End of the Year/Start of the Summer

Well, this blog is very out of date. Much like the concept of blogs themselves, I suppose.

The kids finished kindergarten and third grade on June 13th, and we celebrated by going to have a bunch of ice cream with friends, and then leaving on Saturday for Wisconsin.

We've been so lucky to have such a great year. Wonderful teachers, wonderful friends, and a great school community. Plus Ms. Kantor is teaching first grade again next year, so maybe she'll go Fords For Four next year!

The travel out to Chicago was easy peasy, and then we spent Father's Day out at John's lake place again, which was awesome. Saw many geese on their way to goose brunch, and then Ellie and I both water skied!

What is there to say about Door County? We ate a lot of cheese curds and goat milk gelator, we drank a lot of Old Fashioneds, we had a great time watching the ten kids twelve and under run around the yard and the various parks like a pack of wild animals. We saw a lot of beautiful sunsets, I spent a lot of time laughing until I was crying.

And each year is more fun with the kids. I love that I'm in a place where I made so many happy childhood memories, watching them make similar memories. Adam kept commenting on how gorgeous everything was, and Ellie pointed out how we had done things last year or the year before.

Then Adam spent the entire day that we were traveling home vomiting if we gave him more than a sip of water, so that was great! But he was a good little trooper - still happy to pull his own suitcase through the airport and then spent almost the entire drive and flight sleeping. Then woke up at 6:30 on Monday morning right as rain, wondering if we would make him some breakfast. So, now he's 3 for 3 on puking on a vacation, so he's no longer a part of the family. But as you can see, his last trip with us was a lovely one!

Grand Old Flag.

Last Friday the second graders at school did their American Symbols On Parade play, and it was super cute. They talked about the various American symbols and monuments, sang some songs, did some dancing. One of the best things is that in second grade (almost third, loud sobbing noise) is that they are able to deliver lines and act a little. They got a lot of jokes, and knew how to ham it up for reaction.

Ellie played the part of Rose, sharing it with a few other girls (there were several Roses, and several Uncle Sams.) She was SO darling. Please see video evidence.

Medicare for Mimi!

What a nice weekend celebrating Mimi's birthday! (and other hanging out, sleeping in, and regular weekend activities around here.)

On Friday night, Mimi, Ellie and Chris and Carly went on a grandmother and granddaughter trip to the theater to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Segerstrom. Adam and I got to crash their dinner at Ruby's as part of the drop off, but the show was all ladies - they had a blast!

And then on Sunday we went out to Yorba Linda and watched Jake made dinner for all of us, while we celebrated loudly and proudly.

Toofs

Another milestone passed in our house - my last baby lost his first tooth! I was unprepared for this event to make me have feelings, but it's weird to think that it's the end of their baby faces. And now that the tooth fairy has to start coming up with cash for the very same teeth that made our lives miserable on their way (this is a racket.) Anyhow - he's had a wiggly tooth for awhile, and then wrenched it out right before going into his classroom yesterday morning, so I got to walk home holding a human tooth in my hand.

We were over at a friend's house until fairly late last night and this morning when I got back from the Y, he was still sleeping! Thank goodness tball was rained out, because he slept in until 10am! I did go check on him at 9 to make sure he was still alive, because this is out of character for him. Then when he did wake up, there was much crying from his room and lamenting that the tooth fairy didn't leave him anything. There was a moment of panic where I thought maybe the tooth fairy DID forget, as it had been a late night, but I also remembered the tooth fairy very distinctly sneaking into his room with baited breath. Adam, in a very un-Howard-like fashion, did not realize that the gold dollar under his pillow was his prize, worth one American dollar. He feels much better now that he's fully awake, and also rich.