Last call for Magazine Orders

WestFest, Cups' annual school carnival fundraiser, started at six last Friday evening. I signed up to be the candy booth co-chair last year. This year I became also the the Root Beer Float chairperson. They combined the two booths to save volunteer hours. Since this was my first year with the Root Beer Float booth, Marti, who overlooks all the food booths in addition to running the Teriyaki booth, ordered all the supplies for me; she also staffed the booth with Root Beer Float veterans so that the booth would run smoothly. I was grateful for all the help that I got. Baby Cups and Emmi, who was the daughter of the other candy booth co-chair, enjoyed bottle pops at the beginning of the festival.

Gofres enjoyed his first root beer float at the end of Friday evening. We learned that the Health Department does not want babies behind the Root Beer Float booth, so John was excused from his 10-hour volunteer shift the next day. The Friday night rain brought everyone indoors, and the combined booth brought in $1,000 in four hours.

By 10PM Saturday night Cups lucked out with this candy necklace, which was the only piece of candy not sold. Candy sold out around 9, and we ran out of ice cream by 9:40. I was more than done by that time after having been there since 10AM.

We got the school's centennial shirt for Cups, but she could do without the unfashionable piece of clothing. A couple days ago she chose to wear her uniform shirt rather than this T-shirt. Gofres matched Daddy instead. Marti asked whether we could store the leftover supplies until next year, and John said yes. After Marti left we realized that we had said yes to taking four large boxes home - thousands of cups, lids and bowls?! I was most grateful that John pulled the car up to the back door of the gym, loaded up the trunk and left quickly while I continued to clean up the area.

 I discovered that John had left with my purse and car keys after Cups and I got done cleaning up. While waiting for him to come back, Cups scored four goldfish from Marti, who was holding onto them for her kids. Cups said, "I have a great life."  Why had I not thought of making her life great this cheaply before?

The next morning we got some fish food from Petco. Cups offered to spend her money from doing school work, Chinese homework and reading on it. I splurged since she only has $5 left after chipping in towards her bike. I like that she asks for toys for her birthday and offers to spend her money on things I would buy for her anyhow.

This is a picture of Cups and her study buddy from outside the school. She came home the previous day, announcing that she is number one with reading and selling magazines. "I love it!" she said. I smiled ans said, "I am here to support you." I like that she is starting to take pride in doing well.

John took Thursday and Friday off work. When Gofres saw John with the centennial shirt on, he gestured that he would like it on, too.

Cups lost her first tooth Wednesday night shortly after she got in bed.

The family likes to take walks in the evenings.

Agong and Ama sent freshly picked Tsugaru apples - super sweet!

 Before we picked up Gofres from daycare on Friday, we made a quick trip to Costco.

Gofres likes to read when Cups is not home and also when Cups reads. He has three favorites. Two have cats in them, and one has farm animals in it.

Cups is progressing in her swimming class. This is the fifth time in the same class where they focus on changing breaths. I hope she passes soon, haha, but all in due time. I like that she still enjoys her swimming class.

Third Week of School

 Monday afternoon Cups picked up Gofres from daycare. Aslan, the mascot, loves and misses Cups.

Daddy asked that we stop by the doctor's office to visit with the nurse, who LOVES Cups and Gofres. . .if anyone asks what I do with my days now that I no longer sit at a desk all day. Thank you for all your love. John is doing well. This visit was a month from the last one, and the next one will be in two months. His rosy cheeks remain. 

I still smile big on the inside whenever I see Cups tuck in her shirt. She likes her flip flops, tank tops, skirts and dresses - anything comfortable. I am proud that she is following rules at school. 

Monday's homework asked what they liked the best about first grade and what confused them or made them uncomfortable. Se laughed when I suggested having to tuck in her shirt as something that made her uncomfortable - because it was true for her, haha!

This morning Zachery (Cups' study buddy) and Brady started chatting with me. Brady was ready to turn in his second reading log. Each log records eleven books, and the teacher puts a sticker on each log and staples a new sheet to the top. Cups had read about forty by then, but I didn't know that they were to be turned in as completed. Cups said, "I am so mad at you." She is not mad per se. I liked that she cared about her performance.

This was Cups' morning work. She continues to enjoy drawing a whole lot.

Homework assignment was reading six little books on Tuesday. Cups did really well. They had read most of them to their respective study buddies in class. Cups commented, "I made some mistakes. It was so embarrassing." She shared that Zachery could read well, and I told her that I was glad that Zachery could help her.

Cups' first scrapes (on both knees) in first grade - bad enough that she cried. They would call me at work when she fell in kindergarten and ask me, "Would you like to talk to her?" When I said no, they would say, "Just for a little bit. . ." She's always been quite a trooper - at school.

We love Uncle Thomas of The O Institute in Bellevue. He provides the family with chiropractic treatments and nutritional information to support our well-being. Thank you! 

Grandma and Great Aunt Boo visited with us after they returned from Victoria.

Amongst other school supplies, Grandma got Cups her favorite: Sharpies! It's always a treat to see Grandma.

Cups got Gofres more salad and fed him - sisterly love!

While Auntie Jennifer volunteered at the food bank, Eva and Deano visited with us. The kids listened to stories, played in the yard, bounced in the bouncy house, colored with the new markers from Grandma while listening to more stories (and participated by finding different things on the pages - all four of them), played with some toys and finally settled down in front of the TV for a quick show. Everyone had a great time! I am surprised with who I am becoming; I would never have felt comfortable talking to kids before, and I am actually engaging them.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone!

