Trip to the Oregon Coast

Cups embracing the ocean on our first trip to the beach after getting there right before dinner. . .

The view on a clear day. . .

Sunset after dinner. . .

Gofres asked to stay up until 11:30 for low tide - when whole sand dollars can be found.

Cups testing out the water. . .

It was foggy and a little chilly the next morning, but that did not keep Cups out of the water. Cups and Gofres had been to the beach and back on their own earlier that day.

Cups keeps hope that Santa would bring her a dog one day.

It's sweet seeing her with dogs. For now her realistic expectation is to get a dog when she is on her own.

Visiting the Cannon Beach Farmers' Market Tuesday afternoon. . .

Grandma treated the kids to rides in Oceanside. Tilt A Whirl is Cups' favorite ride "in the whole world." She had only been there once, and she took us there like a guide.

Outside the Tom's store - and many of you have visited this beautiful area this summer, too!

By the time we got back from playing in town, tide had come in again.

We managed to find sand to play on/in.

On the morning of our third and last day there. . .

The whole family got down to the beach to play after lunch. Thank you, Grandma, for making us yummy food the whole time!!

Cups showed me where to find tide pools, and she spotted a sea star along with many sea anemones, mussels and snails. No hermit crabs that day though.

Nibbles (aka Princess) sits this way when Grandma is away or when she knows people are leaving. I cracked up when I found Cups posing. Thank you very much, Grandma, for a wonderful mini vacation!!!

Warming up to summer vacation!

 One of Cups' besties was headed to Italy for 35 days, and she handed off Black Lightening for Cups to hermit crabsit as soon as she got him before school was over. The third graders had studied hermit crabitate towards the end of the school year, and two kids from each class drawn got to take one of the four home.

 Weather was nice, and Cups took BL biking. The basked was perfect for climbing.

The family often finds surprises biking around the neighborhood.

We had dinner with Auntie Iris' family, and look what she made for us!! With rose petals for decoration in the macaroons even - yummy and pretty; Cups loved and appreciated them much!

 Cups brought BL to the Sunday family dinner with uncles at a gyrocery.

Then she took BL to Bellingham to visit Agong and Ama. Can you tell what one of her favorite restaurants is from the bread stick?

The family went to see bats feed on bugs at dusk at a viewing hosted by Bats Northwest - very fun, informative and educational!

Cups and a friend from class looking like big kids at the park.  . .

The kids love having their pictures taken with Bullseye. I should document their growth by these pictures.

The family had the pleasure of attending an Indian wedding when Uncle Sonny got married. Congratulations, uncle!!

We introduced Matt's family to Uli's at the Pike Place Market, and then Gofres met Spiderman.

Gofres negotiated for Spiderman to pull him up on the ledge with Spiderman, who was kind and even gestured for permission.

Blessed are we!

 

Cups asked Gofres and me to accompany her to her classroom one morning. 

Gofres glided around the playground before the first bell rang.

Photo bomb! It was very cute watching the kids arrive, greet each other and chat a little before filing into the classroom.

Cups had homework around the concept of multiplication. 

Cups did the math, and Gofres helped color.

Cups joined the little ones in the tree when picking up Gofres from a play date.

There has been prizes for getting 3 more magazine orders each week. Cups has gotten a yard of gum and two free dress passes - thank you, all! She learned to blow bubbles from watching a friend at school. 

On teachers' in-service day Cups asked to go to the coffee shop where whipped cream is served on the lid, and it happened to be on a Seahawks day - green whipped cream with blue sugar.

Uhhhh. . .this is what I see around here from time to time. They have their share of fights, too; I am glad to report that no eyeballs have been poked out to-date.

Cups took this picture in the car.

Cups was too big to enter the play area for a birthday party, but she was not sad for too long. She found slime at a toy store close by. She's always wanted to have some; we had just never seen it before. $3 purchased an afternoon of happiness.

Supergirl and her Supercycle. . .uh, I have been reading too many superhero books.

 

A pumpkin patch for the city folks

Weather has been so nice that we spend however much time we can outside.

Uhhhhh, STEM?!

The kids jumped right in at the beginning of their first pottery class. Fun! Gofres and I hung out at Tully's across the street with yummy treats. Fun!

On a beautiful and rather warm day last week we decided to do homework on a deck elsewhere.

Cups' reaction to Junie B's behavior

Lunches of Love for the shelter at the school's church

Play date!! The kids are big enough to play on their own for hours, and the four of them got along fabulously. I may be brave enough to do this again soon.

We had to attend the Italian dinner fundraiser at school after all the rave I heard about the homemade meatballs. We had a fun and delicious experience.

A walk over fallen leaves in the canyon

Cups found a leaf bigger than her face.

There were a lot of geese, ducks (parents and babies), sailboats and clouds.

May they always love each other this much!