer garden, a portapody, a band of neighborhood folks, and an actual parade of tykes on bikes. Sylvie had to miss the festivities because she was in a wedding this weekend and had to attend the rehearsal. Leo was in full effect!

Record Low Tide

I got wind that the Moon was performing a -4 tide on Wednesday so Leo and I set out for Alki and here's how that went...

Mommy: Wow! Look how far out the tide is Leo!

We can walk on the gross beach and experience Washington's June Gloom to the fullest!
Leo: Where's Sylvie, Mom?
I have somthing to throw at her and I don't see anyone around to throw this at!

Mommy: Check out the beach Leo!

Leo: I WANT THE CAMERA

Leo: Hey, where did these come from?

Leo: How can I mess with them and ruin the balance of nature?

Leo: Look How wet I can get Mommy!Mommy: Let's get out of this mess. Say CHEESE!

Leo: CHEESE !

No kids party

The kids spent the night with Grandma and Granpa and we hosted our annual "no-kids" party. The company was excellent and the taco bar was amazing (thanks to some help from our Mexican nanny :) and the local tortillaria.

Gig Habor

Leo and Haney Beachcoming

It was the only sunny weekend in the last five months so we got out a bit.

Sylive Graduated!

Sylvie's Graduation from the JCC's Early Childhood Program was very cute. They showed a video where each kid was asked what their favorite memory was and what they wanted to be when they grow up. Sylvie said she most remembered making the self portraits throughout the year and here she is below with her final version. When asked what she wants to do when she grows up she said " I want to do what my Mommy does" AWWWWW

Grandma knit this amazing dress that she is wearing!

In attendance were Joey, Gracie May, Sylvie and Molly (back row)
Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie Nancy, Leo and Kris (front row)

Sleepover at the J

Sylvie is celebrating her final week in preschool and as a room parent, I, her mother, have been helping plan the events leading up to the big graduation on Friday. One such event was an extremely ambitious SLEEPOVER at the JCC. The teachers were really encouraging and spent the night as well. Out of 16 children I think about 8 spent the night after a dinner and some other astronomy activities. Though the weekend was stellar, Monday we could only spot one star. We had a great time and will go down in the history books of the JCC as the first 4 year-old class to spend the night!

We had the biggest 10x10 tent - the RIDGEWAY

Sylvie and Sophie

In the tent

Did I mention that at 10:00 it started to sprinkle and I said "Sylvie, that is what rain sounds like in a tent! it will stop soon" Then it started to POUR and we started cracking up and fell asleep to the beautiful sound of rain on the tent. I woke a few times with the vague sense that the tent is probably not water-proof. True that. In the morning Sylvie's blanket was soaked but my airmatress was nice and dry.

Park

Sylvie is looking more and more like Joey. This weekend a friend took these photos of her at the park when we had our annual mid-may heatwave weekend.

Water 1st

Sylvie's class decided to support an organization called WATER 1st and they collected backpacks from the whole school and sent them to kids in honduras. The photos that they send with the backpacks are so cute and I love Sylvie's teachers for teaching them about giving.

www.water1st.org