Back to School Shopping

 I had the BEST day today with my little/big girl!!  We caught the bus downtown and went back-to-school shopping for her upcoming first year of kindergarten.
I have very fond memories of my mom taking me (and my 3 siblings each on individual trips) shopping for school clothes.  I don't know if I remember this correctly, if we did it every year or what the details of it were but whatever it was it sticks in my mind and is a very special memory.  (Thanks, Mom!!) so I wanted to do the same with my kids.  This year was the first year of hopefully many more trips downtown for new school clothes.

We got a lot for our money, especially since I had a couple left over Baby Gap gift cards, embarrassingly or proudly, depending on how you view it, from when Josie was a baby. Her big and favorite Gap purchase was this Hello Kitty hoodieShe started asking about lunch about 45 minutes after we arrived downtown...she is a lot like her dad that way.  Even given all of the downtown options, she choose "Old MacDonald's"  She has eaten at McDonald's probably a total of 8 times in her life and I'm thrilled that she still really thinks it is called that.  I have to say we look and sound a little "special" when we order as we don't ever know what comes in a happy meal and we have a lot of questions.  I think the average McDonald  customer knows the menu by heart. 

On the bus on the way home with her final treat in hand from Starbucks.  After we were done I suggested a treat for the ride home.  She asked me, "did Grandma buy you a treat on the way home"  I don't know if she did but obviously the whole experience was such a treat that I want to repeat it.

I honestly can't believe she will be starting kindergarten in a little over a week!  Where did the time go?  I already know the first day will be tear filled for me. Such a bittersweet time.

Summer Camp(s)

 We have been busy, busy, busy this summer.  In addition to the two weeks of swim lessons and acting camp earlier in the summer, Josie also had a week of soccer camp and one day camp at The Children's Museum.  Although Benjamin wasn't old enough to go to camp this year he was able to tag along and have some special mommy/son bonding time while big sister was at camp.
Josie and her friend,Will attended the UK International Soccer Camp.  Will's parents are actually from the UK the two of them had a "jolly good time" at camp.
Will's mom picked Josie up every morning and while Josie was getting into the car Benjamin would cry and say "I wanna go to camp, too, me too, NOT fair"  That was just about his direct quote every morning.  But around lunch time Benjamin and I would load up lunches and extra sunscreen  and water (it was probably our hottest week this summer) and head to pick Josie up.
Benjamin would "run the bases" and sit in the dug out, eat a snack and wait until Josie and Will were done.  Then we would all head over to the adjacent park for lunch and some play time.




Josie second in line hugging her red soccer ball, her friend Will in front of her taking a drink of water.

 This week Josie had a one day camp at Seattle Center at The Children's Museum.  So Benjamin and I headed up to a park on Queen Anne and kicked the soccer ball around and played until Josie was ready to be picked up .

 Benjamin gets what we've been calling "white man overbite" and then he gets this aggressive look and then starts hitting anything and everything in his path.  Here is the look, kind of.  There was a croquet mallet at the park and he starting pounding it on the top of a small wall.

After Josie's camp we ate lunch and hung out by the Seattle Center fountain.

 And after lunch the kids got the unprecedented treat of cotton candy.  Benjamin just kept saying "I'm sticky!!" and Josie kept making little balls with it and shoving it in her mouth saying "this is yummy!"

Wiley Family Farm

 We spent a couple days up in Bellingham at the Wiley's.  They live in what we would consider "the country" and the kids and I thoroughly enjoyed country living on the farm for awhile.
S'mores around the fire pit was a huge hit.

 Jon helping Benjamin put his s'more together.  Unfortunately, Benjamin only wanted the chocolate bar.

 Josie loved the whole s'more

 Oh, and Benjamin also liked the "mellows" and the crackers he just didn't like them all together

 Sweet Benjamin kissses

 Making cupcakes for her doll party.  A few months ago Josie was talking to Kim on the phone and she said she'd like throw a birthday party for her dolls.  Josie came up with an elaborate plan including spaghetti and meatballs and cupcakes.  Auntie Kim delivered on all of her requests.  Obviously, Josie was thrilled and has decided that every summer we will celebrate her dolls birthdays up at Kim's.

 The Wiley's don't necessarily live on a farm but for us Seattlites it kind of feels that way. They have chickens, a big garden and a lot of land.  Drew has a riding lawn mower, a dirt bike and access to a golf cart and mini tractor.  They loved "helping" him stack wood. 

 We went to the water slides in Birch Bay. 

 And even got an ice cream cone on the way out. 

 On the way home from the water slides we stopped by a camp Kim runs for migrant worker's kids.  Josie and Benjamin fit right in :) 

 Benjamin posing in Jon's shirt

 One last ride on the golf cart

 Blowing out the candles at the dolls' party

 Auntie Kim gave the kids presents at the party. One of the gifts in Benjamin's bag was caps (the kind you hit with a rock or a hammer and they pop) I haven't seen these in 35 years!!  Benjamin (with Drew's protective ear-wear) hits away

For only spending a couple of days up there we certainly fit a lot in.

Thanks for the wonderful time, Kim, Fred, Jon and Drew!  We will be back :)

Swim Lessons

Josie and Benjamin had 2 weeks of daily swim lessons.  It was a HUGE success.  The age limit at the pool is supposed to be 3 but while I was in line waiting to sign Josie up a friend said she had signed up her 2 year old for the session previous and he did great.  I figured it was worth a shot.  Josie was an old pro.  This is her third summer going to swim lessons at this pool so she sat with Benjamin each day at the edge of the pool until his teacher got there and then she would run over to her "big kid" class.  

 The first day he jumped into the teacher's arms and didn't look back!!

 He had a couple of times where he wanted to get out or for me to get in but 90% of the time he was having a ball. He especially loved the little "space ship" a portable swimming pool play pen that has a bottom in it so that he could reach.  He loved jumping up and down in the "space ship"

The final day the kids jumped off the starting blocks!  Big fun for both of them. 

 Not only was Josie a wonderful big and protective older sister but she did FANTASTIC in the pool.  She was under the water more than she was above and she learned to really swim not just survive in the pool.  By the end she was doing the crawl stroke while breathing to the side the width of the pool and back.

Getting them all buckled in and ready to go everyday was a bit of a hassle but well worth it in the end. 

A second to the last day ice cream treat from the pool store.