After dinner we volunteered at the third food bank, and the location of this one is way awesome - across the street from Molly Moon, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

Cups put slips of paper with nutritional information and recipe of the bulk item in bags and bagged popcorn kernels. This newer facility had more room and drew more people; we finished quickly.

We stopped by for some Theo Chocolate and Blackberry Bergamot ice cream before heading home. What a day - school, homework, play date, dinner, volunteering and ice cream. We also managed to squeeze in readding eleven books - on the way to and from the food bank, too. We got in bed by 9! Cups' teacher gave her two stickers on that reading log! Besides sending home articles that support parents in helping the kids develop good learning habits, the teacher also gets very excited when they do well!

Daddy walked Cups to school and Gofres to daycare on a day off; we enjoyed his company!

As soon as we stepped into the school, Cups' teacher reminded me that Cups had the Pancake Breakfast, which was the reward for having read at least 15 minutes everyday of the summer (minus up to seven days), that I had forgotten about. Her teacher took Cups' belongings from me and ushered us into the school hall. Since Cups already had her breakfast, Daddy enjoyed a second breakfast.

The kids got to play games and pick a poster and a book. Cups and Molly picked the same poster.

And after picking up more books from the library, we are getting ready for the school's carnival fundraiser this weekend by baking eight dozens of cookies for the cake walk! Oh no, Gofres is growing right before our eyes! He just reached up and took a cookie off a plate for the fundraiser!

Cups' Second Week of School

Hello there! I am learning, too! Last week I learned to recognize cows and say moo. This week I learned to recognize horses, ducks and chickens and say neigh, duck duck and doo doo (self-created, short for cock-a-doodle-doo). Jiejie is adjusting well to her new teacher and expectations set for first graders.

Monday afternoon we found out that Cups had gym the next day and that her shoes from last year were too small. We went shopping after Daddy got home from work. Cups tried on about thirty pairs of shoes, and just as Mama was about to give up on the store five minutes before closing, the last pair fit Cinderella's feet. (They had to be low rise and comfortable.) Cups was happy with the new backpack that came with the shoes. 

Cups wore her new shoes to school the next day.

After I helped count magazine orders at the school, I bumped into these girls on their way out to recess - Molly (left) and Natalie (right).

In the bathroom I bumped into them again and found them having fun, being silly - Molly (front) and Clara (behind).

Gofres refused to leave, so he stayed and played ball on the playground. Cups walked back to class with Jordan.

Molly joined Cups on the bike rack a few minute before the doors opened.  The doors remain closed until ten minutes before school starts to prevent strangers from wandering into the school.

Cups and Gofres posed during the family photo session with Donna Ryan at City Mouse Studio. Their pictures from last year are still on Donna's website: http://citymousestudio.com/.

Cups' writing posture has improved 120% over a week in first grade. Thank you, Mrs. Blanco! She used to have her head really close to the paper, and I couldn't convince her to sit straight. Mrs. Blanco works with the kids to make sure that they sit with the spine straight and the helping hand holding down the paper. She also works with the children on the correct way of "pinching" the pencil.

Before we began working on this assignment, Cups "confessed" that they got grades for their handwriting. She got a 2 and not a 3, and most everyone got 1s. I asked whether she received feedback. She was to not write in pen. (Writing in Sharpies is her style.) For this assignment did you guess what her special talent is? Running!

Other kids have caught onto walking the obstacle course.

Gofres helped me with milk duty at Jiejie's school.

Friday after school Cups and I helped Alma and Gian rolling lumpias for this coming week's school carnival fundraiser, WestFest. Cups did really well pulling the wrappers apart and even rolling lumpias.

The kids waited around while their moms finished making lumpias.

After we got out of the kitchen, we made it to Theo Chocolate for the last ten minutes of Ben & Jerry's Seattle-inspired flavor sampling. Sweetness in Seattle is vanilla ice cream with chocolate sandwich cookies, brownie batter, Theo Chocolate coffee chips made with Caffe Vita coffee and topped with caramel.

Saturday was Ama's birthday, so the family went up north to celebrate the special day. It is apple-picking season, but most of the farms are quite out of the way. Since this apple orchard with 25,000 apple trees was close to Agong and Ama, Cups got to go apple picking for the first time!

The Apple Bin Express made of apple bins took us out to the orchard. Uncle Michael wanted to know whose idea it was to go to the apple orchard - when he could be kicking back at home. (He then shared that he has been impressed with the variety of activities that he has seen on this blog. In this case he got roped into one of them, ha.)

We passed by a corn field on the way to the apple orchard!

Cups and her bag of Tsugaru apples!

Uncle Michael ate two apples while picking, and I had three. Cups did not have any with concern for her first wiggly bottom front tooth.

They had cows and horses and corresponding "Please don't feed cows!" and "Please don't feed horses!" signs.

When we got home, Cups picked the pears that Agong saved for her. Earlier in the season Cups had helped Agong pick off some small pears to provide space and nutrients for the remaining pears to grow bigger.

 Happy birthday, Ama!

Agong and Ama were so happy. I said Ama and Agu (mom's little brother). Agong is still hard. 

Thank you for all your love and support! Please place magazine orders to support Jiejie's school - thank you!